FILE - Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman walks the field after the Gator Bowl NCAA college football game against South Carolina on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla. Notre Dame defeated South Carolina 45-38. Notre Dame opens their season against Navy in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 26. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)
Notre Dame football lands its 2024 quarterback: Duke transfer Riley Leonard
SOUTH Bend: For the third time in four years, Notre Dame football has landed an experienced quarterback rental through the transfer portal.
This time, it’s Duke junior transfer Riley Leonard, who pledged his final season of eligibility to the Irish after visiting campus last week. Leonard revealed his choice on Tuesday via his Instagram account.
Leonard, 21, follows Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) and Jack Coan (Wisconsin), who went a combined 20-5 while quarterbacking the Irish in 2023 and 2021, respectively.
“He sees the field really well. They have a vertical component that he does a great job with. He makes plays on the move, whether that’s running the ball or passing the ball. I was very impressed with him. Very impressed with the offensive scheme.”
At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Leonard is a dual-threat leader who is equally dangerous as a runner or passer. In seven games this season, including a 21-14 home loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 30, Leonard passed for 1,102 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Leonard rushed 18 times for 88 yards against the Irish, but he left Wallace Wade Stadium on crutches with a right ankle sprain after Hartman led a last-minute comeback. A game-clinching strip sack by Howard Cross III effectively wrecked Leonard’s junior season.
“He is a talented individual,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said before facing Leonard. “The things he presents in the run game, the challenges he’s going to present. He’s a big, physical, tough runner and he’s accurate in the pass game for what they need him to do.”
Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden also spoke in glowing terms about Leonard before that meeting.
“He’s fast, he’s elusive, and he can keep his eyes down the field,” Golden said. “That’s a strong combination. I know why they’re high on him.”
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Asked for a historical comparison, Golden cited 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer and other Brigham Young quarterbacks of that era.
“He distributes the ball really well,” Golden said. “He gets the ball out of his hands quickly. In a lot of ways, it’s a throwback to the horizontal pass game. It reminds me of the old BYU quarterbacks, Ty Detmer and guys like that. That’s what he reminds me of.
“He sees the field really well. They have a vertical component that he does a great job with. He makes plays on the move, whether that’s running the ball or passing the ball. I was very impressed with him. Very impressed with the offensive scheme.”
