Film Room: Notre Dame On The Verge Of Excellent Cornerback Class

If Notre Dame can pair Philip Riley and Ryan Barnes together it will give the Irish a great class

Notre Dame secured the commitment of one top-notch 2021 cornerback in Philip Riley. To finalize the cornerback class, adding another talented player at the position represents all that remains.

If you want to not only make the College Football Playoff, but actually win, elite cornerback play is needed. As an example, all four of the 2016 playoff teams - Washington, Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State - produced NFL cornerbacks.

While Notre Dame already possesses cornerback talent, adding even more top-notch talent will likely increase the odds the Irish make additional playoff runs.

Adding Maryland cornerback Ryan Barnes to the 2021 class would give Notre Dame that kind of talent, and below I break it all down.

Let’s start off by looking at a few of the clips from Riley, detailing his overall skills and his versatility.

Philip Riley, 6-0, 190, Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale

247Sports: 4-star, No. 20 Cornerback
Rivals: 4-star, No. 20 Cornerback
Composite: 4-star, No. 313 Overall, No. 23 Cornerback

During this first Riley video clip, he actually gets behind the wide receiver that’s running a post route. Riley’s speed, strength and especially his length allowed him to break up the pass at the very last moment. He deflected the pass by going over the top of the wide receiver, and that’s not something one would normally see. Riley’s physical attributes allow him to make difficult plays that many cornerbacks cannot make.

This second play displayed Riley’s ability to play off the wide receiver, pre-snap, closely guard the wide receiver on a deep post pattern, and finally break underneath the wide receiver and jump up to make an end zone interception. Instincts, athleticism, and technique all utilized by Riley.

The third clip of Riley demonstrated one of the most difficult techniques. Riley played bump-and-run coverage. Many cornerbacks fail to limit the wide receiver’s distance to the sideline. Riley, however, squeezed the wide receiver towards the sideline, limiting the area the quarterback could make a catchable pass. Riley intercepts the pass as a result. Fantastic play.

Now, here’s a closer look at Barnes. One can compare and contrast the two players, as they possess similar traits.

Ryan Barnes, 6-2, 185, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard

247Sports: 3-star, No. 34 Cornerback
Rivals: 3-star, No. 55 Cornerback
Composite: 3-star, No. 40 Cornerback

Many cornerbacks fail to play physical football, play in and play out, but Barnes does just that. Much like Riley, his physical nature of play will help him in many different situations. During this video clip, Barnes sinks into his zone, but comes up to nail the quarterback as he attempts to make a pass. Great instincts from a physical player.

Much like Riley going over the top of the wide receiver during the post pattern noted above, Barnes makes a similar pass deflection during a post pattern. Staying stride-for-stride with the wide receiver, Barnes reaches for the football just as the football arrives at the wide receiver’s hands. He knocked away a good pass and took away a big play.

Third and final clip showed Barnes sinking back to the wide receiver, as he played the underneath flat in cover two. Once the ball headed towards the wide receiver, Barnes released from his zone and gained on the wide receiver, jumped up and picked off an underthrown pass. From one play, length, speed, athleticism, and hustle. His return to the end zone also displayed his athletic prowess.

Overall, Riley and Barnes possess very similar traits. Length first and foremost, which the Notre Dame defensive coaching staff covets, as well as speed and physical play. Either of these you men could end up playing the boundary cornerback position or the field cornerback position. Additionally, the way Notre Dame uses its defensive backs one or both of Riley and Barnes could play nickel back or even move to safety.

Their versatility would allow Notre Dame to cause matchup issues for many opponents. That’s why finalizing this recruiting class with Barnes would be such a great recruiting win for the Irish.

The video at the top of the article discusses the upside of landing both players.

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