Riley Leonard Conquered Challenges to Guide Notre Dame into College Football Playoff Qualification
On December 12, 2023, Riley Leonard declared on Instagram that he was transferring to Notre Dame, concluding three years as Duke's quarterback. The video featured Leonard holding a football, tapping the "Play Like A Champion Today" sign in the locker room, exiting the tunnel and onto the Notre Dame Stadium field, and engaging with his new squad.
"A dream come true," Leonard penned.
Come Friday night, Leonard will replicate his stroll, but with distinct differences. Instead of donning a coat and trousers and entering an empty stadium, Leonard will don a uniform, performing before a packed Notre Dame Stadium crowd as the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish tackle the No. 10 seed Indiana in the College Football Playoff opener. This will be the first time a team hosts a CFP game on home turf, as the other contests since the CFP's inception in 2014 took place on neutral fields.
In the summer, Notre Dame's administration prepared for the possibility of hosting a playoff game in late December, modifying the final exam schedule and vowing to keep dormitories open for an extra day, accommodating students if there was an added game.
Following Notre Dame's 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois on September 7, their plans appeared to be in vain. After starting with a 1-1 record, Notre Dame knew it needed to win the remainder of their games to have a shot at the CFP, and even then, the opportunity to host a postseason game was not guaranteed.
Nonetheless, Notre Dame delivered, winning its last ten games by an average of over 30 points. Meanwhile, other teams struggled, leaving the Fighting Irish in a favorable position. Leonard has been a significant contributor to their success. Since the Northern Illinois game, Leonard has completed 67.5% of his passes (156 of 231 attempts) for 1,771 yards, 16 touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 642 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns.
Leonard's performance surpassed the Fighting Irish's coaches' expectations, who recruited him to replace Sam Hartman, who played quarterback for the Fighting Irish for a single season after five years at Wake Forest. Despite being a drop-back passer at Wake Forest, Hartman was replaced by Leonard, a more versatile dual-threat quarterback who boasted 699 rushing yards (5.6 yards per attempt) and 13 touchdowns in 2022 at Duke before joining Notre Dame.
However, Leonard had an injury-filled 2023 season, appearing in only seven games, completing 57.6% of his passes, and rushing for 352 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and four touchdowns before winter break. Shortly after enrolling at Notre Dame in January, Leonard underwent ankle surgery, only to return to practice in the spring. However, he sustained another injury during the offseason, delaying his return to the field until training camp in July 31.
Once on the field after recovery, Leonard secured the starting position, eventually being named a team captain. After the Northern Illinois team's loss, he expressed mixed feelings in a Players Tribune first-person article, published on December 27. Despite the support of his teammates and coach Marcus Freeman, Leonard doubted his capabilities, particularly his passing prowess.
"My teammates told me I've been acting hypocritically," Leon wrote. "They questioned my faith. I tell them I have unwavering faith, but when it mattered most, I couldn't believe in myself. I had to transform from a doubter into a leader."
Over the following three months, Leonard strengthened his confidence, mending his self-doubt, and emerged as a valuable player. He spearheaded Notre Dame's offense, which relies on the run, averaging 224.8 rushing yards per game (10th in the nation) and 6.3 yards per carry (second in the nation). Beyond Leonard, Notre Dame boasts two accomplished running backs in Jeremiyah Love, who ran for 949 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns, and Jadarian Price, who recorded 651 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns.
On Friday, Notre Dame may face challenges in rushing the ball against Indiana, which ranks first in the nation in limiting opponent's rushing yards to just 70.8 yards per game, with no team eclipsing 137 yards against the Hoosiers and only three teams averaging over four yards per carry.
"It's always our goal to run the football," Notre Dame's offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said at a press conference this week. "Everything we do centers around the run. We'll have to find a way to achieve some success on the ground. It's challenging again."
Notre Dame and Indiana share identical 11-1 records, leading the nation in high scoring margins. The Irish outdo their opponents by an average of 26.3 points, while the Hoosiers outscore their rivals by 24.5 points. Both teams have primarily faced weaker opponents, with Notre Dame's schedule ranked 64th nationally and Indiana's ranked 74th, as per analyst Jeff Sagarin. Indiana's solitary loss occurred on November 23, when Ohio State triumphed with a score of 38-15 at home.
Indiana is expected to face a hostile crowd at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday. The College Football Playoff distributed 3,500 tickets to Indiana in the stadium's 80,000-seat capacity. Even if Hoosiers fans purchase additional tickets from the secondary market, the majority of the crowd will still be Notre Dame supporters.
Leonard's participation in this Friday's game is a testament to his decision to join Notre Dame. However, the Fighting Irish are not content with merely making the playoffs. Their ambition is to progress and face No. 2 seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinals on January 1. Notre Dame managed to secure a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff in both 2018 and 2020, but they fell short in the semifinals each time. Since defeating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 1994, they have yet to triumph in a significant postseason game. With over 30 years elapsed, they are eager to put an end to this drought.
"It's a really exciting experience, and I'm trying not to take it for granted," Leonard expressed at a press conference this week. "Making it this far is almost why I came to Notre Dame. I came here to compete, to make the college football playoff, and compete for a national championship."
The success of Riley Leonard and Notre Dame's football team has attracted significant interest from sports businesses. Various companies are eager to sponsor the team and leverage the College Football Playoff exposure to boost their brand awareness.
Moreover, Leonard's performance in the CFP could boost his earning potential in the sports world. Teams looking for talented quarterbacks might be interested in his abilities and leadership, potentially leading to lucrative business deals.
