Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM DECEMBER 2024 17 son — has still impressively found a way to spread the wealth among his receiv- ers, which dilutes the individual stats but makes life difficult for opposing defenses. Through the regular season, Notre Dame quarterbacks led by Leonard had connected with at least nine different receivers in the same game eight times in 12 outings. And that includes five of the final seven games as Leonard grew in the offense, which all helps to illustrate his steady season-long improvement. "It definitely makes it interesting, right?" Denbrock said of trying to de- fend the diverse Irish passing game. "It's hard to say you have a go-to guy, and I think that's a good thing in a lot of ways." As a striking comparison, in its 13 games last season, only four times did Notre Dame have nine or more receiv- ers catch a pass in the same game. And that was with gun-slinging quarter- back Sam Hartman working in a pass- happy offense. Hartman's 2023 Irish offense aver- aged 48.4 more passing yards per game than Leonard's Irish in 2024. Call it balance or a deficiency, but through 11 games this season, no Irish pass catcher had more than 5 receptions or had tallied 100 receiving yards in a single game. With Hartman under center, Notre Dame had a pass catcher reach the 100-yard receiving mark four times last season. To further illustrate Leonard's target- ing balance, 12 different Irish receivers had a touchdown catch this season, but none had more than two. CHECKING EGOS Setting aside the fact that Notre Dame doesn't have a player who ranks among the top 200 nationally in receiving yards or receptions per game, the Irish pass catchers are all quick to celebrate Denbrock's effective by-committee ap- proach, and Leonard's execution of it. Graduate student Jayden Harrison said Notre Dame's deep and talented group of wide receivers allows Leon- ard to "pick his poison," when target hunting. "He's a heck of a quarterback," Har- rison said. "He makes all the right reads, and all of us are playmakers." Leonard concurred. "I don't even have to look out there and see who [the receiver] is because I know these guys can all make plays, no matter what," Leonard explained. "So, I'm not really worried about who's out there. As long as they're wearing my color jersey, they're going to make a play for me." With 232 career catches, 4,035 receiv- ing yards and 53 touchdowns during his career at Westlake High School in Aus- tin, Texas, Irish sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse spent four years there as the center of offensive attention. But at Notre Dame this season, that hasn't necessarily been the case. With Leonard spreading the ball around, Greathouse was averaging only 2.2 catches a game through 12 contests. And that's just fine with him. "This is a position I've never really been in before in my football career, and it's definitely taken some adjustment," Greathouse said of his more comple- mentary role at Notre Dame this year. "But playing to my role, and trying to do whatever it takes to help the team win, that's my primary focus, and it's been working so far." Like Greathouse, Leonard also cel- ebrated the unselfishness of his receiv- ers, explaining that while his 14 rushing touchdowns could've brought an envi- ous "here we go again with Riley," atti- tude every time the Irish moved into an opponent's red zone, that hasn't been the case. "The receivers are the first ones in the end zone celebrating with me," Leonard said. "It kind of goes to the integrity of this group. They're awesome." When asked about the talented depth on the Irish receiving corps, and the challenges of staying patient when a pass might not be coming on this play, or even in this game, Harrison said it's a reflec- tion of the all-for-one team culture built by head coach Marcus Freeman. "Coach Free always talks about stay- ing in the moment, win the moment, no matter what it is, no matter how it's going," Harrison said. "Stay in the mo- ment, win the moment, reload. So it really comes naturally for us." ✦ Through 12 contests, sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse was averaging only 2.2 catches a game. And that was just fine with him. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER