Mike Elko shares feelings on opening 2024 season against Riley Leonard

When Notre Dame and Texas A&M square off in Week 1, it will mark the beginning of a new era in College Station. That will be Mike Elko’s first game as the Aggies’ head coach after leaving Duke to replace Jimbo Fisher – and he’ll be facing a familiar face on the other side of the ball.

Riley Leonard entered the transfer portal and committed to the Fighting Irish after Elko’s departure, and that adds to the stakes of the season-opening game at Kyle Field. They were both key pieces of the Blue Devils’ turnaround over the last two seasons, but after a wild coaching carousel and a record year for the portal, have now found new homes.

In fact, Elko – a former Notre Dame defensive coordinator – said it pretty much summed up the whirlwind nature of the offseason.

“It’s the modern era of college football, right?” he told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “This is how it goes nowadays.”

Leonard flourished as a sophomore at Duke in 2022, totaling 3,666 yards – 2,967 passing and 699 rushing – to help the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record in Elko’s first season. He dealt with some injury trouble in 2023, though, and only appeared in seven games before transferring to Notre Dame. Still, he came in as the No. 14 overall transfer and No. 4-ranked quarterback in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.

With all they accomplished in Durham, though, Elko said he continues to be a fan of Leonard. That said, after that opening kickoff in August, he knows his former quarterback won’t go easy on him.

“Obviously, I’ve got so much respect for Riley,” Elko said. “He’s such a great kid and a great quarterback and a great competitor. I’d pick an awful lot of quarterbacks I’d rather have be on the other sideline for me in my opener than him. But it is what it is, and that’s the world we live in today. I think there’s a lot of mutual respect between the two of us.

“But I think he knows like I know we’re both high level competitors, too. For those three and a half hours, we won’t be rooting for each other. And then, we’ll shake hands and wish each other the best for the rest of the year.”

There’s still a long way to go until the 2024 season gets underway. Still, it’s tough not to think about that moment at Kyle Field when Mike Elko and Riley Leonard reunite – on opposite sides of the field.