SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore adds another national finalist honor to his 2025 resume, today selected as a finalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which recognizes the top defensive back in college football.
Moore is the third Thorpe Award finalist in Notre Dame history, joining cornerback Bobby Taylor in 1993 and cornerback Todd Lyght in 1989. Moore is also a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy, honoring the nation’s top defensive player.
Moore was a semifinalist for the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award, also honoring the top defensive player in college football and the 2025 Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive player who makes an impact on and off the field.
At the midway point of the 2025 season, Moore had already made a statement, earning seven midseason first-team All-America honors, including by The Associated Press, The Sporting News, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Focus and Athlon Sports.
He is first among all starting Power 4 cornerbacks in coverage grade (91.4) and first in defensive grade (90.9) according to Pro Football Focus. Because of his lockdown abilities, Moore has only been targeted by opposing quarterbacks on 11.5 percent of coverage snaps in which he was on the field. For every reception he has allowed this season, he has posted 14.8 coverage snaps.
In just nine games played this season, Moore has posted four interceptions, including a 46-yard pick six. He has posted eight total passes defended, 26 tackles, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. With Ron’s help, Notre Dame leads the nation in interceptions (20), and ranks fifth in turnover margin (1.09), ninth in turnovers gained (22), ninth in team sacks (3.00), 10th in defensive touchdowns (3), 11th in team passing efficiency defense (108.78), 12th in scoring defense (17.4), 13th in rushing defense (100.5), 19th in blocked punts (1), and 19th in fourth-down defense (0.414).
Moore’ s most recent interception came on a 46-yard pick six in Notre Dame’s 70-7 win over Syracuse. Moore’s touchdown, the first of his career, put the Irish up 21-0 before the offense even had a chance to take the field.
Two of Moore’s interceptions came in the same game vs. Boise State, a career-best performance. For his performance that week, he was named the Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week. He became the first Notre Dame player to have multiple interceptions in the same game since 2023 (Xavier Watts). The 2024 FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, Moore entered the 2025 season with several accolades, as he was named to the Preseason All-America First Team lists by Walter Camp, The Sporting News, the Associated Press, The Athletic, ESPN, CBS Sports, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. He has also been named to patch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy.