Riley Leonard officially took his gifts to the pros. And the lucky team to get him on board is the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round as the No. 189th overall pick. A late bloomer from Duke, Riley is now an NFL rookie. But the feat would have been a far-fetched dream for the former Irish QB1 if he hadn’t capped off his season as excellently under head coach Marcus Freeman. He led the team to their first natty appearance since 1988. Leonard had a combined 27-10 record as the starter for the Blue Devils and the Irish. Imagine losing a gem like him from the locker room. But that was inevitable. A skilled QB isn’t just a showpiece to adorn your roster. If you’re a true mentor, you’ll be like Freeman, beaming with pride right at the moment.

Leonard’s accuracy and arm strength as a passer remain a thing to watch out for, but the former high school basketball star looks to bring a lot of untapped potential to the Indianapolis Colts’ QB room. His rushing ability has been a highlight of his film, as the QB tied with RB Jeremiah Love in 17 rushing TDs. Leonard served under three offensive systems in as many seasons. In 2024, he completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,861 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns on 184 carries. While it’s too early to comment on his future with the Colts, he will have to compete to get the starting role for sure.

Guess who can’t wait to see him step up in the field as a pro and show the world where he belongs? Coach Freeman reacted to the news, saying, “Excited to watch you compete!” He sure is, and so are we. Leonard will get a massive $4,4 million check as the overall 189th of the sixth round.

However, despite having a so-called competitive QB room this off-season, the Irish can pay heavily for Leonard’s absence under the center.

Can the Irish fill the QB room after Riley Leonard’s departure? 

A championship appearance for the first time since 1988? Phenomenal! But “It won’t be the same this year.” as insider Matt Fortuna raised a red flag. “Riley Leonard deserves a ton of credit for that. Just having a quarterback who’s that mobile and can get out of trouble and is a veteran, I don’t think Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey got the wheels, or CJ Carr have that kind of IT factor, so to speak, but they will be playing behind a bigger, stronger, better offensive line, at least from day one,” he said.

Now, the window’s even narrower as it came down to a two-man battle after Steve Angeli left for the portal. Freeman noted that the competition between Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr will stretch through the fall. But their early schedule starting with the Hurricanes on the road on August 30, a little hurry might save them from an initial heartbreak in the season.

QB turned WR Tyler Buchner can also make a return to the quarterback position group, producing a potential veteran third wheel for the Irish. “We’ll look at the total number of arms, bodies that we have to practice, but it’s definitely under consideration to be able to move Tyler back into the quarterback room as we look into the summer and fall camp,” said Freeman. But how much it will help them under the center remains a question.