While some college football fans have gotten familiar with Riley Leonard during his run as Notre Dame‘s starting quarterback this season, many learned of him during his time as Duke’s signal-caller. Very few, however, are completely familiar with Leonard’s time as a star athlete at Alabama’s Fairhope High School.

According to 247Sports, Leonard was a three-star recruit and the 58th-ranked quarterback in the high school class of 2021. The flashes of athleticism he showed on the field resulted in scholarship offers from Duke, Nebraska, Ole Miss, and Tulane, among other notable football programs.

With that in mind, Leonard’s athleticism was not bound by the lines on the gridiron, as he was a two-sport star during his prep years. Learn more about the ways Leonard displayed his dynamic abilities during his high school years.

SN’s PLAYOFF HQ: Live CFP scores | Updated CFP bracket | Full CFP schedule

Did Riley Leonard play basketball?

Leonard played basketball in high school. He wasn’t just a member of Fairhope’s varsity basketball team, he was a standout.

As a junior, Leonard averaged 20.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, numbers good enough to earn recognition as one of three finalists for Class 7A Player of the Year honors in Alabama. 

Among Division I programs that offered Leonard a scholarship to continue his basketball career were Missouri State, North Alabama, Samford, and St. Mary’s. Leonard’s feel for the game makes sense when considering his father played collegiately at The Citadel and his uncle played at Georgetown.

And while Leonard ultimately chose the football path, there was a legitimate discussion of whether or not he would pursue basketball collegiately instead of playing quarterback.

“It’s probably 75-25 football right now,” Leonard said during his junior year in 2020.

“What can I say after these past couple of days? I would be stupid not to say football. My basketball recruitment could pick up after AAU season and maybe that will change some things, but right now I can tell you — finally, after three years or so — that I’m leaning toward football.”

In a post on his website from February 2024, Leonard shed more light on his story, explaining that “Up until the end of high school, I thought basketball would be my main sport.”

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the 2020 AAU season ultimately impacted Leonard’s ability to improve his stock as a basketball recruit, causing him to focus on football.

“When Covid hit during my junior year of high school, I didn’t have a chance to get out and play on the [Nike Elite Youth Basketball League] circuit and ended up staying home and getting more work in as a quarterback,” Leonard wrote in the journal entry titled “My Story.“

As he is now one of eight quarterbacks with a chance to lead their team to the 2024 national championship, it’s safe to say Leonard made the correct decision.

MORE: Carson Beck out for College Football Playoff after undergoing elbow surgery

Riley Leonard basketball highlights

Leonard made things happen on the court during his junior year. Here are some highlights from a holiday tournament in January 2020.

MORE NOTRE DAME NEWS