Riley Leonard Shines: Notre Dame QB Wins Top Honors at Manning Passing Academy

Notre Dame transfer quarterback shows off arm, health, in Manning Passing Academy competition

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) at Notre Dame spring football practice Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend. / GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK

If Notre Dame fans have a dollar for every time they've wondered about Riley Leonard's health since mid-spring then they'd all be able to put a sizable yacht in the Florida Intercoastal.

An offseason medical procedure and not being able to see the Duke transfer has kept health fears front and center this summer.

But everything appears to be just fine.

Until Leonard shows he's fully healthy in an actual game there will still be detractors, but he did just about everything he physically could this week in front of the first family of quarterbacks.

Working as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy, Leonard defeated the likes of Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and Texas A&M's Connor Weigman in the Air it Out competition which tests anticipation and accuracy skills.

Riley Leonard, Dillon Gabriel and Conner Weigman walk into a QB Competition….. WHO WALKED OUT? 👀🏆

(#Oregon, #NotreDame, #TexasAM, #NFL) pic.twitter.com/mMwIf5frbv

— The Verdin Verdict (@verdinverdict) June 29, 2024

Not a bad toss right in front of a few of the best to ever do in Peyton and Eli Manning.

It won't entirely shut down concerns, as nothing short of performing well in a big game will - specifically Texas A&M to open the year - but it's a great sign for the Notre Dame offense roughly two month before the season opener.

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