Where Notre Dame Commits, Targets Rank In Updated Rivals250 Rankings
Rivals unveiled its new top 250 rankings on Tuesday afternoon.
This was not a major update because there were only a few Rivals camps this spring before COVID-19 shut down the circuit, but between those in-person evaluations with some prospects and spending a lot of time watching film, there were moves to be made from the analysts.
“This has been very odd for obvious reasons and the 2021 class will require a lot more film evaluation than in-person evals,” Rivals national recruiting director Mike Farrell said.
With only a handful of prospects making big moves up and only a few that made noticeable slides in the rankings, this update saw Notre Dame’s commits take minuscule drops.
Notre Dame has four of its 10 verbal commitments listed in the national rankings, and they are all in the top 100.
The Irish’s two highest-ranked prospects are Avon (Ind.) High offensive tackle Blake Fisher and Pickerington (Ohio) Central wide receiver Lorenzo Styles. Both slid back two spots, a product of two other prospects moving up to five-star status. Fisher is ranked as the No. 22 overall prospect nationally, while Styles is listed at No. 39.
La Mesa (Calif.) Helix Charter quarterback and Notre Dame commit Tyler Buchner is listed as the No. 46 overall player in the land, a drop of three spots.
St. Peters (Mo.) Lutheran of St. Charles defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio’s ranking remained unchanged. He is still rated as the No. 99 player nationally.
Notre Dame has a pair of commitments ranked as four-star prospects, though both are just outside the Rivals250 — Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale cornerback Philip Riley and Hartwell (Ga.) Hart County tight end Cane Berrong.
The Fighting Irish hold 10 commitments in total, and the class is currently ranked No. 9 in the country by Rivals. For more information on the Notre Dame pledges, click here.
Notre Dame Defensive Back Targets Move Into Rivals250
Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra athlete Devin Kirkwood saw quite the rise. He was previously rated as a 5.5 recruit, which is the lowest designation for a three-star prospect. In this update, he catapulted all the way up to four-star status and the No. 181 overall recruit in the country.
Kirkwood had a standout performance at the Los Angeles Rivals Camp Feb. 1 and took home defensive back MVP honors.
A big target out in California for the Irish is Elk Grove (Calif.) Monterey Trail athlete Prophet Brown. Like Kirkwood, he was also rated as a three-star prospect (5.6 recruit ranking) and saw a huge jump into the Rivals250. Brown now checks in as the No. 197 overall prospect in the land.
Brown recently spoke with BlueandGold.com about his recruitment and Notre Dame’s standing in it. To read that article, click here.
Another defensive back target for the Irish who made a move into the Rivals250 is Tallahassee (Fla.) John Paul Catholic II’s Terrion Arnold. He was a four-star prospect outside of the national rankings, but now sits at No. 209 nationally.
Denton (Texas) Guyer cornerback Deuce Harmon made his debut in the Rivals250 as well, checking in at No. 249 nationally. Notre Dame is a top school for the Lone Star State standout.
Full List Of Notable Notre Dame Targets In The Rivals250
Position Recruit Name — Ranking (difference from last national ranking)
RB Camar Wheaton — No. 7 (0)
OT Nolan Rucci —No. 36 (-2)
WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. — No. 53 (-1)
OL Rocco Spindler — No. 56 (-1)
RB Donovan Edwards — No. 61 (-2)
TE Thomas Fidone — No. 62 (-2)
RB LJ Johnson Jr. — No. 69 (-2)
WR Deion Colzie — No. 73 (-2)
S Derrick Davis — No. 81 (-3)
OL Rayshaun Benny —No. 86 (-3)
CB Ceyair Wright — No. 100 (+19)
TE Brock Bowers — No. 106 (0)
WR Jayden Thomas — No. 131 (-9)
OL Garrett Dellinger — No. 163 (-8)
ATH Devin Kirkwood — No. 181 (not ranked)
ATH Prophet Brown — No. 197 (not ranked)
ATH Terrion Arnold — No. 209 (not ranked)
OL Reuben Fatheree — No. 214 (-8)
CB Deuce Harmon — No. 249 (not ranked)
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