It's rare for Notre Dame fans to be able to say that they return the No. 1 cornerback in the nation in college football. That's been the reality the Irish faithful has been in the last two seasons. Junior Leonard Moore is back in the Fighting Irish secondary and is considered the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the country. ESPN went as far to say that he's the No. 1 overall defender in the nation, not just the best cornerback. The Texas native returns for his third and likely final season with the Irish and looks to etch his name amongst the elite cornerbacks that have come through the program. The Irish are one of the preseason favorites to win the national title and having a star player like Moore adds fuel to the fire. 

Here is our 2026 preview and profile for Moore:

Class/Eligibility: Junior/Junior
Height/Weight: 6-2, 197
Hometown/High School: Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock

2025: 31 tackles, 1 FF, 7 break ups, 7 passes defensed, 5 INT
2024: 48 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 FF, 7 break ups, 11 passes defensed, 2 INT

CAREER: 79 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 3 FF, 14 break ups, 18 passes defensed, 7 INT

Despite missing two games, home against Purdue and on the road against Arkansas, Moore was named a Unanimous All-American as a sophomore. He recorded 31 tackles, seven passes defensed, seven pass breakups and a team-leading five interceptions. He recorded the team's first interception of the season in their home-opener against Texas A&M. In his first game back from injury against Boise State, the 6-2, 197-pound corner picked off Bronco's quarterback Maddux Madsen twice. Moore ended the 2025 season with a pick six on Senior Day in their 70-7 route of Syracuse and an interception against Stanford on the road in their final game of the 2025 season.

The Round Rock native was targeted 48 times last season and only allowed 26 receptions, a reception percentage of 54.2 when targeted. His best performance of the season came against USC where he locked down Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon. Moore was targeted five times and allowed three receptions for a grand total of 36 yards with 27 of those yards coming on one play.

There isn't much to look forward to from Moore in fall camp. That's not a shot at him as a player, there's just not a ton more we have to see from the All-American corner. He will have to continue elevating and become one of the leaders of the secondary and the defense as a whole. There are areas of his game that will have to improve and he'll have to put in the work to not have a repeat of his performance against Miami from 2025. But that's not specific to Moore, the entire defense had their woes against the Hurricanes in week one last year. There's no position battle he's entering, so it's now about bringing along the younger players in the room like Khary Adams, Ayden Pouncey, Michigan transfer Jayden Sanders and sophomores Dallas Golden and Mark Zackery. 

The expectation for Moore in 2026 is simple: keep doing what you're doing. He's the best cornerback returning in college football and is coming off a Unanimous All-American season. He will have his opportunities this fall to show why he holds that title with a matchup against Miami coming down the pipeline. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Moore in the playoffs this past season, something I don't think we'll have to worry about this fall. The level of quarterback and wide receiver play in college football is expected to be on the rise in 2026 which will make Moore's presence in the Notre Dame secondary all the more valuable. 

I also expect the 6-2, 197-pound defensive back to become one of the leaders of the team. Will he become a captain? Perhaps, or he might take on the leadership role similar to Jeremiyah Love from last season where he's a leader of the unit and looked up to by his teammates. Either way, Moore returns with a full plate this season, but he's been able to handle that pressure since he stepped onto the field as a true freshman. I fully expect Moore to be who he has been the last couple of seasons: the best cornerback in the country. 

One where he leads the Notre Dame defensive backfield on a title run. One of the biggest reasons for confidence in this Fighting Irish squad is their outlook in the secondary. Moore isn't alone with other players like Brauntae Johnson, Adon Shuler, Christian Gray and DJ McKinney along with a host of others waiting in the wings. Moore has the opportunity to be the leader of the best secondary in all of college football. If he does that, then Notre Dame's journey to their 12th national championship becomes more clear. It feels, almost lazy, to just say 'do what you've been doing' but if he's a Unanimous All-American again in 2026, Notre Dame will have an elite and truly dynamic secondary. 

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