Marcus Freeman gets real about Riley Leonard’s contribution to Notre Dame’s playoff surge despite missing crucial camp

After nine consecutive wins, Marcus Vrijman and his team are all set to take on the rival USC Trojans. Fighting Irish will enter the game with a solid 10-1 record with the sole intention of winning and solidifying their place in the playoffs.

Look, the Notre Dame quarterback has a legacy of excelling in college football and Riley Leonard continued the legacy by leading the team in the right direction and helping them to a #5 seed in the College Football Playoffs.

On November 30, the CBS Sports College Football X account shared Marcus Vrijman‘s interview just before they entered the rivalry game, while in prime position for a potential CFB berth. Freeman couldn’t help but appreciate his new starting quarterback, saying: “I think this season is a great reflection of Riley Leonard’s progress.” Well, it is. How can a quarterback join Notre Dame and not shine? The former Duke player has improved tremendously this season and his biggest asset is his speed.

Marcus further added: “He didn’t get the spring and summer development you normally get when you’re the starting quarterback. And going into the first game of the year, he played well enough to help us win. And now he’s playing with so much confidence and leading.”

This season, Leonard has played 38 games with the Blue Devils and Notre Dame’s records are exceptional. He has passed for 6,387 yards and scored just 38 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Not only that, he has rushed for 1,895 yards and 32 touchdowns. Riley is very determined and has extraordinary skills. His dual-threat capabilities make him standout and from Marcus Freeman’s statements, it’s clear he’s lucky to have him on the team.

Going forward, let’s see what USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said about Riley Leonard before facing him and the team.

Riley Leonard vs. USC Trojans

This season has been a roller coaster ride for Riley and the Trojans; it didn’t go as expected. While they don’t have much to lose coming into the game with a 6-5 record, their playoff hopes were shattered last week. They have a lot more to prove to the college football world when they play their rivals, Notre Dame. But what could be their biggest threat?

The answer is Riley Leonard! Earlier this week, D’Anton Lynn made it clear that stopping Riley’s run game could be a problem for them. “He’s very, very fast,” he added, ‘And he’s so tall that he doesn’t look that fast on tape. But he covers a lot of ground.” He also said he stopped him on third down and in the red zone”will be critical.”

This shows Leonard’s improvement with Notre Dame and his game-winning skills. Although USC is out of the 2024 race, they certainly won’t give up victory easily as they play their rivals. Meanwhile, Riley and the head coach clearly understand the importance of winning as they strive to win the national championship. Who do you think will win: Trojans OR Notre Dame?