Riley Leonard wasn’t recruited by Notre Dame, or just about any major programs, as a high school senior. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder ultimately chose Duke over a handful of Power 4 offers, and the Blue Devils saw something in him that the rest of the college football is witnessing on a bigger stage this year: his pure athleticism.

Nevertheless, Leonard didn’t have to think very long about where he wanted to go. He’d grown up a fan of Notre Dame — his great-grandfather, James Curran, played for the Fighting Irish in the 1940s — and committed in mid-December.

When he's not leading Notre Dame's Fighting Irish on the football field, quarterback Riley Leonard enjoys spending time with his longtime girlfriend, Molly Walding. Together since