Riley
Leonard.
Riley
Leonard.
Notre Dame· 6'4"· 216 lb
"A four-year starter who won games with legs and toughness before his arm caught up, Leonard is a developmental backup whose ceiling depends entirely on cleaning up structure, timing and full-field reads."Pre-draft read
Leonard plays quarterback like a converted athlete who learned the position on the run. He is at his best on movement concepts — boot, naked, sprint-out — where the field narrows and he can throw on the move or pull it down and punish a soft edge. At 6-4, 216 he runs with real intent between the tackles; the 2024 Notre Dame season (184 carries, 906 yards, 17 rushing touchdowns) was built on short-yardage and red-zone keepers, and defenses had to account for him on every RPO.
From the pocket the picture is choppier. The base is wide, the delivery is a little long, and velocity dips when his feet are not underneath him. He works the first read cleanly and layers the intermediate throw over a linebacker, but he is slow to reset when the initial concept is covered and drifts backward instead of climbing.
Movement-based play-action and RPO offense that puts him on the perimeter and uses the quarterback run game as a genuine constraint.
Year 1 QB3 / developmental backup; a schemed-up spot starter who protects the ball and adds designed runs.
Dropback-heavy timing offense that asks him to win from the pocket on full-field reads.
Riley Leonard tallies three TDs in Notre Dame's win vs. Louisville | CFB HIGHLIGHTS | NBC Sports
Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard Highlights | Every BIG PLAY vs Purdue
Notre Dame's Riley Leonard shows off legs vs. Miami (OH) | COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS | NBC Sports
- 01
Rushing threat
Riley Leonard has 36 career rushing touchdowns and provides short-yardage conversion value.
- 02
Throws on the move
He throws well on boots, sprint-outs, and off-platform lanes.
- 03
Prototype height
His prototype height of 6-4 allows him to withstand a hitting quarterback role.
- 04
Power-conference reps
He has four full seasons of starting reps at Duke and Notre Dame.
- 05
Competitive toughness
Riley Leonard played through injuries and finished a College Football Playoff run.
- 01
Modest arm talent
His velocity fades on out-breakers and deep comebacks.
- 02
Slow progressions
He is slow through progressions and late to second and third options.
- 03
Long delivery under pressure
His base and delivery get long under pressure, dropping accuracy.
- 04
Modest passing production
His career 45 touchdowns to 18 interceptions is efficient but not explosive production.
| Yr | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Duke | 6 | 37 | 62 | 381 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | Duke | 13 | 250 | 391 | 2967 | 20 | 6 |
| 2023 | Duke | 7 | 95 | 165 | 1102 | 3 | 3 |
| 2024 | Notre Dame | 16 | 269 | 403 | 2861 | 21 | 8 |
| Career | — | 42 | 651 | 1021 | 7311 | 45 | 18 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Jaden GreathouseWR7%
- Jeremiyah LoveRB6%
- Mitchell EvansTE5%
#1 of 24 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.29 (p60) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Like Minshew, Leonard demonstrates the accuracy and athleticism to be a valuable long-term backup and occasional spot-starter, especially with creative run plays.
Leonard shares Hurts's blend of pocket passing ability and dynamic rushing upside, making him a high-ceiling prospect in a well-designed offense.
Leonard's floor resembles Lock's, struggling with consistency and decision-making against NFL defenses, relegating him to a career as a journeyman backup.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Selected in the sixth round by Indianapolis in 2025 and spent his rookie season in a developmental backup role.
The bet here is developmental, and it is priced correctly in the sixth round. Leonard was the engine of a playoff offense without ever being an efficient passer — 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns on 403 attempts is game-manager volume, and Notre Dame won by leaning on the run game and defense.
In hindsight the Colts got exactly the profile they wanted: a big, tough backup who can execute the same run-game concepts as the starter so the offense does not shrink when he enters. That is real value, and it is also the ceiling until the pocket work catches up.