SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman didn't exactly make an announcement at starting quarterback during Saturday's press conference, but he continued to affirm what many assumed since the moment quarterback Riley Leonard announced his commitment to transfer from Duke to Notre Dame in December.
Leonard has taken all of his snaps with the first-team offense throughout the preseason, Freeman said, which should lead to Leonard being Notre Dame’s starting quarterback for its season opener at Texas A&M on Aug. 31.
“He’s been with the 1s the whole time," Freeman said. "That was the goal. But the best thing is he's taking care of the football.
"He's been in red [jersey, no contact]. We know he can do some things with his legs, but we kind of force him. We say, ‘We know you can run the ball.’ Let's continue watching. He's progressing in the passing game, making checks, being able to put the offense in great situations. That's what you're most pleased about."
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The decision relegates junior Steve Angeli to backup status once again. It’s a role he served for the majority of his first two seasons with the Irish. Angeli made his first career start in December’s 40-8 Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State after Sam Hartman chose to end his college career by skipping the bowl game.
Leonard, who enrolled at Notre Dame in January, was unable to formally win the starting job in the spring due to a second surgery on his right ankle that prevented him from making it healthy to the fourth of 15 spring practices. Leonard had the first of his two surgeries in January to help address the healing from a high ankle sprain Leonard suffered against Notre Dame last September.
The 6-foot-4, 216-pound Leonard operated through the summer with a healthy ankle after making a quick recovery in the spring. Though he was limited physically, Leonard still threw plenty of footballs at Notre Dame’s spring practices and stood behind ND’s quarterbacks during April’s Blue-Gold Game to mimic the plays himself.
The Irish are hoping Leonard regains the form of his sophomore season at Duke. He finished 2022 as one of just three quarterbacks to reach 2,900 passing yards and 695 rushing yards. The other two were LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, who both became first-round NFL Draft picks earlier this year.
Leonard completed 63.8% (250-of-392) of his passes for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also rushed 124 times for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns in those 13 starts in 2022.
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Leonard’s junior season started capsizing with his injury late in the 21-14 loss to Notre Dame. With the help of an off week following the Irish game, Leonard only missed one game before returning to start at Florida State. But he labored through a 38-20 loss to the Seminoles and injured a toe on his left foot in a 23-0 loss at Louisville the following week. Leonard’s junior season ended there with underwhelming stats: 95-of-165 passing (57.5%) for 1,102 yards and three touchdowns and 58 carries for 352 yards and four touchdowns in seven games.
Leonard, who was a captain for Duke last season, stayed busy after Notre Dame’s spring semester. He invited some of Notre Dame’s quarterbacks and wide receivers to join him in his hometown of Fairhope, Ala., to hang out and train in late May. That included some time with former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers. Leonard also attended the Manning Passing Academy in late June.
The 6-2, 205-pound Angeli should be a capable backup after playing in eight games last season and completing 34 of his 44 passes (77.3%) for 504 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore Kenny Minchey and freshman CJ Carr are battling for the third-string role.
Expectations for Leonard are high this season. He was named to five preseason watch lists for national awards: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, Comeback Player of the Year, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year.
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