Notre Dame Star Leonard Moore Named The No. 1 Cornerback By Lindy's Sports

The offseason accolades continue to pile up for Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore. He has been named to Athlon Sports and Lindy's preseason first team All-American teams on defense. Moore has also been deemed as the No. 1 returning cornerback in the country by multiple different outlets including PFF and now Lindy's Sports. 

Moore came onto the scene last year earning his first collegiate start against Louisville, replacing an injured Christian Gray. He then replaced star cornerback Benjamin Morrison in the starting lineup after a season ending hip injury and became the full time starter in the Georgia Tech game. Moore had a breakout season and became Notre Dame's No. 1 boundary corner. His performance last season earned him a spot on FWAA's Freshman All-American team. He was also named the FWAA Defensive Freshman of the Year. 

The 6-2 190 pound boundary corner finished his freshman campaign with 736 snaps played, 48 total tackles, 11 passes defended, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and allowed an opponent completion percentage of 46.4 percent, the lowest on the team outside of Morrison. In 402 pass coverage snaps, Moore allowed 293 receiving yards as a true freshman, however, 165 of those yards came in his first two starts. 

After the Georgia Tech game, Moore didn't allow an opposing offense to gain over 28 yards in the air when they targeted him and that included games against USC, Indiana, Georgia, Penn State and Ohio State. Moore was a big factor in the Nittany Lion's receiving corps ending the College Football Playoff Semifinals with zero catches and zero yards. He only allowed two touchdowns all season, one against USC and one against Louisville in his first collegiate start. 

Moore will have to continue to stay grounded despite his terrific true freshman season. In interviews earlier this offseason he talked about the importance of this fall and what he wants to accomplish. 

“I think that's passed for me," Moore explained when asked about the honors he received. "Now, I'm at the point where I'm trying to get to the top of the top. I'm trying to dominate. I'm trying to, no matter what receiver is out there, lock him down. I'm not worried about what happened freshman year. It's a whole new year. I have to continue to get better every day.”

Notre Dame's secondary is poised to be one of the best in the country, once again, this fall. Moore will play a huge role in the success of the pass defense under new defensive coordinator Chris Ash. He's no longer the flashy 6-2 true freshman, Moore is now thought of, and is, the best returning cornerback in the nation and 2025 is a great opportunity to go out and show why.