"He knows every janitor's name in facility": Riley Leonard shares what its like to play for Marcus Freeman

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard will be a top prospect heading into the 2025 NFL draft. Before going to the event, he appeared on "Jon Gruden's QB Class," where the legendary coach interacts with top draft QBs to know more about their life and character on and off the field. In this week's episode, Leonard shared his collegiate journey at Duke and last season with the Fighting Irish, leading the team to a national championship game. He also gave a special shoutout to Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

The veteran coach is known in the college circles for transforming the independent program into a powerhouse in the NCAA. After taking up the top job in 2021, the Fighting Irish ushered in a new era with a strong roster and a formidable coaching staff.

While speaking to Gruden, Leonard mentioned that Freeman is unique. He believes in what he does and the passion for his program is immaculate.

“I can probably give you a million different reasons why I like playing for him,” Leonard said on Wednesday (09:40).

“I’ll give you a few examples. Number one, knows every janitor’s name in the facility. I remember I was being recruited by him. I sent him a three-hour podcast, a Tom Brady podcast. Three and a half hours later, he had watched the whole thing, and he was ready to talk about it. I mean, there. He really believes in this. He believed in me as a quarterback.”

Leonard also discussed more about his academic status and admitted to having a high GPA at Duke. However, things changed when he joined Notre Dame. He lost many of his credits and decided to take theater as his major after spending almost three years in marketing and management studies.

Riley Leonard spoke about his transition to Notre Dame

It was a tough time for Riley Leonard in 2024 when he entered the transfer portal after three seasons at Duke. He was struggling with a sprained ankle injury and was still on his crutches during the transition phase.

He recalled the moment and explained that the final year transition for any QB, regardless of their skills and record is difficult and it's hard to find a good team. However, it was Marcus Freeman who believed in him.

“You know, the transfer portal is tough, even for a quarterback of a big name at the time,” Leonard said.

“It’s not easy to go somewhere on, you know, in a wheelchair for really four months. My first four months at Notre Dame, I was in a wheelchair, or crutches for that matter, and had three surgeries that offseason. So it’s hard to lead a team, be the hero of a place that can’t even stand up.”

Last season, Leonard racked up 2,861 yards and scored 21 touchdowns while only throwing eight interceptions. He is expected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.