As Riley Leonard entered through the gates of the University of Notre Dame ahead of the 2024 season, there were two things on his mind: Bringing a national championship to the Fighting Irish after 36 years, and his great-grandfather, James Curran. Curran had reportedly donned blue and gold in 1940 for his final year of football under Frank Leahy before becoming lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. And it is exactly this family connection that Marcus Freeman had capitalized on to convince the QB to stay with the Fighting Irish…

As per Leonard’s own confession, “Freeman and his crew went into the Notre Dame library and picked up every single piece, every single document his name was ever mentioned in Notre Dame history, and put together this pamphlet. He didn’t play too much, but he certainly did some cool things there. That one won my mom over, and after that point, it’s pretty much wraps.” However, a year later, not much of that dream is realized…

Yes, Riley’s great-grandfather would be proud had he been here. Riley’s grandfather, Gib Leonard, is ecstatic that his grandson has transcended from being a local hero to a national hero. Yet, a silent battle wages inside the 22-year-old’s heart, intensified by the scrutiny he’s faced since the team’s January 21 CFP Championship defeat to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

As per Riley’s high school football coach Tim Carter, “He’s a champion of the town. Ain’t had one better.” Then, as per Chris Wilkinson, the QB’s football, basketball and baseball coach in middle school, “You hear all these good stories and you know somebody is sitting back thinking, I gotta find some dirt here. Well, good luck. The guy’s a Hallmark card.” But ask Reddit, and they’re going to give you ample dirt. But before we get to that…

Despite a valiant effort from both Leonard, and his team—compelling the Buckeyes to sweat it out despite a good start—they fell 34-23. Notre Dame entered the game as 8.5-point underdogs, with the QB contributing with 22 of 31 passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with 17 carries for 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. In the end, it wasn’t enough…

The 6’3″, 210-lb young ND quarterback appeared for the Senior Bowl and recently opened up about the scars he has retained from the CFP loss to the Buckeyes. “I’m still sore. Those dudes could hit hard,” Leonard said to the NFL Network’s crew. “But it’s good to be out here. Everything goes away as soon as you step onto the field,” he added, with a glint of hope. However, this subjective take on an objective pain didn’t fare ideally with the fans.

So, not only is the young star having to battle the woes of a missed championship title, but also a growing dissent in the community on whether he’s ready to take blows again. Also remember Leonard’s high ankle sprain in the 2023 season, which ironically happened while playing against ND for his then-team Duke Blue Devils, before his ND transfer in 2023? Even after missing multiple games, he had to undergo further surgeries for his stress fracture. This painful past might be making fans contemplate his continuity in ND for another season.

Leonard is also set to appear at the NFL Draft in April 2025, and he’s aware that Notre Dame’s CFP setback would make him a mid-round pick. In the Senior Bowl, he said “Everybody talks about the long season in the NFL, but sign me up. I want to play as many games as possible.” Note the last 4 words. “As many games as possible.” The quarterback’s own words might have sent out the message that he is playing the Senior Bowl for the sake of it.

Despite that, fans took to Reddit to post their opinions on whether they would have wanted Leonard to play for the Fighting Irish in the 2025 season.

Notre Dame fans prefer someone else over Riley Leonard

The conversation kick-started when a Redditor posted, “As I was deep in thought doing dishes tonight (funny how this task gets you really thinking about things lol), I was thinking about these rumors about how the NCAA may grant another year for all players and if I would want Leonard coming back for another year. I had always hesitated with confidence in him throughout the season as I’m sure a majority of the ND fans did. However, the more I really think about it, this kid is the definition of a leader and warrior at QB like i haven’t seen at ND in a long time. I understand he does not pass the ball well but leadership, toughness, and experience should never be undervalued her.”

“What if Leonard was to get with a QB guru all off-season and get his passing skills honed in, especially if he could do it with all his receivers as well? If Leonard could just simply improve his passing even just a little bit, I think he is easily our QB1 and a potential Heisman candidate. I honestly kinda hope it happens. It’s weird but I’m already missing watching the kid play and we are only a couple weeks out.”

“And my second thought about him was if he does try and make it to the NFL this year, being a Saints fan, I could see him potentially being the next Taysom Hill of the league. Leonard is a big, strong, and super athletic kid. I think he could transition into that hybrid role that Hill plays, mainly as a TE but with the ability to line up as a RB, pass with his QB background, etc just like Hill. I get Taysom is a freak himself and not many could do what he does but Leonard’s style reminds me of Hill a lot. I dont feel he would just be able to make it as a QB alone so why not try something like this with him too?”

“What do you all think?”

But the replies to this question were rather blunt and most of the opinions had one word in common – “No.” The Reddit users had their rationale behind answering negatively when it came to Riley Leonard continuing his QB position for Notre Dame. “Hot take but no,” stated one, reasoning that Leonard might be an exemplary asset to the team, but “he was super inconsistent passing the ball.”

Another person also chimed in, saying they’d “prefer someone with better passing ability.” In the College Football Playoffs finale, Leonard got sacked twice in the third and fourth quarter, which perhaps might have sent a signal that his passing strengths decreased with increasing tension, especially in the second quarter where the scorecard read a disappointing zero for Notre Dame beside Ohio State’s 21 points.

Another major opinion among the fans was expressed in Reddit comments. Apart from the commonplace “No,” fans said they want CJ Carr for 2025. “No. I want CJ,” remarked one, and another chimed in, saying, “I’m happy to see the CJ Carr era and what it can bring, even if it means bumps with the development.” Wait, CJ Carr era? And “bumps with the development,” like really? If Notre Dame can afford a few hiccups, then why not train Leonard at all? Such was the sentiment of another user, who honestly penned, “You guys are all crazy… absolutely yes. CJ Carr hasn’t played a snap of college football.”

Carr is a 4-star freshman quarterback of Notre Dame, but could not even throw a pass in the 2024 season before an elbow injury shelved him. He is expected to compete for the starting QB position in 2025 and recently updated that he has healed “95%”.

However, it’s undeniable that Riley Leonard was a powerhouse despite Notre Dame’s defeat to the Buckeyes. He broke through Ohio State’s defense and started the game strong. After all, reaching the Playoff finale among the 12 best teams is not a small feat!