Riley Leonard officially took his gifts to the pros. And the lucky team to get him on board is the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round as the No. 189th overall pick. A late bloomer from Duke, Riley is now an NFL rookie. But the feat would have been a far-fetched dream for the former Irish QB1 if he hadn’t capped off his season as excellently under Marcus Freeman. He led the team to their first national championship appearance since 1988. Leonard had a combined 27-10 record as the starter for the Blue Devils and the Irish. Imagine losing a gem like him from the locker room. But that was inevitable. A skilled QB isn’t just a showpiece to adorn your roster. If you’re a true mentor, you’ll be like Freeman, beaming with pride right at the moment.
Leonard’s accuracy and arm strength as a passer remain a thing to watch out for, but the former high school basketball star looks to bring a lot of untapped potential to the Colts QB room. His rushing ability has been a highlight of his film, as the QB tied with RB Jeremiah Love in 17 rushing TDs. Leonard served under three offensive systems in as many seasons. In 2024, he completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,861 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns on 184 carries. While it’s too early to comment on his future with the Colts, he will have to compete to get the starting role for sure.
Guess who can’t wait to see him step up in the field as a pro and show the world where he belobngs to! Freeman reacted to the news saying, “Excited to watch you compete!” He sure is and so are we.
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