Notre Dame's Riley Leonard Named to Top Quarterback Award Watch List

Despite rich quarterback history, Notre Dame has never had a winner

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard throws the ball during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has been named to the Davey O'Brien Award watch list for 2024. The award is given annually to the nation's top quarterback.

Leonard is coming off a year he helped lead Duke to a massive week one upset of Clemson and had the Blue Devils unbeaten before falling to Notre Dame in the final seconds of the Sept. 30th meeting last fall.

Leonard was injured in the final seconds of that game and it lingered before ultimately cutting his 2023 season short.

2022 saw Leonard rack up an incredibly impressive season for Duke.

How's this for company?

Leonard amassed more than 2,900 passing yards and 695 rushing yards in 2022. Only he, LSU's Jayden Daniels (who had Mike Denbrock as an offensive coordinator) and Drake Maye of North Carolina can lay claim to accomplishing the feat that year as FBS quarterbacks.

Notre Dame's History with Davey O'Brien Award

The Davey O'Brien Award has been given to the nation's top quarterback each year since 1981 when a punky QB known as (Jim) McMahon took home the honor at BYU.

In all the years since Notre Dame has had a finalist for the award five different times (Tony Rice in 1988 and 1989, Rick Mirer in 1992, and Brady Quinn in 2005 and 2006) but has never had a quarterback take home the award.

—Enjoy free coverage of the Irish from Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI—
Notre Dame Football: 5 Things to Know for August 8, 2024


Why Notre Dame would be just fine without Deuce Knight

Notre Dame football is great - so why is Notre Dame recruiting feeling so blah?

Notre Dame Debuts Reworked Offensive Line

Joel Klatt is Very High on Notre Dame for 2024 Football Season