The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been the story of this college football season — and now stand just one win away from claiming the championship.

The Irish take on their biggest challenge yet in the red-hot Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday night in Atlanta for the national championship, and even though South Bend, Indiana is a far journey from the Yellowhammer State, the team is led by one of our own.

Notre Dame starting quarterback Riley Leonard, a Fairhope, Alabama native and transfer from Duke, says his firmly-rooted relationship with Jesus Christ is responsible for all the success he and the team has achieved this season.

Leonard spoke about this openly ahead of the game, praising Ohio State as well for strong displays of faith. He argued it’s no coincidence the two teams left standing are the ones who have been unapologetically proud in their religious beliefs.

“We’re the two main teams to just publicly display our faith the most,” Leonard said. “I truly believe that Jesus was looking over both our shoulders throughout the season & put these two teams on a pedestal for a reason.”

A two-sport star for the Fairhope Pirates, Leonard was just as good if not better on the basketball court as he was on the football field.

Leonard’s college career began for the Duke Blue Devils, but shortly after now Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko took the job from Duke to the Aggies, Leonard entered the transfer portal.

Having grown up a Notre Dame fan and having had a grandfather who played for the Irish combined with their need at quarterback, it was a no-brainer when it came down to picking a school for Leonard. He has been open about the fact that his dream is to bring Notre Dame their first national title since 1988, now he’s just one game away from actually doing it.

An extremely talented athlete as well as an extremely impressive young man, Leonard has captivated the hearts of not just Notre Dame fans or the state of Alabama, but really the country as a whole.