Since the turn of the 21st century, only one position group on offense or defense at Notre Dame has not featured a first- or second-round NFL selection: cornerback (with running back a close second).
The most recent Fighting Irish cornerback to be drafted that high was Bobby Taylor in 1995, in the second round following his junior season.
It’s been one of the more challenging positions to recruit, and the Fighting Irish even went through 11 straight drafts from 2005-15 with only three corners getting selected, none higher than the fifth round.
In 2016, KeiVarae Russell became the highest Notre Dame pick at corner — third round, 74th overall — over the past 25 years, or since Taylor. However, Russell originally enrolled as a slot/running back prospect, but was shifted to cornerback in preseason camp when Lo Wood was lost for the season to an injury.
In one of the top personnel surprises in the 11-year Brian Kelly era, not only did Russell seize a starting position at corner but he went on to earn FWAA Freshman All-America honors on a defense that carried Notre Dame to a 12-0 regular season.
That’s why landing a verbal pledge on Monday from listed 6-0, 190-pound Valrico, Fla., native Philip Riley to the 2021 recruiting haul is so vital. He is now the sixth prospect in Kelly’s time recruited strictly at cornerback who is currently on the Rivals Top 250 list.
Now, as one learns though experience, recruiting rankings are not the end-all, be-all to how one will fare at the next level. Some lower-ranked prospects will emerge as surprises while higher-ranked ones might not develop. A case in point includes current freshman corner Clarence Lewis, who arrived as a relatively unheralded three-star with an overall 5.6 rating but is now a “co-starter” with fellow three-star TaRiq Bracy. Lewis played almost the entire game in the victory versus No. 1 Clemson on Nov. 7, and had 37 snaps in this past weekend’s win at Boston College.
For the most part, though, the last several recruiting cycles have seen the Irish sign mostly developmental players at corner, which is why it was so crucial in 2020 to land North Carolina State graduate transfer Nick McCloud, plus return Shaun Crawford (more on him coming up) for a sixth season.
Ranked the No. 241 overall player nationally overall, Riley arrives with a Rivals rating in his class surpassed by only this quintet in the Kelly era”
1. Shaun Crawford (2015) — No. 82
The speedster was already penciled in as a freshman to start at nickel, but suffered a torn ACL in the preseason. Since then, he’s bounced back from another ACL surgery, a torn Achilles and a dislocated elbow, allowing him to return for a sixth season this year.
With the presence of McCloud, Bracy and Lewis, and a need at safety, Crawford has excelled for the most at his new position during the 8-0 start, including getting named the ACC Defensive Back of The Week versus Boston College.
2. Isaiah Rutherford (2019) — No. 110
Currently not listed in the two deep, the sophomore has played 22 snaps this season and is trying to position himself for a more extensive role in the future.
3. Cole Luke (2013) — No. 133
Three-year starter, who particularly excelled as a sophomore in 2014, went undrafted. However, he was on the practice squad for the Carolina Panthers and now the same for the Washington Football Team.
4. Nick Watkins (2014) — No. 186
Nine of his 10 career starts at Notre Dame came during his senior year in 2017, and then he started eight times in 2018 as a graduate transfer at the University of Houston.
5. Noah Boykin (2018) — No. 204
Transferred from Notre Dame after his freshman season and sat out his sophomore year at UMass in 2019 because of NCAA rules. He has seven tackles in two games played so far this season.
Other Notes
• The 2016 haul featured four-star prospects Julian Love and Troy Pride Jr. Neither cracked Rivals’ top 250, but both received 5.8 ratings, with Love ranked the No. 21 cornerback in the nation and Pride No. 23.
Love would earn consensus All-America notice as a junior and then turn pro, becoming a fourth-round pick and No. 108 overall pick. A year later, Pride also would be chosen in the fourth round, 113th overall.
• A third player in that class who would play corner at Notre Dame, Donte Vaughn, was actually listed as a safety (No. 20 at his position).
• In 2012, Tee Shepard signed as the No. 76 prospect overall in the nation but never suited up for Notre Dame, reportedly because of an issue with a standardized test score. He enrolled at a community college and later Ole Miss before having to give up the sport because of a hearing impairment.
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