“There’s some goobers in that chat”: Riley Leonard spills the beans on what goes on inside the group chat with Will Howard and other QBs

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is just one game away from becoming a national champion, as his Fighting Irish will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the National Championship game on Monday. Leonard will be up against Will Howard, but the two rivals have stayed in contact through a group chat with other college QBs.

On Thursday, as relayed by beat writer Mike Berardino, Leonard gave some insider information about what happened in the group chat:

"There’s some goobers in that chat. I’m sure Drew Pyne will put some memes in there this week.”

Drew Pyne is the backup quarterback for the Missouri Tigers, which has been a common sight throughout his five years in college football. With the exception of the 2022 season, Pyne was mostly a backup and played sporadically.

Interestingly, the one season where he started as quarterback was for Notre Dame, where he led the team to a 9-4 record in what was Marcus Freeman's first season in charge. Now, Freeman, like Leonard, is close to winning a national championship.

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Riley Leonard is getting texts from Archie Manning

Leonard isn't only receiving messages from his fellow quarterbacks. He has also been in communication with Archie Manning (grandfather of current Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning).

Riley Leonard said on the "Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday:

"We've actually been texting every day since the Sugar Bowl, which is down there in New Orleans. He's just a great guy, and after every text, he does, in fact, do that. Every single time, even if it's a two-minute separation from text to text. ... He's been sending me pictures of like me and Will Howard at the Manning camp for awhile." (3:40)

Archie Manning has also mentioned the connection between Riley Leonard and Will Howard. The two were roommates at the Manning Passing Academy and have had a similar career trajectory, with both transferring to their respective schools this season.