Riley Leonard, the architect of Notre Dame’s incredible natty run in the previous season. Win or not, Leonard at least showed a program having a 37-year-old silverware drought to dream. A dream that Marcus Freeman is trying to create and which could be tougher with Leonard’s absence. Leonard, meanwhile, is preparing for the NFL draft after an incredible season on his back. But, before his name is called in the draft, he has to prove it in front of the scouts.
Several issues plague the ace QB in reaching the coveted top spot of the draft. First and foremost, he needs more muscle mass to back up his frame. Then there are questions too about his arm talent; add that to his struggles as he failed to capitalize on his third-down passes. Deep throws are another area where the player needs a lot of work. All these factors combined have made him at most a middle-round or later-round pick. His recent decision not to participate in the 40-yard dash in Notre Dame’s Pro Day is building to be another factor. When asked about the snub, he had a simple reply: “Everyone thinks I’m fast, so we’re going to keep it that way.” Marcus Freeman, however, hasn’t taken Leonard’s abstinence from participating in the dash too seriously.
Riley Leonard decided to skip the 40-yard dash at Notre Dame’s Pro Day.
Agree with his decision or not, there’s some logic behind his decision.
“Everyone thinks I’m really fast, so we’re going to keep it that way.” pic.twitter.com/xPvHWOG6xr
— Drew Mentock (@AndrewMentock) March 27, 2025
When asked about the same, he only had words of praise for the QB. “I think Riley is such a unique individual where off the field he is just a tremendous young person, a great young man. But on the field, he is a fierce competitor, a guy that I believe has an extremely high ceiling and room to improve. And I think that’s what I love about Riley Leonard. He is a heck of a football player and a heck of a leader. But I think in the future he’s just going to continuously get better, and I look forward to seeing how he continues to grow”.
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