When Ryan Barnes was a sophomore at Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard High School in 2018, he had a role on the varsity team, but he wasn’t a starter.
“He played but was on the scout team a lot,” his high school coach, John Kelley, said.
At that point, Barnes couldn’t have predicted what was going to come next.
“He grew probably two or three inches and had a really good summer going into his junior year,” Kelley added. “He’s a hard worker in the weight room; he busts his butt. As he grew and kept working, he already had a good skill set.
“It just all came together for him. We knew last summer how good he was going to be.”
Kelley continued to tell his college contacts that they needed to take a look at Barnes, who played most of his junior season without a scholarship offer. It wasn’t until Nov. 15 when his first scholarship would come, and it came from the Tennessee Volunteers.
“I knew it was just a matter of time before he’d get his first offer and then things would snowball from there,” Kelley said. “When they’re long like that, have good hips, flexible and can run – there’s not many guys who have that skill set. A lot of those guys are 5-8, but Ryan is 6-2.”
Barnes totaled over 30 scholarships, which included Clemson, Georgia, LSU and many other powerhouse programs. Notre Dame came in later than other schools, but it didn’t matter, as the Fighting Irish secured Barnes’ pledge June 6.
“I thought it would come down to Notre Dame, Florida with his dad having connections there, Tennessee being the first one to offer and Penn State,” Kelley opined. “I know that Notre Dame offer was definitely special for him. It carried a lot of weight.”
On the field, Notre Dame is getting a player with great length and cover ability.
“When you look at prototypical NFL corners, they're long,” Kelley explained. “To go along with that, he has the speed, flexibility and versatility as far as playing the slot or safety. He can do a lot of things with his body type. He's physical at the point of contact and is good in run support.”
Part of Barnes’ appeal to Notre Dame was that he won’t be confined to one position upon arrival. Most pundits expect him to stick at cornerback, while others believe his skills translate best to safety. Either way, Barnes should have plenty of success with the help of his versatility.
“I think he could definitely transition to play some safety,” Kelley said. “It really depends on where they need him. I wouldn't rule out the possibility for us this year to have him go inside and cover the slot receiver. That's where a lot of teams put their best [receiver] to be honest.
“We’re pretty fortunate to have some pretty talented guys in the secondary – our other corner is a Virginia commit [William Simpkins]. We can move them around and use their skill sets to the best of their abilities.”
It may be cliché to say that for as good as Barnes is on the field, he’s better off it. But it still rings true.
“We’re lucky to have him; he’s a great ambassador for our program,” Kelley stated. “He excels in the classroom. Off the field, he’s awesome. He’s a model student-athlete, what you want your players to be. He’s first-class all around. I’m sure Notre Dame was able to see that too. That’s the type of kid they’re getting.”
Rivals ranks Barnes as the No. 21 recruit in Maryland and the No. 55 cornerback in the country.
During his junior season, Barnes recorded 27 tackles (one for loss), two interceptions with both returned for touchdowns, seven pass deflections and one forced fumble.
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