While the Notre Dame football team prepares for the fall, there are some defensive players that stand out from the rest. Drayk Bowem is one of the “Alpha Dogs” in Chris Ash’s unit. It appears that Leonard Moore is another.
The Irish defensive coordinator sat down with local media earlier this week and talked about some players who have impressed him the most since his arrival. In that conversation, Ash made it clear he’s seen the same positive traits from Moore as many backers saw in 2024.
Leonard Moore earns 'alpha dog' label as Chris Ash builds Notre Dame’s 2025 secondary
“It took me about three or four plays into the film that I watched when I first got here,” the Notre Dame football DC said about Moore. “It didn’t take long. And then it didn’t take long out of practice. He’s been our boundary corner and there are not a lot of completions over in that area. Usually when it’s a quiet day for someone like that at corner, you know he’s probably pretty good.”
During his conversation with the media, Ash was asked what makes Moore so good at what he does. The defensive coordinator was clear that the real question is what the defensive back can't do.
“It’s everything. I mean, if you were to draw up or write up the characteristics that you want in a corner, he’s got them all. He’s long. He’s athletic. He’s quick. He’s fast. He’s tough. He practices extremely hard. He’s consistently doing the right things. He’s instinctive. When he takes a chance, it’s usually to make a play. And that’s usually what he does. He’s got a short memory.”
The Notre Dame football defensive coordinator has big plans for Moore in 2025. Like Bowen, the Irish will lean on the sophomore defensive back to be an “Alpha Dog” for the secondary. That could lead to an impressive season.