Marcus Freeman praises Riley Leonard for improvement as Notre Dame QB

Notre Dame starting quarterback Riley Leonard had an up-and-down start to his first season in South Bend. The Duke transfer led the Fighting Irish to a win at Texas A&M to open the 2024 season, but Notre Dame was stunned by Northern Illinois in Week 2, falling 16-14 at home.

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman joined SportsCenter Saturday morning and shared how he has seen Riley Leonard grow from that point forward.

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“Oh, tremendously,” Freeman said. “I remember that same meeting that Riley was talking about, after the NIU game, I remember saying, ‘In two weeks, you’ve experienced the highest of highs of being the quarterback at Notre Dame and the lowest of lows.’

“And there’s no other position in this program that emulates the head coach than the quarterback at Notre Dame.”

Riley Leonard heard plenty of negativity about his performance against NIU after throwing for 163 yards and tossing two interceptions. However, from that point forward, he has 32 total touchdowns, with only four picks.

Freeman shared that one of the keys for Riley Leonard was to tune out the outside noise and just have fun playing football. He has done that, and the results have been impressive.

“I think what he was able to learn is that you can’t get your joy from what outsiders are saying about you. You get your joy from playing this game with your teammates,” Freeman said. “You play this game with confidence. And that’s where I’ve seen him grow the most is the confidence that he’s playing with.

“And that smile he has on his face, the way he plays this game, is just a reflection of the love he has for his team, the fun he’s having playing with his teammates.”

Notre Dame has not lost since that stunning defeat to NIU in Week 2, and the Irish are one of four teams remaining still fighting for a national championship.

Leonard made plays with his arm and legs in wins over Indiana and Georgia in the opening two rounds of the College Football Playoff. He will look to keep that going on Thursday when the Irish take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

“Man, he is so competitive,” Freeman said. “He finds a way to get his job done. And we’re so grateful to have him here.”