Notre Dame Commit Philip Riley Jr. Shines In Bloomingdale Victory

Irish Breakdown's Brian Smith was on hand to see Notre Dame corner commit Philip Riley Jr. shine

Notre Dame landed a pure football player when it gained the commitment of Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale star cornerback Philip Riley Jr. The future Irish cornerback made the game-changing play Friday night to help his team secure the 15-14 over Florida powerhouse Armwood.

With Bloomingdale down 14-8, Riley corralled a poorly kicked ball that was headed towards the sideline. He scooped it up, ran towards the middle of the field, and suddenly hit the gas and burst up the field between a couple of defenders.

Boom!

Riley went the distance for what would be a game-winning touchdown. 

Here are some thoughts about Riley’s overall game.

Strength

Riley is absolutely put together. He looks like a college junior. Listing himself at 6-0½ and 195-pounds, there’s not a bad ounce of body weight on him. Most noticeably, Riley’s upper body is completely ready for college play.

Numerous times throughout the night, Riley would simply throw the opposing wide receiver to the ground, which you can see in the video above. He plays with the physicality of a linebacker from a mindset and strength standpoint.

Ability to Turn and Run

Riley is not as fluid as a 5-8, 160-pound slot cornerback circa 1992, but he’s plenty fluid enough to play in the defensive secondary in today’s college football world. Riley consistently back pedaled, turned, and then broke back to the line of scrimmage with ease.

It’s really that simple. He has the hips to play cornerback. Riley is far more adept at playing aggressively, but he’s talented enough to play cornerback despite his size.

Match Up

Armwood wide receiver Charles Montgomery is committed to Florida, but he only matched up with Riley a few times. The Armwood staff worked hard to keep Montgomery away from Riley, and they matched up on only about three or four plays the entire evening. Disappointing, but not surprising.

The one time Montgomery went deep, he beat Riley and the Irish commitment was flagged for pass interference. He did not jam or reroute Montgomery, and a player that fast will make you pay. It did not stop Riley moving forward, however, as he kept battling and never changed his attitude.

Areas to Improve

I’ve seen Riley work out two times. Much of that technique work helped him tonight, but he does have a common bad habit that many young defensive backs suffer with. He hesitates and/or looks into the opponent’s backfield. That is an area he needs to improve. He probably does not even know he’s doing it. One more thing.

Riley needs to trust his technique. Every play, trust his technique. Sometimes he would look great out of his stance, while other times he would get himself out of position during his back pedal, etc.

Long Term Position

Riley will likely play multiple positions for Notre Dame. Cornerback, nickel cornerback, and even safety. By the time he’s a junior, it would not be surprising if Riley played safety. He’s approaching 200-pounds now, and he’s only going to get bigger.

Riley could become that unique nickel cornerback that plays against slot wide receivers and those big tight ends that like to line up in the slot. It’s hard to say for sure which position(s) he will play because Riley has an incredibly unique skill set.

Final Thoughts

Notre Dame landed a high upside prospect with Riley. He’s just learning to play the position with proper technique, but he’s a young man that loves to learn and will continue to get better and better.

He will be a valuable player regardless of whether he ends up at safety, nickel cornerback, or cornerback.

Note: Riley talked about his improvement as a player and how playing against Florida speed has helped his game. You can listen to it in the video at the top of the page.

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