Notre Dame Handed Out Multiple DB Offers This Week
Notre Dame has missed out on a number of 2021 defensive back targets so far, so the Irish staff needs to expand the board for the position.
The good news for Notre Dame is that cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens has been hitting the recruiting trail hard, which is very refreshing to see after a slow start to 2021 cornerback recruiting.
The recent dead period enacted due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic has given the Irish staff a chance to create and develop relationships with players before they take big portions of their future visits.
This is one particular development that actually works in Notre Dame’s favor. This week, the Irish staff has offered five new defensive backs.
Terrion Arnold, S, 6-2, 190, Tallahassee (Fla.) St. John Paul II Catholic
Analysis: Arnold lives in Florida State’s backyard, so it’s never going to be an easy pull away from the Seminoles, except Arnold is open to leaving Florida. Arnold has earned 43 offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and others, so the Irish joined the party late. However, Notre Dame — a private, Catholic institution — has strong similarities to Arnold’s high school, so getting him on campus at some point would be significant.
As a player, I see a Top 100-caliber player through and through. Arnold can play either cornerback or safety at the next level. He shows great athleticism when running to the football and is great when having to make a play on the football. He's outstanding in pass coverage.
His run defense impresses me most, as he is a punishing, sure tackler. The combination of fluidity in the run and pass game makes him elite. The Irish should push hard for the talented Tallahassee defensive back.
Arnold is listed as a four-star by Rivals and a three-star by 247Sports and ESPN. The 247Sports Composite rankings list Arnold as a four-star prospect, being the 326th overall prospect in the country.
Ryan Barnes, CB, 6-2, 175, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard
Analysis: Ryan Barnes has offers from some of the best football schools in the south, including Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU and others. Barnes has been on the Irish staff’s radar for a while now, and it was more of a when than an if the staff was going to offer. The Irish will need to get Barnes on campus once the dead period is lifted, and if the staff does so, then I believe Notre Dame could end up being a major player.
As a player, in my opinion he's no doubt one of the best cornerbacks in the 2021 class. Barnes shows a strong ability to flip his hips in coverage, which allows no separation between him and the receiver. He is impressive in both press and off coverage, closing any space between him and the receiver very quickly.
In run defense, not only is Barnes a sure tackler, but he can hit extremely hard. Barnes would have a good chance of seeing the field as a freshman, which could help solve a lot of cornerback worries.
Barnes is a consensus three-star prospect, but his film tells a different story.
Sam Jackson, CB, 5-11. 170, Naperville (Ill.) Naperville Central
Analysis: Sam Jackson is a former Minnesota commit who is still considering the Gophers. However, Jackson’s recruitment is starting to blow up with recent offers coming from Notre Dame and Oregon.
Notre Dame has had great success with Illinois prospects, with Houston Griffith, Isaiah Robertson, Kendall Abdul-Rahman, Micah Jones and Rylie Mills all being on the spring roster. It should be easy to get Jackson on campus, and if the Irish do so, then Notre Dame could be in a good position for the Naperville cornerback.
As a player, it is hard to evaluate Jackson as a cornerback prospect, as his junior season film is strictly at quarterback. However, Jackson shows extremely athletic traits in and outside of the pocket and moves well on the run. He shows top-notch speed, which is valuable at the cornerback position. I could see him being a solid cornerback at the next level, given he is a gifted athlete.
Jackson is listed as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, but the 247 composite rankings list Jackson as a four star prospect.
Philip Riley, CB, 6-0, 190, Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale
Analysis: Philip Riley has earned 30 offers from schools such as Clemson, Florida State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Washington and many others. Notre Dame joined the party late, but the dead period has created a sequence of time that Mickens can take advantage of by creating a strong relationship with the talented cornerback.
The staff will need to push to get an official visit from Riley, which the Irish hope can swing Riley’s recruitment.
As a player, he's a no doubt four-star prospect in my mind. Riley plays solely cornerback, and in his film, he is matched up against five-star receivers multiple times, using great technique to get the best of their matchup.
Speed is not an issue for Riley, as he is able to accelerate with his opponent and look back at the ball with ease. Riley is not a big hitter, but he is a sure tackler, which is just fine for a cornerback. Adding a player like Riley to go alongside another one of these talented players would give Notre Dame relief that it needs in cornerback recruiting.
Riley is listed as a four star on Rivals and a three star on 247Sports. He is listed as the 349th overall player by the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Zakee Wheatley, CB/S, 6-2, 180, Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding
Analysis: Zakee Wheatley recently released a top eight that included Penn State, Northwestern, Michigan State, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin. Notre Dame looks to be able to join that list of prime contenders for Wheatley’s services.
The Irish staff had recent success out of the DMV (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia), adding players out of high school such as Cam Hart, Brendon Clark, Chris Tyree, DJ Brown, and others. The Irish should be able to contend strongly for Wheatley as long as the staff is able to get him on campus when the dead period is lifted.
Wheatley is listed as the 237th overall player by Rivals, 265th by ESPN, and a three star prospect by 247Sports. He is listed as the 308th overall prospect by the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Irish Breakdown recruiting analyst Brian Smith had quotes from Wheatley in an article this morning, which you can read HERE.
*** The Irish staff has also offered 2021 6-2 180 pound Flower Mound (Tx.) Marcus High School wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant.
Analysis: Sturdivant recently released a top 7 including Oklahoma, Duke, Stanford, California-Berkeley, TCU, Kansas, and Missouri. Notre Dame offered just in time, as Sturdivant is destined to have his recruitment blown up. With the decommitment of Deion Colzie, the Irish staff is forced to expand its wide receiver board and potentially adding a player like Sturdivant would lessen the blow.
As a player, Sturdivant is very good with the ball in his hands, proven by his junior season film. He is very good at cutting in space, which makes him a yards after the catch threat. Sturdivant has very reliable hands and is able to make catches over people when needed to do so. Sturdivant should become an important target at the wide receiver position for the staff along with a group of other highly talented players (LINK).
