Notre Dame plucked Riley Leonard out of the portal to replace Sam Hartman at quarterback. Can Leonard go on to become the Fighting Irish’s first Heisman winner in 37 years?
Not since Tim Brown in 1987 has Notre Dame produced a Heisman Trophy winner. In fact, only two Irish players have finished top 3 in the balloting this century – Manti Te’o in 2012 and Brady Quinn in 2006. So, why is Leonard ready to snap the longest Heisman dry spell in school history? And what will keep him from getting to New York in December?1. In his last full season, 2002, he was emerging as one of the game’s star dual-threat quarterbacks.
As a sophomore, Leonard accounted for 3,666 yards from scrimmage and 33 total TDs while leading Duke to nine wins. The same Duke that went 3-9 overall and was winless in ACC play a year earlier.This is Denbrock’s third stint in South Bend so he knows all about the school culture, academic standards, and title-or-bust expectations. He also knows how to maximize the potential of athletic quarterbacks like Leonard.
He’s already had two surgeries this year, a TightRope procedure in January to stabilize the ankle and a follow-up procedure during spring to address a stress fracture that was beginning to develop. Any loss of mobility completely changes the dynamic of what makes Leonard so special.He was hardly prolific in 2022, ranking 47th nationally in TD passes and 48th in passer rating. And he regressed last year. In seven games, Leonard threw just three TD passes, completed 57.
Yeah, being ND’s quarterback is a dream, but it’ll feel like a nightmare if Leonard doesn’t give the Irish what it needs after he was Marcus Freeman’s handpicked choice to lead the offense in 2024. or lead your team into the national championship conversation. Do both and you’re a lock. But Leonard might accomplish neither. He’s never been a monster stats guy, and while ND will certainly be in the expanded playoff hunt it’s not a top-tier title contender this season.
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