When I was the 7th seed notre dame fighting irish (14-1) Showdown with the 8th seed ohio Buckeyes (13-2) The impact of the transfer portal that took place Monday night in Atlanta will be evident at the quarterback position for both programs.
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard transferred to the Fighting Irish this offseason via Duke University, and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard came to the Buckeyes from the same school. Kansas. It's hard to imagine this being a National Championship matchup without Leonard and Howard.
Leonard has been a huge catalyst for Notre Dame's offense, beating teams with both his arm and his legs, throwing for 2,606 yards, 19 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 66.4 completion percentage and 15th in the nation with a QBR of 77.7. He has a record of ranking. Leonard is deadly as a runner, which allows him to move around and keep defenses off balance. The 6-foot-4, 216 quarterback had 866 yards and 16 rushing scores this season.
Howard had a great year for the Buckeyes, ranking second in the nation with 3,779 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, a 72.6 completion percentage and 87.6 QBR.
Leonard and Howard are excellent college quarterbacks, but both have been eliminated from consideration at various points in their careers, and experts view both quarterbacks as lower-tier NFL Draft candidates. CBS Sports Leonard and Howard sit at the bottom of the 2025 NFL Draft quarterback rankings at No. 8 and No. 9.
What makes Leonard and Howard's career trajectories even more interesting is that they met two years ago at Manning Passing Academy and were roommates at the same camp in early 2024.
“When we met at Manning camp two years ago, we both felt like underdogs, and a lot of people were singling us out.” leonard said. “So what we're here now is that those conversations are turning out really great.”
Howard was recently asked about how many experts believe he will be drafted on the third day of the draft, and based on his response, Howard has heard the criticism and seems to accept it. .
“You know, obviously people say things and I feel like no one wants to praise me, but I love it. Keep it up.” Howard said this week. “I'm going to get as much motivation as I can. I love the guys that challenge me and this team because it puts a chip on our shoulder and maintains that edge. And I I think when we play like that, when we play a little bit pissed off and get some hurt on our shoulders, it's good for us.”
Leonard has a similar mentality to Howard going into Monday's matchup.
“I love being the underdog.” leonard said. “I love it, I love it. I love it. Nothing motivates me more than seeing certain things said or certain things spread.”
Leonard and Howard are underdogs, but players on opposing teams believe opposing quarterbacks don't get enough credit.
- Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer on Riley Leonard: “I don't think Riley Leonard gets enough credit for the way he throws the ball,” Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer said during Saturday's media day.
- Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman talks about Will Howard: “I think he's an elite guy who can make the right decisions. He has good hands and can extend plays with his legs. He takes care of the football, which all great quarterbacks have. Characteristic, this moment is not that big for him. We know he will be ready to leave on Monday, and he presents a big challenge.”
Whether Ohio State hoists the national championship trophy or Notre Dame wins, either Leonard or Howard will likely be the main reason the team won.
