It has certainly been an odd year, 2021 Notre Dame recruiting not being excluded. Earlier this year Georgia wide receiver Deion Colzie decommitted from the Irish, only to rejoin the class a few months later. Well, that exactly the case with Florida cornerback Philip Riley, although the journey was a bit different.
LOVE THEE IRISH! ☘️🤞🏽@CoachMickens pic.twitter.com/d4RTrTghtu
— PhilipRileyJr (@Riley18Philip) November 17, 2020
After Riley decided to reopen his recruitment, he committed to USC just a few days later. Ultimately, he rejoined the good guys tonight, and Notre Dame is ecstatic to welcome him back to the 2021 recruiting class.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect from the 6-foot and 195-pound defensive back.
Riley show’s the ability to play on the ball or off, solid in both man-to-man and zone concepts. His work on special teams stands out, he is a willing blocker and has the ability to do something with the ball if it comes his way. Riley does need to be better with his punches while playing man-press coverage, but he’s strong enough to do it, just needs to refine his technique. A willing tackler, more technique work wouldn’t hurt there either. Riley flips his hips well, has great feet which really help with his change of direction.
Overall, Riley is a defensive back that shows a ton of upside, but will need to refine some technique when he arrives in South Bend. He certainly has all the tools to be a great cornerback, but it might not be right away when he arrives on campus. He