Mike Elko makes Riley Leonard's Heisman Trophy case: 'This kid has an unbelievable amount of moxie'
Duke leader Mike Elko is making the Heisman case for Blue Devils star quarterback Riley Leonard.
So far this season, Leonard has 778 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 67.7% completion percentage. On the ground, he has 238 yards and four touchdowns, making him pretty dynamic.
If the Clemson victory didn’t do it for the masses, perhaps a victory over Notre Dame will, and the Blue Devils have the chance to accomplish that on Saturday.
“Should be, should be, if we can get that out there, should be,” Elko stated, regarding his quarterback’s place in the Heisman conversation at the moment, via The Pat McAfee Show. “… I think the thing that the world is starting to figure out is that this kid has an unbelievable amount of moxie. His ability to kind of elevate himself at the right moment and make plays is unbelievable. He’s a tremendous athlete, we saw that in the Clemson game. He can throw the ball. He can make all the throws on the field.
“He’s kind of been our guy since we’ve been here. I think everyone else has just kind of take a little bit more notice of him now.”
As Duke continues to win, Riley Leonard will continue to move up the Heisman rankings, and 2024 NFL Draft boards, as well. While Saturday’s game is paramount for the Blue Devils, it could mean even more for Leonard’s future moving forward, and Mike Elko knows that.
Marcus Freeman believes Riley Leonard will be Notre Dame’s biggest challenge yet
Moreover, one person not taking Riley Leonard lightly is Notre Dame leader Marcus Freeman, as the Duke quarterback has his full attention.
The No. 11 Fighting Irish hit the road to play No. 17 Duke and Leonard, who have really impressed the nation so far this season. Leonard is accurately throwing the football and has yet to turn it over this season, and Freeman called it Notre Dame’s biggest challenge yet.
“He is a talented individual,” Freeman said. “Obviously all offenses go through the quarterback but the things he presents in the run game, the challenges he’s going to present, he’s a big physical tough runner. He’s accurate in the pass game from what they need him to do, you know, and so it’s a huge challenge for our team. Biggest one yet.”
While Notre Dame is trying to keep it from being Riley Leonard’s coming-out-party to the rest of the college football world, they recognize the Duke quarterback is a star in the making.
Alas, Riley Leonard was a member of the Class of 2021, Leonard was a three-star recruit out of Fairhope (Ala.) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 21 overall prospect in the state, the No. 41 quarterback in the class and the No. 554 overall prospect in the class.
On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.