Duke's Riley Leonard Out 'Extended Period' with Toe Injury; Might Not Return in 2023

Duke starting quarterback Riley Leonard will reportedly miss an "extended period of time" due to a toe injury, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The dual-threat signal-caller suffered the injury during the Blue Devils' 23-0 loss to Louisville in Week 9.

Leonard had previously been hampered by ankle issues earlier in the season, which caused him to miss the school's victory over NC State on Oct. 14.

There is currently no definitive timetable for the 21-year-old's return, via ESPN.

"A definitive timetable on Leonard's potential return from this injury has yet to be determined, per sources. It's not a certainty that he'll be back this year, per ESPN sources, although any possibility of a return would come much later in the year."

Leonard has been impressive in 2023, recording 1,102 passing yards and three scores through the air while adding 352 rushing yards and four more touchdowns on the ground. He helped lead Duke to No. 16 in the AP poll rankings earlier in the year, and the team still remains over .500 with a 5-3 record.

With backup quarterback Henry Belin IV dealing with an upper body injury, true freshman Grayson Loftis will make his first career start on Thursday night against Wake Forest.

Head coach Mike Elko discussed the time period of Belin IV's injury in his press conference earlier this week.

"He's been dealing with it since the UConn game," Elko said. "He was a warrior for us and really gritted his teeth and played against NC State and played against Florida State."

While Belin IV is expected to play, it will only be in a limited capacity.

If the Blue Devils win one more contest, they'll be appearing in bowl games in consecutive years for the first time since 2017-18.

Duke will have a chance to do so against Wake Forest and head coach Dave Clawson on Thursday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET.