Leonard Chosen for October Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior quarterback Riley Leonard today was named to the October watch list for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award. Since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances.
Leonard has earned multiple player of the week honors so far this season, from the Davey O’Brien Award (Great 8 at Purdue and vs. Louisville) and the Senior Bowl (Offensive Player of the Week vs. Louisville). He was named to the Top 25 for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award this week.
A Notre Dame team captain, Leonard has been named to 2024 watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, East-West Shrine Bowl and 2025 Senior Bowl. This season, Leonard has completed 82 passes for 750 yards and three touchdowns, with 59 rushes for 374 yards and seven touchdowns.
Leonard ranks tied for second among all active FBS quarterbacks in career rushing touchdowns with 26, including three in the first half alone at Purdue. Leonard’s seven rushing touchdowns this season rank second among all Power 4 quarterbacks, rank fourth among FBS quarterbacks and T-14th among all FBS players. His 374 rushing yards this season lead all Power 4 quarterbacks and rank fifth among all FBS quarterbacks.
Leonard started all seven games in which he played for Duke in 2023, going 95-for-165 and 1,102 yards (57.5 percent completion rate) and three touchdowns, before a season-ending ankle injury. He rushed 58 times for 352 yards (44-yard long) and four touchdowns on the season.
In 2022, he started all 13 games for the Blue Devils, completing 250-of-392 (.638) passes for 2,967 yards with 20 touchdowns, while leading the team in rushing with 699 yards on 124 carries and 13 touchdowns. He was one of three FBS quarterbacks to amass more than 2,900 passing yards and 695 rushing yards, joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
At the conclusion of each season, in a vote by a panel of college football writers, editors, and sports information directors, three college football student-athletes are honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
