Notre Dame has one of, if not the best, cornerbacks in college football. According to ESPN, Leonard Moore is more than that. He's one of the best non-quarterback playmakers in the country. That does indeed seem to be another rung above much of the hype that's swirled around the defensive back this offseason.
Adam Rittenberg wrote the article earlier this summer, and he pinpointed every player he believes could be the biggest playmakers in 2026. It’s worth noting that Moore was one of the only players on the list from the defensive side of the ball. And that’s the way it should be.
“Moore's two-year statistical totals are numbers that most college defensive backs would crave for their entire careers. He already has 25 passes defended -- seven interceptions and 18 pass breakups, while adding three forced fumbles -- despite opponents increasingly avoiding him in their passing schemes,” Rittenberg wrote about the Notre Dame defender. “Moore has the quickness and length to shut down top wide receivers and also make plays on the ball when it's thrown his way.”
The most interesting thing about Moore getting on these kinds of lists is that his coaches would rather he didn’t. They would love for him to keep flying under the radar as he did as a true freshman. However, he’s too good for that to really be a realistic desire.
Leonard Moore named one of ESPN’s top non-quarterback playmakers
Moore is so popular and talented that he was featured on one of the covers of EA Sports College Football 27. He’s long been thought of as the best of the best, and he’s only expected to be better in 2026. One reason he's expected to be better is that he’s taking the right approach. Rather than eating up all the praise, he’s talking like a man on a mission.
It’s especially a mission considering he knows what went wrong. He knows that he didn’t start the season off the way he hoped. Even his coaches understand that he wasn’t the guy that he would be later in the season.
"Against Miami, he wasn't Leonard Moore as we know him and as he's capable of being," Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash told ESPN earlier this year. "He knows that, and he's got to make sure this offseason that he elevates his play, he elevates his consistency, and when he's against great competition early on, he's at his best."
Assuming Moore can stay healthy, it certainly appears as though he’s ready to put up one heck of a big 2026 season. He could certainly become one of the best non-quarterback playmakers in the season if he can just put together what’s become his normal kind of campaign.
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