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Not too long ago, it would have been wild to say that Notre Dame is home to the best cornerback in the nation. Thankfully, we've been able to say that in back to back seasons with Leonard Moore returning to South Bend for his third, and likely final, season with the Irish. As of today, he's the best player on the roster and brings the star power to this program heading into the season. He's not only the best player on the team, but outlets like On3 believe Moore is one of the best returning players in the country, and I tend to agree. 

"Moore is by far the best cornerback prospect in college football in 2026," Ari Wasserman of On3 sports explained. "A unanimous All-American in 2025, he racked up 31 tackles, a forced fumble, five interceptions and seven pass breakups for the Irish last year. It seems all but certain he’ll be a top-five pick in next year’s NFL Draft. It’s hard not to root for an Ohio State – Notre Dame matchup in next year’s College Football Playoff, where we’d get an opportunity to see Moore and Smith battle for four quarters."

The 6-2. 195-pound corner was a finalist for the Thorpe Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award after his 2025 campaign. Former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts took home the Nagurski Award after his stellar 2023 season. Moore was the first finalist for the Thorpe Award from South Bend since Bobby Taylor in 1993; no Notre Dame corner has ever won the award, but Moore is definitely a preseason front-runner heading into 2026.   

The Texas native ranked 1st among all starting Power 4 cornerbacks in coverage grade (91.4) and 1st in overall defensive grades (90.9) according to PFF. Teams were well aware of Moore's abilities in coverage and was only targeted 11.5 percent of the coverage snaps he played.

He finished the season with 31 total tackles, five interceptions which led the team, seven passes defended which was second on the team, a pick six, and a forced fumble. He remained a solid tackler in the secondary only missing six tackles the entire season and only allowed three receiving touchdowns all season long. Moore's performance this season played a major role in the defense's overall turnaround after the first three games.

Moore has the opportunity to be one of the best corners to come through South Bend, and that's to disparage the other tremendous cornerbacks that have come through the program. We knew Moore was going to be a star early in his freshman season. Now, as he prepares for his third, and likely final, season with the Irish, the best cornerback in the country has a chance to make history in the blue and gold.

On3 Top 10 Returning Players In College Football

1.  WR – Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
2. CB – Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
3. WR – Malachi Toney, Miami
4. EDGE – Colin Simmons, Texas
5. EDGE – Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
6. OT – Carter Smith, Indiana
7. QB – Arch Manning, Texas
8. QB – Dante Moore, Oregon
9. RB – Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
10. WR – Cam Coleman, Texas

It's worth noting that Wasserman and On3 had Notre Dame left guard Anthonie Knapp in consideration to make this list as well. BYU running back LJ Martin was also in consideration for this list. The Irish travel out west to Provo, Utah to take on the Cougars on October 17. They'll also face Miami on November 7 in South Bend under the lights where we'll get to see On3's No. 2 player, Moore, take on their No. 3 player, Toney, throughout the night. 

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