With a hole at the starting quarterback spot heading into 2024, a new report claims Notre Dame may address that issue in the transfer portal for the second straight year.
The college football transfer portal has become one of the most impactful avenues for programs to make immediate upgrades to their rosters. No longer is it a place for disgruntled or troubled youngsters to find opportunities elsewhere. It is now a path for star players to boost their NFL chances with different coaching strategies.
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The Notre Dame football program benefitted from the portal in a major way this year when Wake Forest star Sam Hartman left the school after five seasons and made the jump to the Irish in September. The decision broke away from recent traditions for the program and showed that head coach Marcus Freeman was going to use all options available to improve the team.
That is reportedly going to be the case again as the school is seen as the favorite for another gifted QB that is entering the college football transfer portal.
Notre Dame the favorite to land Riley Leonard in college football transfer portal
According to The Athletic, “Duke quarterback Riley Leonard has entered the transfer portal ahead of his final year of eligibility and is likely to land at Notre Dame, according to program and industry sources.”
- Riley Leonard stats (Career): 4,450 passing yards, 33 total TDs, 10 INTs, 1,224 rushing yards
Leonard is viewed as a prospect with NFL potential and he led the Blue Devils to a 4-0 start this year before foot and ankle injuries began to affect him and limited the 21-year-old to just seven starts. In 2022, Leonard had a big season as he hit on 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also added 699 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Hartman likely boosted his chances of being selected at some point in the 2024 NFL Draft by coming to Notre Dame, so the Duke star may see the Irish offense and the team’s high profile as a way to also improve his aspirations to reach the next level after his senior season.