Notre Dame Football: 3 things to keep an eye on defense this spring
By Brad Weiss
Notre Dame Football: 3 things to keep an eye on defense this spring
First look at true freshman CBs
During the 2020 college football season, Notre Dame football saw a true freshman come in and play very well at cornerback. Clarence Lewis really took everybody by surprise this past season, as he was not a highly-recruited guy, but he proved right away that he could be a solid player in Year 1 with the Irish.
In 2021, that could happen again, though this time it would be a highly-touted prospect, as the Irish brought in some elite talent at cornerback in this recruiting cycle. Philip Riley and Ryan Barnes enrolled early to get a jump on things, and both are four-star recruits, giving new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman some young talent to work with at corner in Year 1.
Chance Tucker and JoJo Johnson are also four-star guys coming in, giving the Irish an incredible haul at the position.
TaRiq Bracy and Cam Hart return in 2021, but all eyes are going to be on Barnes and Riley this spring, as the hope is that they can come in and start right away. They will have a great mentor in Lewis, who knows all about making this tough jump, and I cannot wait to see them in action against a great group at wide receiver for Notre Dame.