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Newsstand: Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard named semifinalist for this award

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•about 17 hours•

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Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. (Photo by Chad Weaver/BGI)

First, then-Duke quarterback Riley Leonard came back from an ankle injury suffered against the Irish in September 2023. Then, he came back from a foot injury that ended his junior season. Next, after transferring to Notre Dame, he came back from not one but two ankle surgeries that deprived him of spring practice. Finally, he came back from an upset loss to Northern Illinois that prompted calls for his job and threatened to derail his entire football career.

Through it all, Leonard kept coming back. On Tuesday, College Sports Communicators, in association with The Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl Organization, named Leonard one of 12 semifinalists for college football’s Comeback Player of the Year Award.

“I kind of told myself, ‘We can win, we can lose but I’ll never walk off the field with any regret anymore,'” Leonard said after the Irish beat USC on Saturday to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. “I feel like regret only comes from missed opportunities, not failed opportunities.”

Leonard finished his lone season at Notre Dame 194-of-293 passing, for a career-high 66.2 completion percentage. He threw for 2,092 yards (7.1 yards per attempt), 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Leonard also did ample damage on the ground, rushing for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns — both of which represented career highs as well.

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Leonard and the No. 4 Irish await their College Football Playoff seeding and opponent draw, which will both be announced Sunday.

Notre Dame Tweets of the day

X gave it to USC (again)

Another honor for one of the best coordinators in college football.

Moving up.

Quote of the day

“We were supposed to get a little inside zone action going, and then [offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is] just going to check it through the up route to the tight end. We did it earlier in the season against the exact same look.”

— Leonard on his end-of-half touchdown pass to junior tight end Eli Raridon, referencing his touchdown pass to senior tight end Mitchell Evans against Florida State

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