Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish suffered a bitter loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Leonard’s bid for his first national title was derailed by the Buckeyes, a moment that still stings as he reflects on the high-stakes matchup.
Despite an early lead, the Irish failed to deliver and live up to expectations. But soon after, it was clear for Leonard that it was time to move on, and he quickly made his decision about the future.
Riley Leonard On Why He Suited Up for the Senior Bowl
Mistakes proved costly for Marcus Freeman’s team in the January 20 matchup against Ryan Day’s Buckeyes. It was a pivotal game in NCAA history, with Notre Dame aiming to end its championship drought—but that never materialized.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the loss, Leonard admitted that the defeat still stings. In the 34-23 loss, he threw for 255 yards, completing 22 of 31 passes, and scored two touchdowns. His first-quarter rushing touchdown gave Notre Dame fans hope, but the Irish failed to generate turnovers the rest of the game.
When he was asked why he would play in the Senior Bowl so close to his loss to Ohio State, Leonard’s response indicated just exactly where his head was at.
“If you give me a chance to play football, I’m going to play it,” Leonard told AL.com. “I never really thought about opting out. I’m just trying to play as many snaps as possible. If there’s a bowl game I get invited to, I’m going to go play in it.”
Leonard is considered a promising prospect and is projected to be a Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Next season, Notre Dame will look to correct the mistakes Freeman highlighted after the championship loss.
“We can’t make mistakes. It falls on my shoulders,” Freeman said. “As the head coach, we have to be better prepared for this moment. These guys gave everything they had.”
An undefeated regular season could be at the top of Notre Dame’s wishlist for 2025.
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