The 2025 Senior Bowl will provide an opportunity for NFL draft prospects to prove themselves on the largest pre-draft stage. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard plans on taking full advantage. Leonard recently spoke exclusively with the Senior Bowl and Draft Network to discuss his motivation for accepting his invitation to compete in Mobile, Alabama.
Leonard also discussed what he's striving to prove to NFL general managers and scouts in attendance at the Senior Bowl, his abilities as a dual-threat QB, how he’d write his own scouting report, and more. Let's get to know Leonard better ahead of his journey to the Senior Bowl.
JM: Where were you when you found out about your Senior Bowl invite and what was your initial reaction?
Riley Leonard: The GM of Notre Dame, if you will, called me into his office. He offered me a little present (laughs). I opened it up and it was my Reese’s Senior Bowl invite box. It’s one of the greatest honors I could ask for. Being a kid from Fairhope, Alabama, my name will now forever be attached to the Senior Bowl.
It’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I don’t take it lightly and I won’t take it for granted.
JM: That’s so special. It doesn’t sound like it took much, but what motivated you to accept the Senior Bowl’s offer?
Riley Leonard: Accepting the invite was probably the easiest decision I’ve ever made (laughs). How could I turn it down? Any opportunity I get to play another down of football, I’m going to take it. I didn’t need much motivation at all (laughs).
JM: We love that. What are you hoping to prove to NFL general managers, coaching staffs, and scouts in attendance in Mobile?
Riley Leonard: I think I still have a lot to prove. I love competition first and foremost. I pride myself on winning. A lot of people count me out, but there’s nothing I love more than proving people wrong. I’ve done that throughout my entire career.
That’s how I responded to an early loss [to Northern Illinois] this season. I had multiple surgeries this past offseason. A lot of people didn’t believe I’d be as effective as an athlete as I’ve been this season.
Any chance I get to prove people wrong and compete, sign me up for that. I’ll be on the front lines.
JM: Your mentality is special. How would you describe your overall skill set as a quarterback? Self-scout yourself for me.
Riley Leonard: I believe I can be whatever the game needs me to be. If I need to be a game manager and play situational football, smart football, I can do that. If I need to make a play with my legs, I can definitely do that as well. I can read the defense and pick it apart if that’s what I need to do.
I can take what the defense gives me, whatever the game calls for. I think you’ve seen different variations of me as needed. It all depends on how the game is flowing. I think I’m a very versatile quarterback.
I still have a lot of potential. I have so much more to explore. One of my biggest fears is never reaching that. I know there’s more for me. That fear brings extra motivation and urgency to get better.
I’m just starting to see the type of quarterback I could become. I have a lot of upside, but I still have a lot to work on.
JM: The dual-threat skill set is so much fun on tape. That’s so important in today’s league.
Riley Leonard: For sure. Being able to extend plays and make guys miss, avoiding sacks, and staying ahead of the chains, it’s huge in today’s game. I think I do a great job of not getting sacked and protecting the football.
I know where my hots are and I know how to make protection adjustments. I’m an athlete under center. It’s something NFL GMs are looking for at the next level.
JM: If you had to compare yourself to a current NFL quarterback, who would you choose and why?
Riley Leonard: I think about this a lot. I think Josh Allen would be a good comparison with how he plays the game. He’s confident and he’s not afraid to make a play when other quarterbacks probably wouldn’t. He’s a competitor. He doesn’t give up on plays. I really admire and respect that a lot.
I had people come up to me after the Georgia game this season and ask me why I was willing to put my body on the line. I’m just a competitor. I’m willing to go some places other quarterbacks don’t. I think it’s crazy that it’s [putting my body on the line] not considered the norm.
I’m just competitive with a will to win. That’s what I do. Josh Allen does a great job exemplifying what an old-school gritty quarterback is supposed to look like.
JM: He sure does. Speaking of players you admire, is there anyone you’re looking forward to swapping jerseys with at the next level?
Riley Leonard: Probably my teammates throughout my college career. One of my proudest moments is seeing Graham Barton, my left tackle at Duke out there having a great season playing with Baker Mayfield.
I’d love to swap jerseys with the players I came up with. Other than that, there aren’t many names on my list.
JM: Fun question before we let you go. What’s on Riley Leonard’s pre-game playlist?
Riley Leonard: It’s very versatile. Whatever flows. I don’t force it. However I’m feeling, I’m going to turn that music on. I have different playlists for different moods. I definitely like my Christian music. I don’t mind turning on whatever comes to me. It doesn’t matter. I’m not superstitious in any way.
JM: This has been awesome. At the end of the week, what does a successful Senior Bowl look like for Riley Leonard?
Riley Leonard: A win. I’m going down there to win. My goal in life is to win as many football games as possible. I don’t care what the stats look like. My job is to win the football game. The ball is in my hands every single play. Winning is all that matters to me.
