It was a Monday night to remember for the Duke football program. The Blue Devils waxed conference rival and college superpower Clemson, 28-7. Quarterback Riley Leonard, No. 8 in the preseason QB draft rankings, led the way with an effective, poised performance that will only help his draft stock.
Duke runs a shotgun spread style of offense with a lot of bunched receiver concepts, layering multiple route options that are designed to create quick, obvious throwing lanes. It demands Leonard to quickly progress through his options, both pre-snap and post-snap.
Leonard did that very well against Clemson. One thing that stood out: the ball comes out fast. No double-clutching, no hesitation; see the throw, make the throw. It’s akin to watching Joe Burrow at LSU or Kenny Pickett at Pittsburgh with the trust in the system and the receivers.
Ball placement was good-not-great from Leonard. A couple of shorter throws wound up being a little behind optimal placement. By my count, he missed two completions due to inaccuracy. Not all incompletions are the same, with some being passes that are leveraging against coverage, or the play just isn’t there. Pinpoint ball placement and timing with open receivers is where I’m looking here. Leonard isn’t missing, but rather making his receivers work a little more than they have to at times. Clemson’s defensive speed might’ve had something to do with that, too.
Leonard showed his athleticism and escapability a few times, too. He’s 6-foot-4 and has a long stride when he runs. Leonard doesn’t accelerate quickly, but he did show balance and strength through contact, most notably on a long scamper up the right sideline that he created by running through an arm tackle. It’s reminiscent of early Ben Roethlisberger, though Leonard isn’t that thickly built.
Overall, it was an impressive display. Leonard’s poise and steadiness will definitely appeal, as will his ability to quickly process the field and deliver.
