Notre Dame 2023 Target Ryan Yaites Is Looking For Athletic And Academic Success In College

2023 cornerback Ryan Yaites is one of the nation's best cornerbacks, but he wants a school that also allows him to thrive academically

Cornerback recruiting at Notre Dame since Mike Mickens joined the coaching staff in 2020 has been excellent, but the Irish coach is not stopping with an already loaded 2022 class, which could get even better in the near future. 

The cornerback class of 2023 is loaded with talented players from across the nation, and the Irish staff is after many talented players, and one of the best is Denton (Texas) Guyer cornerback Ryan Yaites.

Yaites is a 6-2, 175-pound cornerback who boasts an impressive offer list that includes LSU, Texas, USC, TCU and Ole Miss. Yaites is a bright young man who comes from a family who places an emphasis on academics. The cornerback was in South Bend for Irish Invasion back on June 6th and the visit was impactful.

“Very special," Yaites said of his time on the Notre Dame campus. “One thing I’m looking for in a school is to not only be athletically good but academically as well.” 

He also mentioned that he was surprised by the atmosphere and layout of the Notre Dame campus. There is one thing Yaites knows, and that is he will be back in South Bend in the near future, probably more than once.

“I think I’m going to get back up there in July,“ Yaites explained. “[The coaches] want me to come up for a game. I already talked about it with my parents. So we’re going to come up for a game. [The coaches] want me to come up for the Notre Dame-USC game.”

When asked about meeting the coaches and their pitch to them, Yaites described the staff as having open arms, and he loved their approach to academic excellence as well as athletic excellence. 

“They also took a family approach," Yaites explained. "They weren’t just saying, 'Oh you know you’re a football player going to the league' approach. Instead, it was more about becoming a man. Just knowing that they will be able to prepare me for real life after football is something I took interest in.” 

Yaites’ unique mindset is showcased by an answer when asked if there’s any specific player he tries to model his game after. 

“I want to be original," Yaites stated. "I’ve never been that type of guy who wants to be Jalen Ramsey 2.0 or Primetime [Deion Sanders] 2.0.”

Denton Guyer features another standout defensive back, and Notre Dame target, Peyton Bowen. Yaites had high praise for his talented teammate.

“Peyton’s a dog," Yaites said of Bowen. “He has always been that dog ever since little league. He has always been the fastest, always been the biggest, always been the strongest. And still to this day he’s fast, big and strong.” 

Yaites noted that he and his current teammate have talked frequently about also being college teammates.

“That’s something we talk about all the time … We really want to go to the same school.”

Yaites noted that he plans to make a commitment next summer. He also said he talks to Mickens and defensive recruiting coordinator Chad Bowden on a weekly basis. Considering the staff cannot reach out to Yaites yet it shows that the talented young cornerback has a high level of interest in the Notre Dame program.

Notre Dame has the luxury of picking and choosing high end talent to be a part of their 2023 recruiting class, and Yaites certainly fits that bill. We’ll see if the Irish can seal this recruitment up when the time comes. 

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