It has been a week of turmoil for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After the upset loss to NIU, many are questioning what the future of the Irish will look like. Lots of these questions have centered around transfer quarterback Riley Leonard. Questions like whether or not it was a mistake for Notre Dame to bring him in. Or, if Leonard should still be the starter going forward. This question has been amplified due to the reports that have come out over the past week.
News came out Tuesday morning that Leonard is currently dealing with an injury. After the loss to NIU, Leonard went for an MRI after suffering an injury to his left shoulder. The MRI revealed that there was an injury to his posterior labrum. However, the injury isn’t serious enough to sideline him and it’s up to him and the coaching staff to decide if he should play or not. However, what would be the best decision for Notre Dame?
Why Leonard Should Still Be the Starter
The biggest reason why Leonard should still be the starter is the sample size for Leonard has been small. Leonard has only started two games for the Irish. Now, his stats haven’t looked great only completing 38 passes for 321 yards and two interceptions. However, this could just be a growing pain for the transfer quarterback. There is an adjustment going from a smaller school like Duke to one of the biggest brands in Notre Dame. On top of that, he missed a chunk of time during the spring due to his ankle injury. So, this slow start could just be him getting used to playing for Notre Dame and he just needs to play throw it.
Another reason for him to start is the Irish aren’t eliminated from the playoffs. With the 12-team playoff, even an ugly loss to NIU doesn’t end a team season like it did in the past. Especially if you have a quality win like the Irish did beating Texas A&M. If Notre Dame gets hot and wins out the rest of the season, it would be impossible for them not to make the playoff. And the quarterback who gives you the best chance is Leonard. Despite the injury, Leonard still has the athleticism and grittiness to lead this Irish team to a special season.
Why He Shouldn’t Be The Starter Anymore
The reasons for Leonard not starting anymore have to do more with the offense as a whole. The injury just provides an easier excuse for the Irish to move on from Leonard without it becoming an overblown national story. As it stands right now, this Irish offense has been really bad so far. Most of the problems and complaints people have had to do with the passing game. Notre Dame has yet to throw for a passing touchdown this season and doesn’t seem to have explosive potential. A change at quarterback would send a message to the offense. It could be the shake-up this team needs to get the offense able to compete against the best schools in the country.
Notre Dame also has three backup quarterbacks who have more upside than Leonard. Steve Angeli is the most likely guy to get the nod if Leonard goes to the bench. Angeli impressed in last year’s Sun Bowl victory. The New Jersey native completed 15 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns in the Irish 40-8 victory. Angeli showed that when he’s on the field the offensive has the potential to change the game in one play. The Irish also have two former four-star recruits in Cj Carr and Kenny Minchey. Both of them have a lot of potential and have been described as the future of the program. If the Irish want to re-tool the program, we might be seeing these two audition the rest of the season for the starting job.
Brian Germinaro is a sportswriter for Belly Up Sports. Follow him on Twitter/X for more sports coverage and Belly Up Sports for even more college football content. Feature image credit: Icon Sportswire
