SOUTH BEND — Former Notre Dame football quarterback Riley Leonard, fresh off a 16-game season and a runner-up finish in the College Football Playoff, wants to show he can go deep.
Leonard intends to throw at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, but he will save the sprinting and other on-field testing for Notre Dame’s pro day sometime in March.
“One thing I want to showcase is my ability to extend the ball down the field,” Leonard said Friday. “You probably don’t see that as much on tape, but that’s something I’ve really been working on.”
Back home in Mobile, Ala., working with his trainers at QB Country, Leonard went straight from the Senior Bowl to sharpening his passing mechanics. Those social media clips showing Leonard as he flings an oversized medicine ball against the wall aren’t just for show.
“A lot of people think my arm might be a little bit weaker,” Leonard said, “but all that matters is that I think I have a strong arm. I’m ready to prove a lot of people wrong.”
Considered a mid-round pick in most pre-draft projections at this point, Leonard went 6 of 7, passing for 54 yards in the Senior Bowl on Feb. 1. That exhibition took place just 12 days after the CFP final against Ohio State, a 34-23 Notre Dame loss.
“One thing I wish I could have showcased more (in college) is probably the deep ball, extending the ball down the field,” Leonard said. “There were a lot of games this year where my job is to win the football game. There were games where we didn’t have to (throw deep).
“That was perfectly fine with me. I’m not an ego guy. I’m not worried about stats or anything like that. My job is to win the football game. Hopefully, I’ll be able to showcase the deep ball.”
Rated No. 108 among Pro Football Focus’s top 200 draft prospects and sixth at his position, Leonard clocked in behind fellow quarterbacks Cam Ward (Miami), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), and Will Howard (Ohio State).
According to PFF data, Leonard completed 20 of 43 passes last season that carried at least 20-plus yards downfield. His deep-passing grade of 91.6 ranked 32nd among all FBS quarterbacks with at least 25 such attempts, slotting him in between well-regarded draft prospects Tyler Shough (Louisville) and Kurtis Rourke (Indiana).
Leonard, however, was credited with just 16 big-time throws, accounting for 30.2% of his total attempts. McCord had twice as many big-time throws, which represented 35.2% of his attempts.
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When someone mentioned that the new Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll likes to run the ball with his quarterbacks, most notably Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson, when they were in Seattle together, Leonard made a point of noting his dual-threat abilities.
“I don’t mind throwing it either,” he said. “That’s one thing I want to prove to everybody.”
Leonard also intends to show his quickness as a drop-back passer in Saturday’s throwing session.
“My two-minute tape is really good because it gets me playing fast, gets the ball out of my hands and playing fast with my feet,” he said. “Anytime we’re down and we need to have a fast drive, playing on time really helps me out a lot. Playing in the NFL offense complements that because you’re playing some under center and you’re taking these longer, quicker drops.”
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Leonard also showed his ability to go deep from a philosophical standpoint. That part of his scouting profile has never been in question.
He even cited Henry Ford, the late industrialist and founder of Ford Motor Company.
“Whether you think you can or you can’t do something, you’re right,” Leonard said. “When you believe that you can do something, you’re the only person that can stop yourself from doing it. … I think having a strong mind and believing in yourself is probably the most powerful thing you can do in this world.”
Until Leonard learns where he’ll start his pro career, he’s in the admittedly uncomfortable mode of self-description and personal goals.
“My job is to sell myself to all these coaches and prove to them why they should pick me, which doesn’t really come naturally for me,” he said. “I’m a guy who wants to let my actions lead, not my words. At the combine, you’re having to exalt yourself a little bit.”
He has a nightly routine to counteract that.
“I have to remind myself: ‘Humble yourself, kid,’ ” Leonard said. “That’s probably the biggest learning experience for me, and I’m not sure if I have it quite yet, but I’m looking to grow.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Former Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard wants to show he can throw deep
