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

[LifelongFan]

I'll be honest: I don't like watching Leonard play, but he's been good. I don't like the style and the general inaccuracy on a lot of throws, but if it works it works and I don't really care. I will never be comfortable without a deep threat (and the line is also to blame for the lack of explosiveness on this offense).

 

[NorthDakota]

Honest question, is he Tim Tebow with a little more wiggle?

No. Tebow was leaps and bounds better

 

[ThePiombino]

His QBR on the season is now sitting at 78.8 14th in the entire country.
That is very, very impressive.

He is encroaching on Ian Book 2020 territory where Ian ended the season with a 84 QBR, which I think most of us would agree was the best overall QB play a ND player had this past decade.

Props to the kid, and happy to have egg on my face because I was certainly one of those calling for his benching after the embarrassment that was the NIU performance.

Oh, the same list that has Horvath #8. Yeah, seems legit...

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

PFF absolutely loves Riley

Caveat that I think he's really played well since Miami (OH) and I wouldn't exchange him for many QBs. HOWEVER. I thought Riley played well late in the first half and in the second once he settled down a bit, but did PFF miss his deep ball that he sailed through the endzone and almost into the first row? That was one of the worst deep balls I had ever seen. I audibly laughed. The drops definitely weren't helping his cause.

Then he comes back later in that same drive (I believe) and drops an absolute dime to Mitch Evans in the corner of the endzone. That short sequence encapsulates his season perfectly lol

 

[Katzenboyer]

No. Tebow was leaps and bounds better

This. Tebow is probably one of the best three guys to play QB at the college level this century (Newton and Vince Young are ahead of him, but not by much). Let's take it easy with the comparisons to TT.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

This. Tebow is probably one of the best three guys to play QB at the college level this century (Newton and Vince Young are ahead of him, but not by much). Let's take it easy with the comparisons to TT.

Yeah, ND would win a natty with Tim Tebow (college) level production. He was built for the college game. And even more so now. AND if he would have went to Catholic university he really could have used Jesus' power for good

 

[allenm5333]

No. Tebow was leaps and bounds better

Leonard would look pretty good with Percy, the Wrs, Hernandez and the OL Tebow had...(I have also been referring to Leonard as Discount Tebow in a group chat lol)

 

[RDU Irish]

Are we pretending Leonard's mid and deep accuracy isn't a real problem? We lack the explosive passing play ability needed to seriously compete in the playoffs. We finally have open WR down field and it is all they can do to reel in passes that are off target in the rare cases Leonard doesn't try to Scooby Doo it out of the backfield.

 

[Ophiocordyceps]

Are we pretending Leonard's mid and deep accuracy isn't a real problem? We lack the explosive passing play ability needed to seriously compete in the playoffs. We finally have open WR down field and it is all they can do to reel in passes that are off target in the rare cases Leonard doesn't try to Scooby Doo it out of the backfield.

Yes, your not allowed to state the obvious.

 

[Rasputin]

This. Tebow is probably one of the best three guys to play QB at the college level this century (Newton and Vince Young are ahead of him, but not by much). Let's take it easy with the comparisons to TT.

Great QBs, but Rasputin would take 3 years of Trevor Lawrence over all of them.

40 games
38W -2L
758 completions on 1,138 attempts
10,098 yards
90 TDs
17 INTs

2018 - Nation Champion
2019 - NC finalist
2020 - NC semi-finalist

Agreed on your main point though. Leonard is not Tebow.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Honest question, is he Tim Tebow with a little more wiggle?

Honest answer: not even fucking close.

 

[Kingbish01]

Can't sleep on Matt Leinart either, dude was 37-2 in college with both losses (Aaron Rogers and Vince Young) coming in OT on the road.

And without having the time to look....Would bet all his numbers are better than Trevor Lawrence mentioned above.

 

[Katzenboyer]

Great QBs, but Rasputin would take 3 years of Trevor Lawrence over all of them.

40 games
38W -2L
758 completions on 1,138 attempts
10,098 yards
90 TDs
17 INTs

2018 - Nation Champion
2019 - NC finalist
2020 - NC semi-finalist

Agreed on your main point though. Leonard is not Tebow.

Lawrence was a great college QB. He wasn't Tebow.

661 completions on 995 attempts (66.4%)
9,285 yards
88 TDs, 16 INTs
2,947 yards rushing (4.3 YPC), 57 TDs on the ground

2-time national champion. Heisman trophy winner, 3 top 5 Heisman finishes. 2 Maxwell awards.

 

[Dizzyphil]

Honestly - I get where everyone is coming from on QB comparisons - but I don't think it is relevant or fair.... Every HC/OC combo is different and each of the QBs mentioned would be in a different environment, technique teaching, and scheme.

 

[ulukinatme]

Can't sleep on Matt Leinart either, dude was 37-2 in college with both losses (Aaron Rogers and Vince Young) coming in OT on the road.

And without having the time to look....Would bet all his numbers are better than Trevor Lawrence mentioned above.

Leinart had all the benefits, I maintain he wasn't really all that special. He had one of the best RBs of all time in his backfield, Reggie Bush. He had great receivers like Jarrett. He had a decent defense backing him up. It was an embarrassment of riches, they pummeled weaker PAC-12 teams just based on the talent drop off. That's why when he got to the NFL he didn't really amount to much, almost all of those USC QBs were duds aside from Palmer.

Also, he took ballroom dancing his last year. Pussy.

 

[dublinirish]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KPENN]

 

[irishff1014]

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

 

[T-Boone]

maybe the wide receivers feel left out.

 

[irishandy]

There's something special about Notre Dame athletes and this story shows it.

 

[IrishLax]

After watching the games yesterday, I'm sorry for ever suggesting the staff may have made a mistake passing on Will Howard for Riley Leonard. Leonard certainly has flaws (like we saw the interception trying to throw down the field yesterday) but is also a true playmaker that has stepped up when it mattered in 11 out of 12 games this year.

 

[MacIrish75]

After watching the games yesterday, I'm sorry for ever suggesting the staff may have made a mistake passing on Will Howard for Riley Leonard. Leonard certainly has flaws (like we saw the interception trying to throw down the field yesterday) but is also a true playmaker that has stepped up when it mattered in 11 out of 12 games this year.

Rewatching his INT couple times, it looked awful, but I think RL actually had the right read based on the coverage. I can’t remember who the receiver was—maybe Mitchell—but I thought with the DB sitting topside he should have broken his route off and taken the 15yd stop route instead of continuing up the field.

Fair to question the playcall, but TO ME it signaled more poor WR coaching and communication than Riley just uncorking a bad ball.

 

[CoachB]

Rewatching his INT couple times, it looked awful, but I think RL actually had the right read based on the coverage. I can’t remember who the receiver was—maybe Mitchell—but I thought with the DB sitting topside he should have broken his route off and taken the 15yd stop route instead of continuing up the field.

Fair to question the playcall, but TO ME it signaled more poor WR coaching and communication than Riley just uncorking a bad ball.

This exactly! This is what I thought happened in real time. The ball was right on the money if Mitchell had broken off the route also. These plays are always a read. Just miscommunication.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Wish we had him for another year. He absolutely makes a difference on the field. Most importantly great cultural fit and excellent representative for the university.

 

[LifelongFan]

I won't pretend I'm a huge RL fan, but only two fumbles on the year is incredibly impressive.

 

[Pete]

After watching the games yesterday, I'm sorry for ever suggesting the staff may have made a mistake passing on Will Howard for Riley Leonard. Leonard certainly has flaws (like we saw the interception trying to throw down the field yesterday) but is also a true playmaker that has stepped up when it mattered in 11 out of 12 games this year.

I’m right there with you.

 

[SWirishfan]

I won't pretend I'm a huge RL fan, but only two fumbles on the year is incredibly impressive.

You jinx'd it, thanks.

 

[jprue24]

Notre Dame can win the 2024 national championship with RL at QB.

 

[NorthDakota]

Notre Dame can win the 2024 national championship with RL at QB.

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If it happens I'm gonna publish a book of all my worst hater takes

 

[jprue24]

If it happens I'm gonna publish a book of all my worst hater takes

RL had to get a lot better for me to believe. He has. I had to believe there weren't any juggernaut teams. There aren't.

Right now, I believe on it's best day, ND can beat anyone. Ducks, Dawgs, Tide, Bucks, all those sons of bitches.