Over the weekend, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard’s Ryan Barnes committed to Notre Dame, giving the Fighting Irish its third defensive back pledge of the 2021 class.
Barnes joined Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale cornerback Philip Riley and Bolingbrook (Ill.) High safety Justin Walters on the commit list for the Irish.
Moving forward, what is next for the Irish in the secondary? BlueandGold.com recruiting insider Mike Singer breaks it down.
Let’s start by getting into the defensive back numbers for the Irish in this class. Notre Dame has three pledges, and they offer superb versatility. I’m intrigued by Walters’ potential ability to play rover, but for now I do expect him to stay at safety.
Barnes and Riley are lock-down cornerbacks, and I do expect Riley to stay at corner, but Barnes is someone I could see move to safety if need be. Both have the range and skills to transition to safety.
