Mark GiannottoUSA TODAY NETWORK
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It's a quirk neither anticipated after they won so many games together.
Coach Mike Elko and quarterback Riley Leonard used their success at Duke to catapult to the upper echelon of college football. . Leonard is the new starting quarterback at Notre Dame.
And one of them will have to lose their debut Saturday.
in a marquee non conference game to begin the 2024 college football season. ESPN’s “College Gameday” will be in College Station, Texas for this rare matchup and the shared history between Elko and Leonard will be a defining Week 1 storyline.
Here’s everything you need to know about Leonard, Elko and the fascinating dynamic that could decide Saturday’s 2024 college football opener between Texas A&M and Notre Dame:
How to watch, stream Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
The Week 1 non conference game between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 20 Texas A&M will be broadcast nationally on ABC. You can stream the game on WatchESPN, ESPN+ or through a Fubo subscription.
Subscribe to Fubo to watch your favorite teams and games
Why Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame
Leonard accounted for 33 touchdowns in 2022 and had the Blue Devils as high as No. 16 in the national polls before suffering an injury in 2023. Leonard announced on social media in December he would be transferring to Notre Dame. He called the move “a dream come true.”
Leonard’s great-grandfather played football for the Fighting Irish and his favorite movie is “Rudy,” according to ESPN. Notre Dame pegged Leonard as a replacement for Sam Hartman, its one-year quarterback transfer from Wake Forest last season.It was the only school Leonard visited during the transfer process.
Riley Leonard injury update
Leonard, a Fairhope, Alabama native known for his dual threat capabilities, suffered ankle and toe injuries that curtailed his promising 2023 campaign at Duke. Ironically, he initially hurt his ankle in Duke’s 21-14 loss to Notre Dame last September. Leonard returned for two more games before turf toe left him sidelined for the final five games of the Blue Devils’ season.
Leonard underwent a procedure on his ankle in January and then had another surgery that cut short his spring practice in March. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told reporters the second operation was to address a stress fracture that had developed. Leonard declared himself healthy last month ahead of preseason practices and remains on track to start Saturday’s game against Texas A&M.
How Mike Elko replaced Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M
Elko was last November just over two weeks after it fired Jimbo Fisher for a record buyout and a reported pursuit of Kentucky coach Mark Stoops fell through. Elko was a defensive coordinator at Texas A&M under Fisher for four seasons before becoming Duke’s coach in 2022.
Elko led Duke to its best record (9-4) since 2014 in his first season and followed it up with another bowl campaign in 2023 despite Leonard’s absence at the end. Elko previously had successful stints as a defensive coordinator at Notre Dame and Wake Forest. Texas A&M went 34-14 during his time as defensive coordinator, and those ties proved alluring to the Aggies in the wake of their high-profile dismissal of Fisher.
Why Notre Dame is playing Texas A&M to open 2024 season
It's coincidental that Texas A&M is beginning the first year of a home-and-home series with Notre Dame to begin Elko's tenure as the Aggies' head coach. Notre Dame will host Texas A&M in 2025 as part of a contract the two schools signed in 2014. This is just the sixth time they've played in football and the first time since 2001.
“We had set a goal of adding representation from the Southeastern Conference to our future schedules," former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said at the time.
What Riley Leonard, Mike Elko said ahead of Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
“I think it’s interesting and weird and not really something I want to do,” Elko said when asked about facing Leonard at Texas A&M’s news conference earlier this week ahead of Saturday’s game. “But at the end of the day it’s a part of the game. Obviously have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is not just as a player but also as a young man, his family and all of that. It’ll be three hours competing against each other and then the rest of the year rooting for him.”
“I don’t want it to be about me vs. him,” Leonard said of Elko. "Obviously, it’s going to be that way, but I’d rather it be Notre Dame vs. A&M … To be able to play against him, it’s awesome. It’s not just him. It’s a lot of the coaching staff from Duke and it’s a lot of people I’m close with. We’re all extremely competitive. This game means a lot to me. People say every game is the same, but this means a lot to me."
