Riley Leonard's 2024 season was something of a comeback tour from start to finish. He was a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate in his time at Duke, later faltering due to injury and falling off the radar because of the way those issues affected his play.

Riley Leonard opened the national championship game with a do-it-all drive that made it appear the Notre Dame quarterback could win the title by himself. As it turned out, Leonard needed more help.

Notre Dame's Riley Leonard was reportedly "vomiting" on the sideline at the CFP championship game after leading the Irish to an opening drive TD.

Neither QB was ranked in the top 600 nationally. Leonard signed with Duke, Howard with Kansas State. Here's the backstory.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) reacts after a touchdown pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes n the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard 's NFL draft stock has gone through quite a transformation. During his tenure with the Duke Blue Devils, Leonard was briefly mentioned as a potential first-round pick.

Riley Leonard’s health update drew attention after he was seen vomiting on the sideline following Notre Dame’s opening drive in the national championship. The star quarterback’s resilience quickly became a pivotal storyline in their clash against Ohio State.