"It was a tough transition for me": Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard shares one thing that helped him overcome his surgery 

New Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has made himself at home in South Bend. The former Duke Blue Devil's arrival to the historic program was followed by surgery on his injured ankle, which took him out of action for some time.

Now fit, Leonard is slowly preparing to take the reigns from former Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman. He will hope to lead the school into the College Football Playoffs.

Leonard spoke with On3.com about his experiences in transitioning from a Duke program that he had been with for most of his career to Notre Dame.

“Yeah, it was good. You know, it’s tough. We’re kids, just like everybody else, like, I’m a kid at a new school that didn’t know anybody. Okay, like, we’re quarterbacks and it’s cool or whatever, but we got to make friends just like everybody else.”

As with the majority of college athletes who do transfer programs, the period of settling into their new school may be a difficult one. More so, if they, like Leonard, do not know anyone at the University.

For Leonard, this transition period may have been much harder due to his almost immediate surgery afterward. Riley Leonard has spoken about his experiences transitioning with his injury.

"So it was kind of a tough transition for me. I got there and had to get surgery, it’s been a lot... But the easiest part has been the family atmosphere at Notre Dame, and the fact I can relate to my teammates so well. Best people in the world, love those guys.”

Will Riley Leonard help Notre Dame?

Riley Leonard is settling into his new team and has been building relationships with his new teammates. But what can he bring to the Fighting Irish?

During his time with Duke, Leonard had a good amount of success. In his three years, Leonard threw for 4,450 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. The majority of these were made during the 2022 season, when Leonard was healthy the whole season.

However, while the Blue Devils are a skilled team, they are overshadowed on the football field by the likes of ACC rivals Florida State, Clemson and Notre Dame.

By moving to the Fighting Irish, Leonard now has access to offensive weapons such as Jaden Greathouse, Kris Mitchell and Mitchell Evans.

The Notre Dame offense may be somewhat weakened by the departure of star running back Audric Estime. But Riley Leonard can provide some stability in this changing offense.

If he does well and wins games, Notre Dame will be ranked in the top 12. This will allow them a spot in the College Football Playoffs. From here, anything could happen, and Riley Leonard could make a run for the national championship.