Riley Leonard Stats Last Night: How good was Notre Dame QB in 2025 CFP national championship?

Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting quarterback Riley Leonard was seemingly impressive in an otherwise lopsided game against the Ohio State Buckeyes coming out on top 34-23 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night.

Here's a closer look at how did he perform on the biggest night of his career.

Riley Leonard's passing performance

Riley Leonard was efficient through the air, completing 22-of-31 pass attempts for 255 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.

Leonard’s longest pass of the night was a 34-yard touchdown strike to standout receiver Jaden Greathouse, who finished with a game-high 128 receiving yards.

Leonard connected with multiple targets, including Mitchell Evans (52 yards) and Beaux Collins (32 yards), keeping the Irish offense moving when it mattered most.

PASSING	CP-ATT-INT	YDS	TD	LONG
Riley Leonard	22-31-0	255	2	34
Steve Angeli	0-1-0	0	0	0
Total	22-32-0	255	2	9

Riley Leonard's rushing contribution

On the ground, Leonard’s rushing game added another dimension to the offense. He carried the ball 17 times for 40 yards and a touchdown, including a long 34-yard scramble.

Although Notre Dame struggled to establish a consistent ground game with their running backs — amassing just 53 rushing yards as a team — Leonard topped the team's running game.

RUSHING	ATT	YDS	TD	LONG
Riley Leonard	17	40	1	34
Jadarian Price	3	13	0	0
Jeremiyah Love	4	3	0	0
Jordan Faison	1	1	0	0
Total	26	53	1	9

Comparing Riley Leonard's offense to Ohio State QB Will Howard

Will Howard's Ohio State dominated the game statistically, outgaining Notre Dame 445 yards to 308 in total offense. The Buckeyes excelled in the rushing game, amassing 214 yards on the ground compared to Notre Dame’s 53, with a 5.2 yards-per-rush average that far outpaced Notre Dame’s 2 yards per rush.

Riley Leonard’s offense struggled to convert third downs consistently, going 5-for-12 compared to Ohio State’s 9-for-12 efficiency. However, Leonard’s leadership on key fourth-down plays (3-for-4 conversions) added another feather.

Riley Leonard's Future: Will he declare for 2025 NFL draft?

The Fighting Irish starting quarterback has no other option than to declare for the 2025 NFL draft given he has exhausted his eligibility. He will be happy knowing he was able to take his team to the biggest game of college football, which will certainly boost his draft stock.