‘21 AL QB Riley Leonard (Duke Transfer - Notre Dame Verbal)

[TracyGraham]

We hWhat evidence do we have that Angeli gives us a better chance to win? He may be a better passer, but how do you measure everything else? Idk these answers, but the coaching staff seem to think RL still gives us the best chance of winning games.

We may lose another game, may not. Everybody on the schedule is beatable. Freemans objective is playoffs and as long as that is still on the table, I doubt he benches RL.

Sure there is no definitive proof that the backups give us a better chance to win. Its always opinion/subjective. However, Imo, there is a very slim chance Riley can now or will improve enough for us to run the table and go 14-1. Therefore, I don't see why we would stick with him. One of the backups might surprise. And, if it is championship/playoffs or bust, at worst, the backup can also fail to get us there while developing skills for the future. Furthermore, Leonard is taking carries/yards away from love/price. Finally, with Freeman sticking with him, despite his putrid passing display, it can't be helpful for receiver recruiting. It makes one wonder, are the backups really that terrible? Who will throw the ball to future receivers in the near and distant future?

 

[TracyGraham]

I know, dumb question, but any chance NIL deals have some playing time guarantee in the contract? Otherwise, it is hard to understand Freeman's insistence in sticking with Leonard after his performance thus far.

 

[ThePiombino]

What evidence do we have that Angeli gives us a better chance to win? He may be a better passer, but how do you measure everything else? Idk these answers, but the coaching staff seem to think RL still gives us the best chance of winning games.

We may lose another game, may not. Everybody on the schedule is beatable. Freemans objective is playoffs and as long as that is still on the table, I doubt he benches RL.

That is literally the proof lol We have an INCREDIBLE running back room, we don't need to rely on a mobile QB and certainly not a glorified wildcat QB. We need a guy who can keep the defense honest just be being able to make all the throws. RL doesn't do this, and if you think NIU and the 1st quarter and a half of yesterday's game was bad, just wait until we play a team with a pulse. And before you bring up A&M, I maintain we won that game despite RL, not because of him.

 

[T Town Tommy]

I know, dumb question, but any chance NIL deals have some playing time guarantee in the contract? Otherwise, it is hard to understand Freeman's insistence in sticking with Leonard after his performance thus far.

Any school or coach that agrees to this is a disaster waiting to happen. I think Freeman believes his best chance to win is still with RL. Maybe it's because he doesn't trust an OL that's been decimated with injuries and may struggle to protect a more pass oriented QB. Maybe it's because he thinks he can get through the rest of the schedule with a slimmer of hope of getting in the playoffs. He's paid to win games... and he's apparently going to live and die on his own hill. Drop another game and he knows he has no chance of reaching the playoffs... then maybe he starts preparing for next season by making some changes.

 

[irishff1014]

Any school or coach that agrees to this is a disaster waiting to happen. I think Freeman believes his best chance to win is still with RL. Maybe it's because he doesn't trust an OL that's been decimated with injuries and may struggle to protect a more pass oriented QB. Maybe it's because he thinks he can get through the rest of the schedule with a slimmer of hope of getting in the playoffs. He's paid to win games... and he's apparently going to live and die on his own hill. Drop another game and he knows he has no chance of reaching the playoffs... then maybe he starts preparing for next season by making some changes.

You know the saying though a day late and a dollar short.

 

[rtrn2glory]

The one glimmer of hope I have with him is that he looks visibly frustrated during the game. Even after scoring TDS he doesn't seem satisfied or even excited which leads me to believe that he knows there's a problem and it needs fixed. Will he fix it?? That remains to be seen but at least he looks like he knows that he and the offense and OC need to get their shit together

 

[DONTH8]

Part of me feels bad for Leonard. He looks afraid. Afraid to make mistakes. I believe that he’s never felt the pressure that he feels as the QB for ND. Not in high school and certainly not at Duke. And frankly, that’s not his fault. There isn’t a way to really prepare yourself for this. And I don’t think he fully understood that prior to signing on. I don’t think anyone can correctly imagine it.

I hope that the coaches are working with him mentally to get better, but even coaches aren’t experts in that field. So more than that, I hope he has some sort of sports psychologist to help him out. I truly believe he needs that just as much as a coach helping him to read a D.

Regardless. I really hope he can unlock his full potential. Because man, the ceiling is just so high if he can.

 

[IrishBoognish]

This coming Saturday is the make or break for him

If he comes out and losers it up, even if the D finds a way to win it on their own, his head will be in a place that's beyond repair.

I'm rooting for him, man

It would be a great story if he all of a sudden figures it out. We've seen he is capable of doing it in small samples.

 

[Irish#1]

Part of me feels bad for Leonard. He looks afraid. Afraid to make mistakes. I believe that he’s never felt the pressure that he feels as the QB for ND. Not in high school and certainly not at Duke. And frankly, that’s not his fault. There isn’t a way to really prepare yourself for this. And I don’t think he fully understood that prior to signing on. I don’t think anyone can correctly imagine it.

I hope that the coaches are working with him mentally to get better, but even coaches aren’t experts in that field. So more than that, I hope he has some sort of sports psychologist to help him out. I truly believe he needs that just as much as a coach helping him to read a D.

Regardless. I really hope he can unlock his full potential. Because man, the ceiling is just so high if he can.

I've felt that all along. In the second half, Denbrock went to the quick first option passes and he did much better. Once the lead was opened up, the pressure was lifted and Denbrock called a couple of deep passes. Leonard stood in the pocket (no happy feet) and let it fly.

 

[stlnd01]

Part of me feels bad for Leonard. He looks afraid. Afraid to make mistakes. I believe that he’s never felt the pressure that he feels as the QB for ND. Not in high school and certainly not at Duke. And frankly, that’s not his fault. There isn’t a way to really prepare yourself for this. And I don’t think he fully understood that prior to signing on. I don’t think anyone can correctly imagine it.


Regardless. I really hope he can unlock his full potential. Because man, the ceiling is just so high if he can.

Another reason to grow our own. If anyone can imagine what it’s like, it’s the guys who watch it up close for a couple years.
I’m not sure it’s an accident our best QBs of recent years are guys who came off the bench behind more “talented” starters.

But yes I think you’re right about Leonard and his nerves. It’s probably why he’s so quick to take off and run. He’s confident in his legs. But that only gets you so far.

 

[irish4ever]

This coming Saturday is the make or break for him

If he comes out and losers it up, even if the D finds a way to win it on their own, his head will be in a place that's beyond repair.

I'm rooting for him, man

It would be a great story if he all of a sudden figures it out. We've seen he is capable of doing it in small samples.

Yes, just go back to the Duke days prior to last year's injury .... and he currently has a better OL and receiving group (TE and RB included) than back then! Ugh fuckin' ugh!!!

 

[IAIrish]

Not an RL apologist, but I went back and looked at stats for Tony Rice and Kevin McDougal from 87-93 and RL's compared favorably. I wonder how Leonard would have been perceived by fans had he played in that era?

I thought C Wilson's take on RL was fair.

Rakes Report #239: We been checked out, chasing the money and I been trying to tell 'em it ain't no way to live (The Miami OH Review)

The Irish overcame an atrocious start on offense and special teams to set up a big game to close out September.

rakesreport.substack.com

 

[yankeehater]

I have not gone back and studied his film, but just watching the games in real time he loses his form a lot when throwing. He drops his elbow on many throws causing the ball to sail. If they have not been working with him on it, they need to begin. Once he started losing confidence on Saturday, he began to guide/aim the ball like throwing a dart.

 

[Giddyup]

Not an RL apologist, but I went back and looked at stats for Tony Rice and Kevin McDougal from 87-93 and RL's compared favorably. I wonder how Leonard would have been perceived by fans had he played in that era?

I thought C Wilson's take on RL was fair.

Rakes Report #239: We been checked out, chasing the money and I been trying to tell 'em it ain't no way to live (The Miami OH Review)

The Irish overcame an atrocious start on offense and special teams to set up a big game to close out September.

rakesreport.substack.com

lolol. Weren’t those triple option offenses?

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Not an RL apologist, but I went back and looked at stats for Tony Rice and Kevin McDougal from 87-93 and RL's compared favorably. I wonder how Leonard would have been perceived by fans had he played in that era?

I thought C Wilson's take on RL was fair.

Rakes Report #239: We been checked out, chasing the money and I been trying to tell 'em it ain't no way to live (The Miami OH Review)

The Irish overcame an atrocious start on offense and special teams to set up a big game to close out September.

rakesreport.substack.com

I LOVE the Rakes report and Chris does a phenomenal job. But he's also a sunshine and butterflys style optimist 100% of the time, which can be refreshing. Idk about that in this instance. Miami OH is a veteran squad with a pesky D to be sure, but 28-3 against that squad isn't translating into plyoff caliber peformances.

To put it more plainly, if this was a one-off performance, it probably would be looked at differently. 64% completion percentage?! 300 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs? Missed a few plays but pretty good overall.

Unfortunately, when we are 1/3 of the way through the season already and the offense isn't really making strides, the criticisms are warranted.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

The negatives are obvious but I did like letting a couple of deep shots fly. I believe 2 were called for PI and the long TD. Give guys a chance to make plays out there. I’m hoping he gets dialed in on Saturday because obviously we’re riding with him.

 

[NDPhilly]

This made me laugh. I’m a Riley defender, but can’t lie I’d trade him for Moss, Cook, and probably Klubnik immediately if given the opportunity.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

So many of these teams have yet to play anyone in September.

Louisville's defense has had the pleasure of facing Georgia Tech, Jax State and Austin Peay. Very hard to really know what to make of them anymore than it is to know what to make of ND at this point.

 

[irishff1014]

So many of these teams have yet to play anyone in September.

Louisville's defense has had the pleasure of facing Georgia Tech, Jax State and Austin Peay. Very hard to really know what to make of them anymore than it is to know what to make of ND at this point.

Are you really going to bring that up? We have played Texas A&M. That’s it.

 

[DONTH8]

I've felt that all along. In the second half, Denbrock went to the quick first option passes and he did much better. Once the lead was opened up, the pressure was lifted and Denbrock called a couple of deep passes. Leonard stood in the pocket (no happy feet) and let it fly.

Yup, definitely the case. I know those rollouts look easier, but frankly, just a 3 step drop and throwing a 10 yard curl is an easier throw to make than even a 5-yard throw on the run.

I felt against NIU, we tried to be too pretty the whole game. Like we wanted to show that we could win with big throws, more complex routes, etc and we weren't one-dimensional. The culmination of that was on 2nd and short everyone knew we needed to run it because we needed to chew clock and our passing game was anemic. But our OC said "Air it out!" That was a style play. Not a smart one.

This game, they at least went back to getting Leonard some confidence, and I think it paid off. We'll see against Louisville.

 

[DONTH8]

Another reason to grow our own. If anyone can imagine what it’s like, it’s the guys who watch it up close for a couple years.
I’m not sure it’s an accident our best QBs of recent years are guys who came off the bench behind more “talented” starters.

But yes I think you’re right about Leonard and his nerves. It’s probably why he’s so quick to take off and run. He’s confident in his legs. But that only gets you so far.

I agree with this. Not to say another QB can't come in and have the confidence needed to overcome the pressure placed on him. But I'm a firm believer that no other University, and hopefully no other coaching staff, is equipped to help shape what is required to be the QB at ND to take on that mantle when needed than the University of Notre Dame.

I still have faith in Leonard. I hope that he utilizes every resource at his disposal, including the University and professors on campus. If he hasnt reached out to past ND QBs, he absolutely needs to do that as well.

I wish I could put my arm around the guy and tell him that he's probably his biggest critic, and that he needs to stop whatever negative talk he has going on, or focusing on his limitations and weaknesses, and instead focus on those strengths and desire to improve to work his tail off to achieve that potential. The dude literally won the Manning challenge. He's obviously a gifted thrower of the ball. He just needs to let it rip and stop thinking so much. You can see when he isnt over-thinking and when instead he's just cutting it loose. We need more of that.

 

[GATTACA!]

I agree with this. Not to say another QB can't come in and have the confidence needed to overcome the pressure placed on him. But I'm a firm believer that no other University, and hopefully no other coaching staff, is equipped to help shape what is required to be the QB at ND to take on that mantle when needed than the University of Notre Dame.

I still have faith in Leonard. I hope that he utilizes every resource at his disposal, including the University and professors on campus. If he hasnt reached out to past ND QBs, he absolutely needs to do that as well.

I wish I could put my arm around the guy and tell him that he's probably his biggest critic, and that he needs to stop whatever negative talk he has going on, or focusing on his limitations and weaknesses, and instead focus on those strengths and desire to improve to work his tail off to achieve that potential. The dude literally won the Manning challenge. He's obviously a gifted thrower of the ball. He just needs to let it rip and stop thinking so much. You can see when he isnt over-thinking and when instead he's just cutting it loose. We need more of that.

I'd put my arm around him and tell him to start learning how to play TE if he desires a future in football.

 

[irishff1014]

I agree with this. Not to say another QB can't come in and have the confidence needed to overcome the pressure placed on him. But I'm a firm believer that no other University, and hopefully no other coaching staff, is equipped to help shape what is required to be the QB at ND to take on that mantle when needed than the University of Notre Dame.

I still have faith in Leonard. I hope that he utilizes every resource at his disposal, including the University and professors on campus. If he hasnt reached out to past ND QBs, he absolutely needs to do that as well.

I wish I could put my arm around the guy and tell him that he's probably his biggest critic, and that he needs to stop whatever negative talk he has going on, or focusing on his limitations and weaknesses, and instead focus on those strengths and desire to improve to work his tail off to achieve that potential. The dude literally won the Manning challenge. He's obviously a gifted thrower of the ball. He just needs to let it rip and stop thinking so much. You can see when he isnt over-thinking and when instead he's just cutting it loose. We need more of that.

Riley and Sam are total different animals. Sam embraced the university he never let it get to big for him.

Riley still thinks he playing at UNC. Their expectations of football are not in the same sentence as ours.

Sam would probably have more sacks now but this offense would be better.

It shows Riley wasn’t ready for this kind of environment.

And I would say you are dead wrong about the staff being equipped to help him. If they were it wouldn’t have a loss and he would be in control of the offense and they look scared.

 

[DONTH8]

And I would say you are dead wrong about the staff being equipped to help him. If they were it wouldn’t have a loss and he would be in control of the offense and they look scared.

That's why I put hopefully in front of the phrase. Because in theory, NDs coaching staff should be better equipped than others in helping a kid be prepared to be the QB at ND more than any other university. And if that isnt the case, then ND needs to find a staff that can complement the University in shaping men.

 

[allenm5333]

Riley and Sam are total different animals. Sam embraced the university he never let it get to big for him.

Riley still thinks he playing at UNC. Their expectations of football are not in the same sentence as ours.

Sam would probably have more sacks now but this offense would be better.

It shows Riley wasn’t ready for this kind of environment.

And I would say you are dead wrong about the staff being equipped to help him. If they were it wouldn’t have a loss and he would be in control of the offense and they look scared.

Would argue sammy liked what nd did more for him than embraced nd

 

[stlnd01]

Would argue sammy liked what nd did more for him than embraced nd

Frame it however you want, Hartman took the reins of the team and knew what it took to lead, and even on the occasions he struggled on the field, he never appeared to be in over his head. He also was older and significantly more experienced than Leonard, fwiw.
Leonard may get there yet but he'd better do it soon.

 

[TorontoGold]

Riley and Sam are total different animals. Sam embraced the university he never let it get to big for him.

Riley still thinks he playing at UNC. Their expectations of football are not in the same sentence as ours.

Sam would probably have more sacks now but this offense would be better.

It shows Riley wasn’t ready for this kind of environment.

And I would say you are dead wrong about the staff being equipped to help him. If they were it wouldn’t have a loss and he would be in control of the offense and they look scared.

Sam was described as being distant from the rest of the team by multiple outlets. Riley got the WR's and QB's together in Alabama. Sam did a photo op for NIL.

If you're going to criticize someone for thinking they're still at their old school it would be best to get the school right (Duke btw).

Riley hasn't panned out, but to even compare them on "intangibles" is silly.

 

[Terry Jillery]

Watching Josh Allen right now makes me sad.

 

[NDWarrior]

Pretty spot on Notre Dame Football: Unfortunately, Riley Leonard’s Mom Was Kind of Right... I love this sentence from the post: But Freeman’s resume has pathetic home losses to Marshall, Stanford and Northern Illinois. Those can’t just be forgotten by finally releasing the Under Armour apparel he’s been keeping to himself.

 

[irishff1014]

Sam was described as being distant from the rest of the team by multiple outlets. Riley got the WR's and QB's together in Alabama. Sam did a photo op for NIL.

If you're going to criticize someone for thinking they're still at their old school it would be best to get the school right (Duke btw).

Riley hasn't panned out, but to even compare them on "intangibles" is silly.

You are right it was Duke. I was still thinking of UNC from the Mack Brown thread.