Notre Dame football: Key two-deep battles to watch for 2021

Notre Dame football: Key two-deep battles to watch for 2021

Finding Cornerback Depth

The reality of college football in the modern era is that there are going to need to be five defensive backs, three of whom are corners, on the field almost all the time. This means, whether, through injury or performance, you’re going to need depth to succeed defensively. This could be an issue for Notre Dame’s defense next season, especially with Marcus Freeman’s tendency to run man coverage.

So, what does the two-deep currently look like at corner for Notre Dame?

It starts with TaRiq Bracy, a senior who will likely see work during the season on a rotational basis. Last season, Bracy bounced back and forth between starting and being a bench player for the Irish. With 22 tackles and 3 pass breakups, he’s a capable corner when called on.

On the other side, Ramon Henderson is going to become an important two-deep player. Only a sophomore, Henderson is going to need to be able to step up and play in almost every game this season for the Irish.

Beyond Bracy and Henderson, freshman Philip Riley could push the two-deep roster at corner. Marcus Thorne, meanwhile, brings experience to the two-deep, as a senior. Thorne has no playing experience, despite being a senior, but he does bring great size for a corner, at over 6ft tall. From there, Notre Dame has a mess of freshmen, who are going to need time to develop into their roles with the Irish.