The Draft starts in Mobile. Such is the slogan of the Senior Bowl.
And for former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, the start of the Senior Bowl was also the start of what would ultimately be an immense rise in draft stock for him.
Leonard, coming off of an impressive showing the national title game against Ohio State in which the Fighting Irish came up just short, had a strong week near his hometown on Fairhope, Alabama.
That was capped off with the National vs. American contest on Saturday when Leonard completed six of his seven passing attempts for 54 yards, carrying the ball twice for minutes six yards (due to eight yards lost on the sack).
Well on display were Leonard’s improvement from a footwork perspective, his comfort and presence in the pocket, leadership, poise and respect from his teammates.
He also caught attention with his Football IQ, learning the playbook faster than any quarterback in Senior Bowl history with a 36-hour turnaround before the event.
One of the biggest narratives Leonard dispelled was that his passing ability was not on par with his athleticism as he pushed the ball down the field with ease.
That was further highlighted in a different environment in Mobile, given the way that the Notre Dame offense leaned so heavily into the run game, not necessarily giving Leonard the chance to show what he could do through the air.
Adjusted arm angles in crowded pockets and throwing into tight windows. Former Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard was slinging it in the Senior Bowl, finishing 6-of-7 for 54 yards as the American Team’s starter. pic.twitter.com/jditj2PDoy
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) February 1, 2025
And, curiously, it is worth noting that there was a time that the narrative was reversed — the notion that Leonard could get the job done through the air but couldn’t run the ball. He then went on to show it to a point that teams began sending a QB spy on him.
“Later in the 2022 season, teams started to send out a QB spy on me. So I wasn’t able to run the ball as much,” Leonard told me. “So we were able to get the ball out and went more to one-on-one matchups on the outside.”
Another area that Leonard has grown in is his understanding of playbooks and managing a high degree of responsibility at the line of scrimmage.
Leonard says he had a relatively light load in that area at Duke.
“At Duke, I was fortunate enough to have enough Ivy League, transfer type of centers and really smart guys,” Leonard said. “And as a young guy, they were able to handle protection calls. I always was aware of where I was hot at and where to get the ball out of my hands.”
But at Notre Dame, the responsibilities were leaned entirely on him.
“I think at Notre Dame, I fully took it on and I was making all of the protection adjustments and even the run game calls, depending on the look we had,” Leonard said. “Had a little bit more on my plate at Notre Dame, but very similar offenses where I kind of had the keys to the car.”
There were several instances in which Leonard was asked to run the ball in the Notre Dame offense, and there were some concerns with the way he put his body on the line and how that could endanger him at the NFL level going up against bigger pass rushers.
But he says that he will readily adjust his play to whatever that the NFL team that he lands with wants him to do.
“I think I know that in my heart, if a team needs me to be a pocket passer and protect my body, that I will do that,” Leonard said.
It will be interesting to see where Leonard lands, previously projected to be selected in the fifth or sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s safe to say he’s built upon that now, though.
