Nevertheless, Leonard didn’t have to think very long about where he wanted to go. He’d grown up a fan of Notre Dame — his great-grandfather, James Curran, played for the Fighting Irish in the 1940s — and committed in mid-December.

He’s been somebody who’s led by example,” the Irish QB said of his grandfather. “A lot of the lessons I’ve learned have come from him."

Both quarterbacks knew their final season of college football could still be a special one even after their teams endured difficult setbacks.