You see a guy who is 6'4" and 215 pounds, and you think "pro-style pocket passer." Then Riley Leonard tucks the ball. Honestly, if you watched Notre Dame or Duke over the last few years, you know the stat sheet doesn't always tell the whole story, but the Riley Leonard rushing stats from 2024 are legitimately absurd for a modern quarterback.
We aren't just talking about a guy who scrambles when the pocket collapses. We’re talking about a player who functioned as a primary ball carrier in a playoff-caliber offense.
By the time the 2024-25 season wrapped up with that tough loss to Ohio State, Leonard had racked up 906 rushing yards on 184 carries. That isn't a typo. He averaged nearly 57 yards per game on the ground. For context, that’s better than many starting running backs in the Power 4. He finished his collegiate career with 2,130 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. To put that in perspective, he has more career rushing scores than many legendary "dual-threat" icons.
The 2024 Breakout: Breaking Notre Dame Records
When Leonard transferred from Duke to Notre Dame, people wondered if Mike Denbrock would use him like Jayden Daniels. He did. Sorta. While he didn't put up Heisman-winning passing numbers, his legs became the identity of the Irish.
He hit the ground running—literally. In a massive Week 3 blowout of Purdue, he didn't even throw a touchdown pass, yet he dominated the game with 100 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. He followed that up against Miami (OH) with a career-high 143 rushing yards and a 50-yard scoring burst.
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He eventually tied the Notre Dame single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 17 scores. He shares that mantle with Brandon Wimbush, but the way Leonard got there felt different. It was more about vision and sheer physical will than just raw speed.
A Game-by-Game Look at the 2024 Ground Attack
If you want to see the consistency, you have to look at the logs. He wasn't just padding stats against the "cupcakes."
Against No. 15 Louisville, he gutted out 52 yards and a score. When the stakes were highest in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia, he was Notre Dame’s leading rusher with 80 yards. That’s a Kirby Smart defense he was carving up.
- at Texas A&M: 63 yards (5.3 avg)
- vs Miami (OH): 143 yards (11.9 avg, 2 TDs)
- at Navy: 83 yards (1 TD)
- vs Florida St.: 70 yards (2 TDs)
- at Georgia (Sugar Bowl): 80 yards
Even in the National Championship loss to Ohio State, he was forced to carry the rock 17 times. He managed 40 yards and a touchdown against one of the most athletic defensive fronts in the country. You've got to respect the durability, especially considering he was dealing with a nagging ankle issue earlier in his career and a knee scare later in the NFL.
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Why the NFL is Obsessed (and Worried)
Pro scouts look at the Riley Leonard rushing stats and see a Taysom Hill-type floor. He has this "sneaky" athleticism—though "sneaky" is a bit of a stretch when you’re 6'4" and hurdling defenders.
His vision in the open field is what separates him. He doesn't just run to the sideline; he cuts back into traffic like a guy who grew up playing basketball (which he did, and he was a dunking machine in high school).
The downside? The hits. 184 carries in a single college season is a massive workload. By the time he reached the Colts in the NFL, those miles started to show. He suffered a right knee injury in late 2025 while filling in for the Colts, which is the big risk with any QB who relies this heavily on his legs.
The Career Context: Duke vs. Notre Dame
It’s easy to forget he was doing this at Duke too. In 2022, he led the Blue Devils in rushing with 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was one of only three QBs that year (alongside Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye) to hit the 2,900 passing / 600 rushing yard double.
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He didn't just become a runner at Notre Dame; he was refined there. At Duke, he was often running for his life. At Notre Dame, the runs were designed, calculated, and—honestly—lethal.
What This Means for Your Evaluation
If you're looking at Leonard for fantasy or just trying to settle a debate with a buddy, don't focus on the passing yards. He’s never going to be the guy who throws for 4,000 yards. He is a "volume runner" at the quarterback position.
Basically, his value is tied to the "Red Zone." Because he is such a large human, he is almost impossible to stop on a 3rd-and-goal from the 2-yard line. That’s where those 17 touchdowns in 2024 came from.
Actionable Insights for Following Riley Leonard:
- Watch the "Pressure-to-Sack" Ratio: Leonard’s best trait is his ability to turn a potential 10-yard loss into a 4-yard gain with his legs.
- Monitor the Knee/Ankle Updates: His rushing style is physically taxing. In the NFL, his availability will always be a question mark compared to a pure pocket passer.
- Red Zone Usage: If a coach isn't using him in designed run sets inside the 10-yard line, they are wasting his best asset.
- The "Right-Handed Tebow" Comp: Some scouts use this. It’s a bit harsh on his mechanics, but accurate regarding his "will-over-skill" rushing style.
The Riley Leonard rushing stats prove he was one of the most productive dual-threat players of his era. Whether that translates to a long-term NFL starting job depends on if his body can handle the punishment that comes with 10+ carries a game. Regardless, his 2024 season at Notre Dame remains a statistical outlier that likely won't be matched by an Irish QB for a long time.