Riley Leonard's gf Molly Walding shares 'giddy' selfie with QB after Notre Dame win

Molly Walding, the girlfriend of Notre Dame football star Riley Leonard, had a 'pinch me' moment after the Fighting Irish advanced to the national championship.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and quarterback Riley Leonard celebrate defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Thanks to some late-game heroics from Notre Dame football star Riley Leonard, the Fighting Irish defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Leonard led Notre Dame on a clutch drive in the final minutes to set up a game-winning field goal in the final 10 seconds to secure the win.

After the game, Leonard's girlfriend, Molly Walding, couldn't hide her excitement from the "pinch me" moment.

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She shared a photo of Notre Dame's on-field celebration, along with a post-game photo with Leonard captioned, "I'M GIDDY! Turning dreams into reality!!!!!!!"

Molly Walding/Instagram

Molly Walding/Instagram

Leonard finished the game with 223 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, to go with 35 rushing yards and another score.

Notre Dame won the game, 27-24, and will face the winner of Friday night's Cotton Bowl Classic between the No. 3 Texas Longhorns and No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Molly Walding/Instagram

Leonard and Walding are high school sweathearts and they began dating in 2017.

Molly is a public relations student at Auburn University, which she started attending in 2021. Leonard, meanwhile, began his college football career at Duke.

Molly Walding/Instagram

“I have always valued human connection, and my coursework has further deepened my understanding of the power of strategic communication,” she wrote on her website. “I am eager to apply these skills to positively influence others and make a meaningful impact in the world of PR.” 

Expect to see Molly in attendance when the Fighting Irish face either Texas or Ohio State on Monday, January 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

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