Riley Leonard's Girlfriend Going Viral Before Orange Bowl
01/09/2025 05:06 PM
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is less than three hours away from the Orange Bowl against Penn State.
Leonard, who transferred to Notre Dame from Duke last offseason, has put together a very solid season for the Fighting Irish. The Fairhope, Ala. native has completed 66.5% of his passes for 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 831 yards and 15 touchdowns, which is a single-season record for rushing TDs by a Notre Dame quarterback. Leonard threw for a touchdown in each of the Irish's first two College Football Playoff games, wins over Indiana and Georgia.
Watching tonight's game intently will be Molly Walding, Leonard's longtime girlfriend. The two high school sweethearts celebrated their seventh anniversary on Dec. 21, one day after Notre Dame beat Indiana in the first round of the CFP.
"Celebrating an Irish win and celebrating 7 years of us!!!!!! I couldn't be more thankful for you @riley.jleonard 🤍," Walding wrote on Instagram.
An Auburn alum and member of the Chi Omega sorority, Walding frequently shares photos of herself and Leonard together.
She has been a regular at his games throughout the season.
Looking ahead, Leonard will need to make some plays with his arm tonight to keep a Penn State defense that is tough against the run honest. The dual-threat QB has been a major weapon with his legs all season, on both designed runs and scrambles.
"I don't understand why I'm hard to tackle, honestly," Leonard said this week. "I don't have very good juke moves. I'm very tall. Not intimidating, at least on the field. But guys just miss. I don't really know why."
The College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl is set for 7:30 p.m. ET tonight from Hard Rock Stadium. ESPN will broadcast the action.
The winner of Notre Dame-Penn State will move on to face either Ohio State or Texas in the national title game in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
Related: Colin Cowherd Taking Heat For His NFL Comparison For Riley Leonard
