Invisible no more, Duke’s Riley Leonard finds himself among the ACC’s top players

Charlotte-Last year’s ACC Kickoff came and went without Riley Leonard.
An unknown as a guy competing for possible playing time, the sophomore quarterback could have walked through the Westin Hotel all day long and only been recognized by the Duke contingent.
On Wednesday, Leonard strolled into the event after a breakout season that had him fending off other schools who tried to convince him to transfer. He’s now considered one of the ACC’s top quarterbacks, a tick or two below Heisman Trophy candidates in UNC’s Drake Maye and Florida State’s Jordan Travis.
“It’s crazy to think about,” Leonard said Wednesday. “Last year I never knew if I’d play a snap at Duke University. And now this year, people have some of the highest expectations in the country. So it’s really hard to balance the underdog and the expectations coming into this year. But I’m really just trying to stay grounded and stay true to myself this offseason.”
He doesn’t have to dig deep in his memory to find thoughts to keep his head from getting too big. He started one game as a freshman in 2021, a game Duke lost 48-17 at Virginia Tech as part of the winless ACC record that led to the departure of David Cutcliffe and his coaching staff.
Leonard’s face lit up on Wednesday when he was told Duke coach Mike Elko, in a concerted effort to eliminate preconceived notions, has never watched that game film.
“Yeah, do not watch that game,” Leonard said with a laugh. “I think the first drive was good. We had a good first drive. Every drive after that was not too great.”
That’s why, one year ago, Duke was widely considered to have the worst set of quarterbacks in the A.C. Leonard and fellow sophomore Jordan Moore entered fall camp battling for a starting job.
Two weeks in, Elko knew he had something special in Leonard. Moore moved to wide receiver, where he caught an impressive 60 passes for 656 yards with five touchdowns.
“In fall camp, that was where we first saw it with Riley,” Elko said. “He was comfortable with what we were doing. He walked in comfortable and confident, and we really started to see it click with him.”
Leonard led Duke to an improbable 9-4 season by throwing 20 touchdown passes against six interceptions. He completed 63.6% of his throws to amass 2,967 passing yards.
His talent in the running game coupled with that production raised his profile. Leonard led Duke with 699 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
At the Pigskin Preview luncheon last Friday in Cary, North Carolina coach Mack Brown offered impromptu praise by calling Leonard “one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
So, yeah, things are way, way different for Leonard as he enters his junior season.
Maye and Travis are expected to be in New York for the Heisman ceremonies come December. Clemson sophomore Cade Klubnik is hailed as the next big thing after winning MVP honors in the ACC Championship Game last December.
Elko wouldn’t trade his guy for any of them.
“I think the volume of NFL quarterbacks that we see and we play against is really high,” Elko said. “I think we’re really happy to have the guy that we have. I think he is a phenomenal quarterback. He is a tremendous leader. He is an amazing young man.”
Leonard is as committed to Duke as Duke is to him. He proved that by his presence repping the Blue Devils on Wednesday. He could just as easily have been attending another conference’s media days had he utilized the transfer portal to chase promises of NIL riches.
“That was kind of a wild situation,” Leonard said. “But I think the message was pretty clear that that was not gonna go anywhere. Why would I leave this place after how well they treated me and the education? I think that process was in and out for me. It was really nothing.”
That may have been nothing in the end, but Leonard is something now in ACC circles. He and the Blue Devils will be on a national stage when they open the season Sept. 4, Labor Day night, against Clemson on ESPN as the lone college game played that night.
He refuses to get heady about it. He continues to wear a Duke blue wristband with the words “you suck” on it in an effort to maintain the chip he carried on his shoulder last season when expectations for him and the Blue Devils were so low.
His mother, at his insistence since high school, continues to text and call him with that assessment regularly.
“It just gives me some motivation,” Leonard said. “Yeah, it’s a pretty funny tradition we have going.”
It wasn’t as necessary a year ago, but Leonard certainly needs it now.