Former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Leonard, who started for two years at Duke, entered the transfer portal Nov. 29 after Blue Devils coach Mike Elko left for Texas A&M.
• He passed for 4,450 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns in his Duke career. He was limited to seven games in 2023 because of injuries against Notre Dame and Louisville and finished with 1,102 passing yards in seven games.
• Leonard has one year of eligibility remaining and will be Notre Dame’s second one-year ACC transfer QB in a row after former Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman started this season.
• Hartman announced Monday that he will skip the Sun Bowl, meaning Steve Angeli is expected to start against Oregon State on Dec. 29.

A dream come true. Go Irish ☘️

— Riley Leonard (@rileyleonard13_) December 12, 2023

What does adding Leonard mean for Notre Dame?

Exactly how Leonard fits into Gerad Parker’s offense won’t be answered until next fall, but for now, landing the Duke quarterback this quickly into portal season is a compliment to Notre Dame’s strategy and execution. Marcus Freeman knew the Irish wanted to take a portal quarterback about a month ago and made Leonard their top choice over Will Howard (Kansas State) and Cam Ward (Washington State). Both are still on the market. The fact that Notre Dame got its business done early speaks to the program’s operational competence during portal season.

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As Freeman said last month, getting business done in the portal means getting the program’s business in order before the portal opens. The Irish did. Leonard was actually expected to commit to Notre Dame on Friday, but he held off through the weekend before announcing his decision.

The more interesting part now is how Leonard slots into Notre Dame’s playbook considering his skill set doesn’t match Sam Hartman, Steve Angeli or Kenny Minchey. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Leonard’s greatest strength is his size, which offers a run threat Hartman did not. The idea of zone read concepts with Jeremiyah Love or Jadarian Price could give Parker a new chapter in his playbook.

But will Leonard be the passer Notre Dame needs to take the offense to the next level? Hartman couldn’t overcome the program’s poor depth chart at wide receiver, where a freshman led the position in snaps and a tight end led the team in catches despite missing four games. The Irish have already added receiver Kris Mitchell from FIU and Beaux Collins from Clemson to help, which gives Notre Dame two established wideouts in the offense to go with veteran Jayden Thomas

Leonard will have his own needed development, too. His junior year was permanently altered by the ankle sprain suffered against Notre Dame. He finished with just three touchdowns passes and three interceptions and a pass efficiency rating that would have ranked No. 99 nationally. As a sophomore, Leonard’s 141.14 pass efficiency rating ranked No. 48, which was 28 spots behind Drew Pyne.

Leonard’s upside may be obvious. So is the fact he’s got substantial ground to cover to reach it.

GO DEEPER

Will Notre Dame get the most out of Riley Leonard? What's at stake with Duke transfer QB

What’s next for the Irish in the transfer portal?

As Notre Dame mobilized for portal season, it intended to take seven transfers during the winter window, up from the five it took last postseason (the Irish added running back Devyn Ford and safety Antonio Carter II during the spring). But program sources now indicate Notre Dame could take 10 transfers this winter to rebalance the roster and push the 85-man limit.

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With Leonard, Collins, Mitchell and defensive back Jordan Clark on board, that leaves space for a defensive lineman, an offensive tackle, another defensive back, a kicker and two more players that fit Notre Dame’s needs. For example, if Jack Kiser departs the program this winter, look for Notre Dame to try to add a linebacker to replace him. If Kiser returns, the Irish don’t need to go portal shopping at the position.

Duke defensive lineman R.J. Oben visited campus last weekend. Notre Dame visited South Carolina kicker Mitch Jeter last week, with the Irish expecting to get him to South Bend as well. Notre Dame is the favorite to land the kicker.

If Notre Dame hits all its marks in the transfer portal, it could reshape Freeman’s third Irish squad in a significant way, building around misses at quarterback and receiver in recruiting while also giving the defense a shot of veteran talent after it thrived on experience last season.

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(Photo: David Jensen / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)