Notre Dame Star Leonard Moore Named PFF's No. 1 Returning Corner In 2026
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Notre Dame's defense is loaded with star power potential. The one certified national star they have returning is cornerback Leonard Moore who we believe is the best cornerback in the country. We're not alone in that line of thinking. Moore has been named the No. 1 overall defender in college football by ESPN. Recently, Max Chadwick at PFF ranked him as the top returning cornerback in the country.
"Moore's first two seasons have been better than those of any cornerback in the PFF College era," Chadwick explained. "According to PFF's wins above average metric, he ranked as the third-most valuable cornerback in the nation as a true freshman in 2024, trailing only 2025 first-round picks Travis Hunter and Jahdae Barron.
"Moore earned a nation-leading 91.8 PFF grade as a sophomore and was PFF's pick for the Jim Thorpe Award as college football's top defensive back," Chadwick continued about Notre Dame's star cornerback. "He has recorded seven career interceptions and projects as one of the best cornerback prospects in recent memory."
The 6-2, 197-pound cornerback put together an outstanding 2025 season and built upon his true freshman campaign in 2024 despite missing two games with an ankle injury. After his output this season, Moore was named as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the LOTT Impact Trophy which recognizes the nation's top defensive player who makes an impact on and off the field.
Notre Dame finished the season No. 1 in the country in total interceptions (21) with their star, standout cornerback hauling in five of them. Moore continued to stack performance after performance and was named the Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and the Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week for his performance against Boise State where he finished with two interceptions, his career high. All of this culminated Moore being named a Unanimous All-American as a true sophomore.
The Fighting Irish secondary is absolutely loaded with talent. Alongside Moore, they return safeties Adon Shuler and Brauntae Johnson who both have All-America potential this season. Third year starter Christian Gray also returns to Notre Dame and is working in at the nickel this fall. Notre Dame's secondary is in position to be the best overall unit in the country.
I believe they already hold that title given the level of talent, depth and experience in the room. There's no other team in the country that can match Notre Dame's depth of talent in the defensive backfield. But this season, they'll have the opportunity to prove that they stand alone on the mountain top with Moore leading the way.
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