Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard has high expectations entering his latest college football season.
Where did Leonard begin his ascent to the CFB stage and the 2025 NFL Draft circuit? Here’s a closer look at his roots.
Where Did Riley Leonard Play Football in High School?
Leonard played high school football at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama. He wasn’t an overly prestigious high school competitor, but he performed well in his final season, achieving 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns through the air, as well as 500 additional yards on the ground.
Playing in Alabama, Leonard was in the heart of football country — and as such, some Power conference interest did flare up later in the recruiting process. He received offers from two SEC schools — Ole Miss and Vanderbilt — but he ultimately chose the Duke Blue Devils.
How Did Leonard End Up at Notre Dame?
Leonard was a backup for the Blue Devils as a freshman, but he did start one game in his first season. The results were mixed, but the fact that he was able to operate the offense already at such a young age was a plus in and of itself.
Leonard received a chance to build on that quick acclimation the following year when Mike Elko became Duke’s head coach. Elko eventually inserted Leonard as the full-time starter, who enjoyed a breakout campaign as a mere redshirt freshman in 2022.
In 2022, Leonard completed 250 of 392 attempts (63.8%) for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He also ran for almost 700 yards and 13 additional scores and was the primary catalyst in Duke’s Military Bowl victory over UCF.
Leonard’s breakout 2022 campaign made him a hot topic in the preseason stretch of the 2024 NFL Draft cycle. There was talk that he could embark on a Round 1 ascent with another good year, but, unfortunately, he would not experience that ascent in 2023.
Injuries and inconsistent support played a role, but Leonard himself also failed to take the next step as a redshirt sophomore. In fact, he regressed in several key areas, passing for just 1,102 yards, three TDs, and three INTs.
In 2024, he sought a change of scenery.
That desire for a change of scenery ultimately led Leonard to where he is now — situated as the starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish. He replaces Sam Hartman, who was brought in by Notre Dame as a transfer addition a season ago.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
With Leonard, Marcus Freeman’s squad will have more dynamic ability at QB, but the test for Leonard will be to become more dependable on a down-to-down basis. If he can do that, he can attain both the collegiate success and NFL Draft respect he seeks.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest news and analysis, rankings, transfer portal information, top 10 returning players, the college football season schedule, and much more!