Leonard Moore Named The 6th Best Player In College Football For 2025

Notre Dame had a number of breakout stars during the team's run to the national title game last season, and one of those players was cornerback Leonard Moore. He was dominant as a rookie and now he heads into his sophomore season considered arguably the best cornerback in the country. Pro Football Focus released its rankings of the Top 50 returning players in the country and Moore ranked No. 6 on the list.

Here is what Pro Football Focus had to say about the standout Irish cover man.

"Moore finished his true freshman season as the third-most-valuable cornerback in college football, according to PFF WAA, trailing only Jahdae Barron and Travis Hunter. He was especially good in Notre Dame’s man-heavy scheme, as his 82.5 PFF grade in man coverage ranked third at the position. The former three-star recruit is a smooth athlete at 6-foot-2 who mirrors receivers at an elite level. He allowed only 16 catches across 42 targets in single coverage in 2024." - Pro Football Focus

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Moore earned his first start in Notre Dame's 31-24 win over Louisville and his first quarter forced fumbled change the direction of that game. His next start came two games later after star cornerback Benjamin Morrison went down with a season-ending injury. Morrison would start the remainder of the season and he emerged as a dominant player for the Irish, who finished the season in the national title game.

By season's end, Moore had racked up 48 tackles, broke up 11 passes, picked off two passes and forced two fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, Moore held opponents to a 46.4-percent completion rate. His ability to shut down the run, thrive in man coverage and get his hands on the football was a key ingredient to Notre Dame once again putting one of the best secondaries in college football on the field last season.

Moore is now expected to lead the secondary in 2025. He will pair with Christian Gray to form arguably the best cornerback tandem in college football.