After turning Notre Dame’s season around from a loss to Northern Illinois into an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship, quarterback Riley Leonard has a lot to be proud of.
As he prepares for the 2025 NFL Draft, he has been battle-tested to the point where he figures to be a potential draft pick come April. Now, it’s just a matter of where he ends up.
Riley Leonard’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’4″
- Weight: 216 pounds
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Notre Dame
- Current Year: Senior
Scouting Report
Born in South Carolina, Leonard moved to Alabama at a young age and attended Fairhope High School. He was a two-sport star in high school, generating scholarship offers as both a football and a basketball player. In the end, though, he decided to stick with football, where he was a three-star prospect upon committing to Duke, according to 247Sports.
Leonard started in one game as a freshman in 2021, appearing in seven. His lone start was a 54-29 loss to Pittsburgh, in which he threw for 63 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It wasn’t until 2022 that he stepped into a starting role, however.
With Mike Elko in his first year as Duke’s head coach in 2022, the Blue Devils managed to turn their 3-9 record in 2021 into a 9-4 record the following year. Part of that turnaround came from Leonard’s efforts, who started every single game as a true sophomore.
He threw for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 63.8% completion percentage. He also contributed heavily in the run game, rushing for 699 yards on 124 carries with 13 touchdowns.
Injuries limited Leonard’s 2023 season, and his production took a step back as a result. Even when he was healthy, his completion percentage dropped to 57.6%, and he threw just three touchdowns to three interceptions. That said, he did run for 352 yards and four touchdowns, improving his yards-per-carry average from 5.6 the year before up to 6.1.
As Elko departed Duke to become the head coach of Texas A&M, so too did Leonard seek greener pastures. He ended up at Notre Dame, serving as the heir apparent to another transfer quarterback, Sam Hartman.
Leonard put together a strong campaign, finishing with a career-high 21 passing touchdowns and a 66.7% completion percentage. He also threw for 2,861 yards with eight interceptions, and he dominated on the ground with 906 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Strengths
- Legitimate dual-threat quarterback who can beat you with his arm and his legs.
- Showcases impressive arm strength when he gets his feet right, possessing the capability to throw the ball far and with ideal velocity.
- Capable of hitting targets in tight windows thanks to the zip he generates behind his throws and the touch he displays in those situations.
- Deep-ball touch is good, allowing him to strike for big plays vertically.
- Offers great breakaway speed as a ball carrier with above-average lateral agility as a runner.
- Quick feet make him a valuable scrambler, and he has a creative mindset to extend the play and keep his eyes open for a play with his feet.
- Executes quarterback-power run concepts very well due to his athleticism and patience as a ball carrier out of the backfield.
- Anticipates well across the middle of the field.
Weaknesses
- Suffered a season-ending left toe injury in 2023 and had a minor ankle injury that saw him miss time that same year.
- Generally, a one-read quarterback who’s at his most comfortable when he doesn’t have to do much thinking in the pocket.
- Has a bit of an elongated throwing motion with his arm.
- Skittish footwork can see his accuracy consistency struggle, especially when he can’t get his feet set.
- Struggles against blindside pressure due to a panicky mentality and a tendency to see his mechanics fall apart under duress.
- Ability to strike from intermediate ranges can be hit or miss.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
The tools have always been there for Leonard, who has been on the NFL radar since his 9-4 season at Duke in 2022.
He’s a tall, athletic quarterback with a strong arm and the flash plays that make you excited about his prospects at the next level. His creativity makes him a valuable asset with his legs, and he’s made some pretty throws over his three years as a collegiate starter.
Due to his inconsistency as a processor and in terms of his accuracy, Leonard occasionally put Notre Dame in difficult situations. His sense of pressure needs quite a bit of work, and his mechanics could use some fine-tuning before he hits the NFL level.
As a toolsy backup quarterback with a championship game appearance, Leonard could end up selected higher than some expect. He’s certainly worth keeping on your bench to see if he develops, but expecting anything in the way of immediate production would be a bold assumption. He would be good value in Round 6 and a potential steal in Round 7, though drafting him much higher than that could be considered a stretch.
