In the present scenario of college football, Riley Leonard is a very popular name as Duke’s football program is on the national map because of him. The former Blue Devil has the potential and caliber to change the game at any stage. The Duke transfer, who was the No. 6 available quarterback in the transfer portal, took the opportunity to play on a bigger stage for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 

Leonard has put his heart and soul into achieving two of the important things in his football journey: the NFL draft and NIL deals. Yes, the young QB has not only shown exceptional talent in the field but has also found success in the NIL marketplace. Let’s delve deep into his NIL deals.

Riley’s NIL deals and valuation

Over the weekend, Leonard inked his NIL deal with Gillette and posted on IG with a lovely caption, “Fresh, clean, and ready to go with Gillette.” Additionally, he shared, “This is a really organic partnership for me as I’ve been using Gillette products for a while.” Ranked as No. 26 among NIL athletes, Leonard promotes the brand through more than 31, 500 followers on his social media platforms. He also mentioned, “Gillette Labs just makes a lot of sense for me and I’m excited to see where things go.”

Not only Gillette but the quarterback has also partnered with companies like Raising Cane’s, Rhoback, Leaf, Haggar, Panini, Wildcard, and Topps. Leonard’s valuation of NIL deals is approximately $1.1 million. So, you can imagine the popularity and marketability of the Notre Dame QB.

But the story does not end here. Presently, the star athlete is an important player for the Irish, but coming to this position after a severe injury was difficult for him. Let’s take a glimpse of his football journey.

Leonard’s recruitment phase and performance treat 

In 2022, there are only two quarterbacks, Leonard and Bo Nix, who were the Heisman Trophy finalists with more than 20 passing touchdowns and more than 13 rushing touchdowns. But because of an ankle injury this season, the stellar performer has only played five games and recorded 4,400 yards and 24 touchdowns in total.

However, despite the challenges in his career, Leonard has held onto hope and has overcome them all with a sporting mindset. Praising the QB, Tyler Horka, a sports journalist, said, “If you were just to keep your eyes honed in on that quarterback room, you know who the leader of that group is. It’s Riley Leonard.” Adding he stated, “That’s the guy that Notre Dame thinks that they have, somebody that hopefully stays healthy, because that did not happen in 2023.”

Currently, the QB is focusing on preparing himself for the upcoming battle. Let’s see what happens with the Fighting Irish in the upcoming season. What are your thoughts?