Notre Dame must have a thing for ACC quarterbacks. After getting Sam Hartman last year from Wake Forest, the Fighting Irish have done it again. Former Duke Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard has officially committed to the program for 2024.
Notre Dame Lands QB Riley Leonard
The move had been heavily rumored ever since Leonard announced his intention to enter the portal. It is now official. Leonard had a great three-year career at Duke. The dual-threat quarterback had 4,450 yards and 24 TDs and added 1,224 yards and 19 scores running in his three years with the Blue Devils. He now looks to get Notre Dame over the hump and into the College Football Playoff picture.
Outlook For 2024
Head coach Marcus Freeman has already landed a couple of wide receiver weapons for Leonard from the transfer portal. This was the issue for the Fighting Irish in 2023. While Hartman was great, they lacked the playmakers on offense to really be amazing. The program is hoping that pairing Leonard with all of these weapons will be the recipe for success in 2024. They have some tough games on the schedule with matchups against USC, Florida State, and Texas A&M on the schedule.
Can the Fighting Irish survive as an independent in this changing college football landscape? It will be interesting to see how next year goes and if they start to feel pressure to join a conference soon.
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