Maxwell Award Semifinalists Revealed: Was Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard Snubbed?

The Maxwell Award each year honors the most outstanding player in college football.

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) leaves the field following a 52-3 victory over the Florida State Seminoles at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The Maxwell Football Club announced its 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, which has been given each year since 1935 to the most outstanding player in college football. While 10 quarterbacks are being honored, Notre Dame senior Riley Leonard is not one of them.

Was Leonard snubbed by the MFC committee?

2 Reasons Leonard Got Robbed

Leonard pilots an offense that averages 38 points per game and is ranked 12th in FBS rushing. The Irish have scored at least 49 points in three of the last four games, with No. 13 accounting for a dozen touchdowns over that period. Leonard has rushed for 609 yards and 13 TDs, which both rank second nationally among Power 4 quarterbacks.

Riley Leonard is feeling a different type of swagger around this Notre Dame offense. pic.twitter.com/EXj1NBmYU6

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 11, 2024

Leonard is the face of a top 10 program with legit national title aspirations. When things could have gone south after the Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, he was the steady hand that helped lead the Irish to seven consecutive wins. Playmaking QBs from title contenders always get honored this time of year, so leaving Leonard off is a head-scratcher.

2 Reasons Leonard Didn't Belong

Unless you ring up monster rushing numbers, it's tough getting noticed for individual awards without better passing numbers. Leonard threw his first TD pass in Week 4, and nothing about his stats jump off the page. While he's a perfect fit for the Irish offense, ranking 72nd or lower in TD passes, passing yards, and passer rating simply won't cut it for awards like the Maxwell or the Heisman.

Kudos on the seven-game winning streak, but who have the Irish played? They got Texas A&M before the Aggies found themselves, and 6-3 Louisville in South Bend was the toughest opponent since the opener. Plus, it's not like Leonard is carrying the Irish at this point. The defense and supporting cast is so good, it's fair to wonder if ND would still be 8-1 if backup Steve Angeli was behind center.

Verdict

Leonard is doing exactly what he's asked to win football games. And he's doing it in South Bend, so it wouldn't have been awful decision to make him a semifinalist. However, the overall numbers don't measure up with other contenders, like Miami's Cam Ward, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart.

Plus, where's the game, epic comeback, or big moment in which Leonard was THE reason the Irish stayed on track? He hasn't had it, so this looks like the right choice to have him just missing the semifinalist cut.

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