“Not really something I want to do” - Texas A&M HC Mike Elko opens up about playing against former QB Riley Leonard

Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman named Riley Leonard his starting quarterback for the upcoming college football season. The first team Leonard will have to face, the Texas A&M Aggies, is coached by his former Duke Blue Devils coach, Mike Elko, who took over from the sacked Jimbo Fisher.

During Monday's news conference ahead of the game pitting his side against Riley's Fighting Irish, Elko addressed the question of facing his former quarterback.

"It is interesting, weird and not really something I want to do," said Elko. "But at the end of the day, it is part of the game. I have a tremendous amount of respect for who he (Riley Leonard) is, not just as a player but also as a young man. I have respect for his family. It will be three hours competing against each other, and the rest of the year rooting for him."

It wasn't the first time Elko talked about Fighting Irish QB Riley Leonard. During the SEC (Southeastern Conference) media days a few weeks ago, the question came up quite a bit and the Aggies coach had a cheeky reply.

"I am amazed I have gotten this far and this is the first time this question has been asked of me," said Elko. "Him (Riley Leonard) and I have joked about trying to come up with some type of scripted answer."

Riley Leonard shares deep history with Mike Elko

Riley Leonard and Mike Elko have a deep-seated bond, with the former committing to play for the latter in 2021 without ever visiting the program due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leonard, who attended Fairhope High School, chose the Blue Devils over offers from programs like the Ole Miss Rebels and the Tulane Green Wave. Under Elko, Leonard started his first game against the Virginia Tech Hokies as a true freshman and he ended up playing 27 games for Duke.

During Monday's news conference, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback who was named the replacement of Sam Hartman spoke about the bond that he shares with Mike Elko.

“I know it’s the political answer, but it’s a genuine answer,” Leonard said. “I don’t want it to be about me vs. him (Elko). Obviously, it’s going to be that way, but I’d rather it be Notre Dame vs. A&M.

“To be able to play against him, it’s awesome. It’s not just him. It’s a lot of the coaching staff from Duke and it’s a lot of people I’m close with. We’re all extremely competitive. This game means a lot to me. People say every game is the same, but this means a lot to me. I don’t want to make it about me vs. Elko.”

Both Riley Leonard and Mike Elko will be hoping for a new start at their new programs to kickstart the 2024 college football season.