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Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard's NFL draft stock appears to be being helped by the team's deep run in the College Football Playoff. Yet, NFL mock drafts widely project Leonard to be a potential Day 3 pick.
The good news for Leonard is the signal-caller has a chance to boost his stock during the pre-draft process. Leonard has accepted a Senior Bowl invitation but remains focused on attempting to help Notre Dame win a national championship.
The 6-foot-4, 216-pound quarterback has the size that NFL teams covet. Leonard's 831 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns is also better production than many college football running backs.
Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante's latest NFL mock draft has Leonard teaming up with another dual-threat quarterback. The analyst predicts the Buffalo Bills will select Leonard with the No. 172 overall pick in the fifth round.
RILEY LEONARD 5️⃣0️⃣ YARD TOUCHDOWN#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/ZNLEaTyDfx
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 21, 2024
Leonard would be learning behind Josh Allen, but the quarterback may face an uphill battle to win the backup gig. The Bills current QB2 Mitch Trubisky's two-year, $5.2 million contract runs through the 2025 season and would likely be the favorite to retain the backup job over Leonard.
Allen's six-year, $258 million contract is slated to go through the 2028 season. If there is good news in this potential landing spot for Leonard, it is that the quarterback would be able to ease into his NFL career behind two veterans.
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ESPN names one team with harder 2025 football schedule than Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers aren't ignoring or backing down from the difficult football schedule they face in 2025. Luke Fickell is embracing it. Despite facing as many as six College Football Playoff contenders, the Badgers still might not have the hardest schedule in the country. ESPN thinks the Florida Gators have a slightly more difficult path. Toughest overall Power 4 schedule: Florida Wisconsin is a close second in this category. Luke Fickell and the Badgers could use a strong bounce-back season after losing five in a row to end 2024 and missing a bowl game for the first time in 22 years. Like Florida, Wisconsin faces six ranked teams, including four of the top 11 -- at No. 9 Alabama on Sept. 13, home against No. 5 Ohio State on Oct. 18, at No. 8 Oregon on Oct. 25 and home against No. 11 Illinois on Nov. 22.Chris Low, ESPN The Gators have to face Texas, Georgia and LSU, who are all ranked in the Top 7. Their schedule also includes Miami (FL), Texas A M, Tennessee and Ole Miss. Their non-conference schedule has a few cupcake games, though. Florida opens the season against Long Island University and South Florida. Wisconsin starts with Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State. It's hard to compare a Big Ten and SEC schedule side-by-side. Both schools face three teams that made the College Football Playoff last season, but Wisconsin has to play the defending national champions. PFF's algorithm has the Badgers with the hardest schedule in the country, ranking Florida's schedule at No. 4 behind UCLA and Arkansas. More Wisconsin Badgers News: Wisconsin Football: Updated national rankings for Badgers 2026 recruiting class entering August Wisconsin Badgers' 2026 TE commit pursued with offer from Bret Bielema, Illinois Wisconsin Football: Every Madden 26 rating for former Badgers in the NFL CBS Sports predicts Wisconsin Badgers win revenge game on Big Ten football schedule
Steelers In Town Scouting Elite Top Quarterback Prospect For 2026 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of excitement heading into the 2025 season with Aaron Rodgers in town, along with many other new faces. The team has Super Bowl expectations, but the fan base is still craving a true franchise quarterback to lead them for years to come. While rookie Will Howard has looked promising in training camp, he is not expected to be the long-term answer at quarterback. After the 2025 season concludes, the Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft. Many pundits believe this event will be where the Steelers finally find their franchise quarterback, a player who can bring stability and success to the position. The anticipation is high, and the organization is clearly preparing to make a big move. On Monday, it was reported by Brad Denny, who provides excellent coverage of Arizona State football, that the Steelers have sent scouts to evaluate their prospects. Among those they are watching closely is the top quarterback prospect Sam Leavitt, indicating the team’s serious interest in securing a future star through the draft. In November of 2022, the Sun Devils hired Head Coach Kenny Dillingham, who has quickly transformed the team. What was once considered a struggling program has now become an exciting and competitive squad, with serious potential to contend for a national title heading into the 2025 season. Naturally, Steelers fans immediately think of Leavitt when they hear about scouts visiting, but the Sun Devils’ roster is loaded with NFL talent beyond just their star quarterback. It’s very possible the Steelers’ interest extends to other promising players as well. Chris Karpman gave more details about the amount of NFL scouts at the ASU practice on Monday. "There are 11 NFL scouts representing 10 teams at today’s ASU practice, the most at any practice since Dillingham became head coach," Karpman said on social media. It’s certainly interesting, but not surprising, to hear that the Steelers had scouts in attendance at the ASU practice. Sheldon White, the Steelers’ Director of Pro Scouting, is clearly involved in deciding who the organization will scout, when, and why. It’s no secret that the Steelers are in desperate need of a true franchise quarterback. Many believe the 2026 NFL Draft will be Pittsburgh’s biggest opportunity to find that quarterback since their attempt with Kenny Pickett in 2022. That experiment didn’t go as planned, and now, with 12 expected draft picks in a quarterback class that could be loaded with talent, the Steelers are getting an early look. They’ve begun scouting at ASU, keeping a close eye on potential prospects. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that former Steelers legend Hines Ward is still the wide receivers coach at ASU. His presence adds another layer of connection to the reports of Steelers scouts attending ASU practices, suggesting strong ties and serious interest in the program and its players. Steelers' Will Howard Has Looked Good In Training Camp Early reports out of camp are that sixth-round pick Howard has done a solid job with the opportunities he’s been given. The issue for Howard is that the Steelers are expected to draft a top quarterback prospect. Making such a big investment in a promising player will make it even harder for Howard to steal the starting job. Naturally, when more resources are tied up in a higher-end prospect, the team will do more to get the most out of that player. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Howard, but he will need to continue to thrive if he wants any chance to compete for the starting job after Rodgers.
Boston Bruins Bleak 2025-26 Outlook Raises Concerns
As the Boston Bruins prepare for the upcoming NHL season, there are a lot of questions around the roster. Boston missed the playoffs last year, taking a massive step back from where the team normally has been. But even entering this coming year, there isn't a lot of optimism around the Bruins. Boston has a few solid pieces on the roster, but the team hasn't improved much. This has led some to believe that Boston will again miss the playoffs next season. One of those people is NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report, who predicted them to be on the outside looking in. "They lack a top-line center, don't have scoring depth after David Pastrnak, the defense wasn't always great even before the injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm and they desperately need Jeremy Swayman to bounce back and play like the $8 million per year goalie they are paying him to be," wrote Gretz. Boston is going to have a tough time competing in the Eastern Conference this season, and it could see them miss the postseason again. The Bruins haven't done all that much this summer to improve the team, and it could end up costing them. The direction of the Bruins remains one of the bigger mysteries around the NHL, and the front office has been kind of stagnant. If this team wants to contend this season, the best bet is to bank on the team staying healthier than they did last year. But betting on health throughout a season is typically a risky play. Boston's front office still has work to do, and the clock is ticking on them to add to this team.
NBA Notes: Raptors, Immanuel Quickley, Jordan Clarkson, Knicks, Sixers, Tyrese Maxey
A five-year deal completed nearly a year ago is still shaping the way NBA teams and agents are approaching restricted free agency. According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the contract that Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley signed last July has become a major sticking point. The deal, which includes $162.5 million in guaranteed money and another $12.5 million in incentives, averages $32.5 million per season and could reach $35 million annually. “The Immanuel Quickley contract has totally screwed up restricted free agency,” Marks said during an appearance on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “Because that’s where agents are looking at like the benchmark. Certainly, [Bulls guard] Josh Giddey’s like, ‘I want that contract.’ That number has screwed up a lot of things.” Marks said agents are citing Quickley’s deal in negotiations for other young guards with similar production and upside, but teams haven’t been willing to match the price tag. “I don’t think Toronto got enough heat for that number,” he added. “Because Immanuel Quickley is not a $32, $33 million guy.” Clarkson Still a Wild Card for Knicks The Knicks are hoping Jordan Clarkson provides a spark off the bench, but there is uncertainty about what exactly he brings at this stage of his career. As one Western Conference scout told The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, Clarkson hasn’t played meaningful basketball in quite a while and remains a bit of a mystery heading into the 2025–26 season. Still, one Knicks source believes the veteran scorer is “exactly what we needed,” and sees him as a strong fit off the bench. A veteran coach who spoke with Bondy sees upside but also concerns. “High-level shooter. Good going right,” the coach said. “Wild-card-type player. Throw him out there and see if he can get hot. But there’s not much else from a production standpoint. And it’s ugly on defense.” Maxey Gives Back in Philly Tyrese Maxey continues to make an impact beyond the court. The 76ers guard hosted a free youth basketball camp over the weekend and donated $60,000 through his foundation, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. Maxey’s community efforts have become a regular part of his offseason work in the Philadelphia area. More NBA News Rumors
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