Notre Dame sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore is as consistent as they come. The former three-star recruit seems to put on a five-star clinic every time he dons the gold helmet. After an impressive freshman campaign in which he recorded a team-high 11 pass breakups and was named the PWFA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, Moore has progressed to new heights in 2025 through a sharp attention to detail.
“You want your coach to be able to say you go out there and guard that man and don’t let him touch the ball. That’s something I take a lot of pride in: not letting my man catch the ball,” Moore said.
So far, Moore has done just that. Against speedy USC wideout Makai Lemon, who is projected to be one of the most highly-coveted wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft, Moore was lockdown. Notre Dame’s golden goose in the secondary played out of position and only allowed Lemon to record 28 yards against him. The performance drew national praise from pundits and fans alike.
But for Moore, he isn’t content with dwelling on his stellar showing against the Irish’s bitter rival. Instead, he’s focused on remedying his mistakes against Boston College. Despite recording five tackles, Moore was beaten in man coverage by Reed Harris due to a slip as he backpedaled in pursuit of a lofted pass into the end zone. The play resulted in Boston College’s lone touchdown of the game.
“I didn’t make him earn it, to be honest. That one stung, for sure. Obviously, I slipped going into the end zone. I thought I was going to have an interception,” Moore said.
Later in the game, Moore had another chance for an interception but wasn’t able to haul it in.
“You want every ball that goes up in the air to be yours. Obviously you got to go to the next play, but something I never want to do is drop an interception,” Moore said.
Now set to face a Navy offense that boasts one of the most distinctive systems in college football, Moore is adamant on getting back to his usual, shut-down coverage self.
“Navy presents a challenge because of the triple-option stuff. You don’t really expect it but then the ball will be right there in front of your face, so you got to be ready to come down and make some hits,” Moore said.
That constant readiness will play a large factor in the Irish’s scheme to silence a Navy offense that has been humming all season long. Led by star senior quarterback Blake Horvath, the Midshipmen have totaled 466.3 yards of total offense per game. While the bulk of those yards come from the Midshipmen’s nation-leading rushing attack, the Midshipmen also always have a trick up its sleeve through the air. It’s for that reason Horvath was able to sling for 339 yards against Air Force in early October.
In that game against the Falcons, Horvath’s right-hand man Eli Heidenreich caught for a school-record 243 yards and three touchdowns. Standing at an even 6-feet tall, Heidenreich poses a threat to the Irish defense thanks to his unique blend of size, speed and strength. In addition to his sublime route-running, Heidenreich has chipped in for 342 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season.
Between Horvath’s running capability and Heidenreich’s do-it-all style, Moore will have his hands full. However, if he plays anything like last year, the mountain of a challenge won’t be too steep for Moore to climb.
In Notre Dame’s 51-14 thrashing of the Midshipmen a season ago, Moore made a leaping interception in the end zone. With the Irish already up big early in the fourth quarter, Moore’s interception squandered any chance Navy had to do the improbable and mount a comeback.
It’s moments like those that make Moore a leader in the locker-room. Despite being an underclassman, Moore has lined up in man-coverage 56.3% of the total snaps he’s played – tied for the national-lead alongside Irish teammate junior Christian Gray. The trust placed in Moore by the staff speaks volumes to the type of player he is.
Moore stated that defenses “want you to fall asleep.” With four games left in the regular season and the Irish firmly in “win-out or go home position,” it’s safe to say that Moore is wide awake.
