In late March, the Irish staff offered Maryland defensive back Ryan Barnes, and today he verballed to Notre Dame over Clemson, Georgia, LSU and others. The 6’2” and 180-pound cornerback is the 11th commit in the 2021 class.
100% Committed…Blessed, Honored & Thankful pic.twitter.com/9ZXf3nQORt
— Ryan “Bo” Barnes (@Bo11Ryan) June 6, 2020
Although Barnes ranking is fairly low, he is the 585th player ranked by the 247Sports composite. I feel like this is a scenario where if summer camps had happened this year, Barnes would have blown up. College coaches rarely look at the major recruiting services rankings, so looking at a players offer list is much better indication of how they are perceived. Along with the aforementioned trio, Penn State, Oregon, USC, and Oklahoma all offered Barnes a scholarship.
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Barnes’ frame is what stands out, his length creating issues for opposing wide receivers. Lining up at safety and corner brings plenty of versatility to Barnes’ game, from either position he is always looking for the big hit.
Brian Kelly will have to decide if Barnes’ will end up with safeties coach Terry Joseph or cornerback coach Mike Mickens. This is a great problem to have, as Barnes should make an impact at one of those positions.