In the first year that a 12-team playoff will determine a college football national champion, Baldwin County will be represented on one of the main stages.

Riley Leonard, an all-state standout in his time as a Fairhope Pirate, helped the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to an 11-1 overall record following Saturday’s 49-35 win over USC. With a top-10 spot in the first four College Football Playoff rankings, Notre Dame’s playoff resume was locked in with its regular-season finale victory ahead of the final poll’s release date of Dec. 8.

Numbers talk

Now in his senior season with the Fighting Irish after three years at Duke, Leonard has gone out with a bang after he amassed 2,092 passing yards on 194 completions with 16 touchdowns against 5 interceptions to go along with 721 rushing yards on 124 carries with 14 touchdowns over 12 games. Leonard had the fifth-most rushing touchdowns scored by an FBS quarterback through Week 14 and his 30 total touchdowns ranked 15th in points responsible for with 180.

In Saturday’s win over USC, Leonard threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 17 completions to eight receivers to help Notre Dame punt only twice. On the ground, he registered 50 yards to help the Fighting Irish rack up 259 rushing yards which marked the most rushing yards at the Los Angeles Coliseum since 1996 (260 yards) and the most against the Trojans since 2019 (308 yards).

Playoff picture developing

With the top four seeds and first-round byes reserved for the champions of the Power 4 conferences, independent teams that don’t play in a conference like Notre Dame could only earn seeds five through 12. But with a No. 4 ranking in the most recent AP Poll, the Fighting Irish could be in position to host a first-round playoff game in the inaugural season of the new format.

Moments after Notre Dame secured its win over USC Saturday afternoon, Leonard was asked by CBS Sports’ Jenny Dell, “Why can this team go all the way?”

“I think we’ve showcased it every single week. I think we’re an electric team that complements each other on both sides of the ball,” Leonard said Saturday. “I don’t know, we’ll see. We’re going to enjoy this win, and what a blessing God has blessed us with in California.”

Senior season set to finish at home

No matter what the College Football Playoff holds, Leonard will finish his collegiate career back in Lower Alabama after he accepted his invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. The longest continual-running all-star game in the country calls Mobile its home which is only a short drive away from Leonard’s hometown.

Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy shared a special Thanksgiving message featuring the former Fairhope Pirate who delivered some breaking news.

“This is a time to be give thanks and I’m grateful for so many things in my life like my family, friends and teammates,” Leonard said on Thursday. “I’m also incredibly grateful to receive an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. As a kid from Fairhope, Alabama, I grew up going to the game and having a chance to play in it is truly a blessing. So, I’ll see you guys in Mobile.”

The Senior Bowl is set to kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2025, at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama.