Notre Dame landed its 11th commitment of the 2021 class, as Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard defensive back Ryan Barnes announced his pledge to the Fighting Irish on Saturday morning.
Barnes’ commitment added 75 points to Notre Dame’s Rivals team recruiting rankings, which moved the Irish past Iowa and Miami. The Fighting Irish’s 2021 class moved up from No. 13 to No. 11 in the nation.
The Irish are closing in on the top 10 and sit just behind LSU and Oregon, respectively.
When sorting by average star ranking of programs with at least nine committed prospects at this point in the recruiting cycle, Notre Dame’s 2021 class ranks No. 5 in the country.
For more details on the Rivals rankings formula, click here.
Barnes is Notre Dame’s third defensive back commitment in the 2021 class, joining Bolingbrook (Ill.) High’s Justin Walters and Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale’s Philip Riley. Walters is expected to play safety for the Irish, and Riley is a lock-down cornerback.
With Barnes, he has the size and versatility to play anywhere in the secondary.
Barnes committed to Notre Dame over the likes of Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State and many others.
Barnes is Notre Dame’s 11th commitment in the 2021 class and sixth commitment on the defensive side of the ball.
Rivals ranks Barnes as the No. 21 recruit in Maryland and 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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