Riley Leonard Is Healthy And Focused On Learning, Improving His Game

riley-leonard

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is certainly a focal point of the Irish team heading into the 2024 season. How well he recovers from the injury he suffered against the Irish last season, and how quickly he gets comfortable in the Notre Dame offense will go a long way towards determining just how good this team will be.

For Leonard, the transition to Notre Dame has been a bit of a whirlwind, but he's getting more and more comfortable. This week, Leonard was down in Louisiana at the Manning Passing Academy. He left Louisiana with some hardware, winning the Air It Out Championship while competing against some of the nation's best quarterbacks. The group included Georgia's Carson Beck, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and Texas' Quinn Ewers.

While there, Leonard spoke plenty about the upcoming season, his health, his develop and much, much more. Of course, Notre Dame fans are first going to want to know about his health.

"I'm very healthy," Leonard emphatically stated during an interview session. "If you were walking around in my body you wouldn't know you had any injuries in the first place. Feeling good, there's no limitations with anything workout wise that I'm doing, so I feel good."

Leonard's offseason isn't just about getting healthy, he also wants to improve and grow his game. In some ways, the process of rehabbing has helped him focus on those aspects of his game.

"There are a lot of different things that I've been able to improve in my body as far as rotational things, arm strength, that I've been able to focus on while rehabbing my injury that I think I can really improve on." Leonard said.

Getting healthy is important for Leonard, but even if he's healthy there is still a transition that must be made. Leonard believes that process has been smooth and easy.

"This transition has been nothing short of amazing," Leonard told CJ Vogel of OnTexasFootball. "Honestly, I came and thought it would be a little overwhelming, maybe. Coming in from a school like Duke to coming into the biggest national brand in college football in Notre Dame, I thought it would be overwhelming. But it's a family atmosphere. Everybody's got great values, everybody's very similar to me, so it's been a lot of fun."

Leonard has been able to quickly connect with his Fighting Irish teammates. He also has adapted well to the culture at Notre Dame.

"I think this team is very professional," explained Leonard. "Every time you walk through the facility there's always somebody doing something to get better, not only for them but for their teammates as well. You don't really see guys not eager to learn and not eager to get better. These guys are professionals, we have a great team atmosphere. On the weekend if you see one of us, you'll see all of us, we travel as a pack."

Leonard was the focal point of the Duke offense, and the offense that he ran with the Blue Devils doesn't have much in common with what current Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock did at LSU. Leonard knows there is an adjustment, and he's focused on continuing to learn and develop within that system.

While the system is different than what he ran, the skillsets required from Denbrock are traits that made Leonard a dynamic player with the Blue Devils. LSU's star quarterback in 2023 is proof of that, and the fit with Leonard's skillset is easy to see. Leonard has certainly bought into what Denbrock wants to do.

"I think the proof's in the pudding with Jayden Daniels," Leonard observed. ".... I can still make those reads, make those throws that he was making, the checks as well. .... I'm just watching Jayden Daniels film all day, is what I do. Being able to replicate him, I think I can do, obviously he had a good year."

Leonard is also very well aware of the challenge that awaits him the first time he steps on the field for the Irish. Notre Dame takes on Texas A&M in the season opener, and the Aggies are now led by former Irish defensive coordinator - and Duke head coach - Mike Elko. Leonard was Elko's starting quarterback the last two seasons, and they know each other well. Leonard also knows how well Elko will have that team prepared for Notre Dame.

"He's a very intense coach, he's going to bring the best out of you every single day," Leonard told Vogel. "They're going to be very well prepared, they're going to be ready to go, they're going o want to play for him, they're going to want to win for him. I kind of know the game plan, I'm excited to get out there.

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