Notre Dame Football

BREAKING | Notre Dame Secures Commitment from QB Transfer Riley Leonard

By Matt Freeman

December 12, 2023

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Marcus Freeman made it clear he wanted the opportunity to have four quarterbacks on the roster last month and Notre Dame is on its way as the Irish have landed transfer quarterback Riley Leonard.

The former Duke signal-caller officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on November 29th after spending three years in Durham as he’ll join Jordan Clark (nickel), Beaux Collins (receiver) and Kris Mitchell (receiver) in Notre Dame’s transfer portal haul.

Leonard played in just seven games in 2023 as he suffered an ankle injury against Notre Dame in September and then the Duke captain was ruled out for an extended period of time following a toe injury against Louisville.

In those seven appearances, the Alabama native completed 95-of-165 passes for 1,102 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 353 rushing yards and four scores. The highlight of the 2023 campaign was the season-opening win against then-ninth-ranked Clemson as he went 17-of-33 for 175 yards, but added 98 yards rushing, including a 44-yard touchdown run.

The 6-foot-4, 212-pounder did have a monster sophomore year in 2022 where Leonard went 250-of-391 for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also tallied 699 rushing yards and 13 more touchdowns on the ground.

Leonard topped the 300-yard mark three times in 2022, including throwing for 391 yards and four touchdowns in Duke’s 34-31 win over Wake Forest.

Entering the 2023 season, Leonard was one of three FBS quarterbacks to produce 2,900+ yards passing and rush for 695+ yards as he joined Jayden Daniels (LSU) and Drake Maye (UNC).

In high school, Leonard also was a star on the hardwood as he was named the Class 7A Alabama Player of the Year, which shouldn’t be a complete surprise as his father, Chad, played at The Citadel and holds the record for steals in a season (68).

Leonard majored in public policy at Duke and pursued a certificate in markets and management.

And yes, this means Leonard’s first game in the blue and gold will be taking on his former coach, Mike Elko, at Texas A&M in week one.

Portal Scouting Notes | QB Riley Leonard