Duke football quarterback Riley Leonard (Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke Football Star Riley Leonard Pens Goodbye to Blue Devils
Former Duke football head coach Mike Elko, who bolted Durham for College Station, Texas, in the middle of the night earlier this week to accept the Texas A&M job, wasn't the only nationally recognized face of the Blue Devils' turnaround these past two years. The other was quarterback Riley Leonard.
But like his coach, Leonard won't be part of the Blue Devils' plans moving forward. On Wednesday afternoon, reports surfaced of his intention to enter the transfer portal.
Around the same time as those reports, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior thanked Duke in a Instagram post. He included a heartfelt letter about his time in Durham, showing immense appreciation for his teammates, coaches, and fans (in other words, handling the situation far better than Elko):
If not for injuries dampening and eventually ending his campaign this go-round, there's no telling how many wins the Blue Devils (finished the regular season at 7-5) would have amassed with a fully healthy Riley Leonard under center.
After all, Duke began the year 4-0, including a home win over then-No. 9 Clemson in the season opener, and sat at No. 17 in the country at the time.
The Blue Devils appeared arguably more capable of greatness than in any of the past 60 seasons in Durham when the 21-year-old from Fairhope, Ala., sustained an ankle injury on the decisive play in a 21-14 College GameDay home loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 30.
And the ultra-competitive dual-threat Leonard, who guided the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record in Elko's first year at the helm, was only growing as a winner and leader, although his numbers weren't quite as impressive as in 2022.
As a sophomore, he threw for almost 3,000 yards, totaling 20 touchdowns through the air and only six interceptions, not to mention his 699 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Riley Leonard hasn't revealed any potential destinations. However, Notre Dame feels like the frontrunner.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke football news.
