Duke football quarterback Riley Leonard out vs. NC State; Henry Belin to start
Duke football quarterback Riley Leonard will miss the Blue Devils’ game against NC State as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
With Leonard sidelined, redshirt freshman Henry Belin IV will start at quarterback for the 17th-ranked Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0 ACC) against the Wolfpack (4-2, 1-1).
Leonard, one of the top players in the ACC and a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, injured his right ankle in Duke’s 21-14 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 30. He walked off the field on crutches, but Duke coach Mike Elko said Monday that Leonard's outlook is "really positive for the rest of the season."
Leonard accounted for 912 passing yards, 326 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in the first five games. Here's a look at Belin's history with the Blue Devils.
Henry Belin IV is Duke football’s starting quarterback vs. NC State
Redshirt freshman Henry Belin IV was listed as Duke's backup quarterback on the depth chart entering the Notre Dame game. Now, he's starting in an ACC showdown with neighborhood rival NC State.
"You never know until you know, but certainly every indication is that Henry's ready for the situation and we'll be excited for him to go out there and get it done," Elko said earlier this week.
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The New York City native played earlier this season in the Blue Devils' 42-7 win against FCS foe Lafayette. Belin accounted for two touchdowns, including a rushing TD, and completed 8-of-8 passes for 118 yards.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback arrived at Duke as a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He played 21 snaps in 2022 and completed 5-of-6 passes for 43 yards against North Carolina A&T in Duke’s third game of the season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke football quarterback Riley Leonard out, Henry Belin to start
