A national championship game starter at Notre Dame who fell to the sixth round and got real snaps as a rookie behind an injury-plagued Colts quarterback room.
Riley Leonard transferred from Duke to Notre Dame in 2024 and led the Irish to the College Football Playoff championship game. Drafted in the sixth round by Indianapolis, he found himself thrust into action as a rookie once injuries hit the Colts' quarterback depth chart.
Path to the league
The Colts took Leonard with the 189th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, betting on his athleticism and his existing relationship with head coach Shane Steichen, who attended his Notre Dame pro day. He entered as the third quarterback behind Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson.
Career highlights
After transferring to Notre Dame from Duke, Leonard completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,861 yards with 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 2024 while adding 906 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns on the ground, leading the Irish to a national championship game appearance.
2025 season recap
Leonard saw extended action as a rookie after Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles injury, appearing in five games with one start. He completed 39 of 67 passes for 415 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, highlighted by a three-touchdown performance in his first career start against the Texans in Week 18.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Riley Leonard
- Pro Football Reference: Riley Leonard
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Passing
5 games played▶Passing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CMP | ATT | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | colts | 5 | 39 | 67 | 415 | 2 | 3 | 67.7 | 72.7 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | colts | 5 | 6 | 27 | 4.5 | 2 | 11 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Notre Dame
- Hometown
- Fairhope, AL, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
