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Notre Dame football: Defensive two-deep projection entering 2022 Spring Practice

By Daniel Morrison

Nov 20, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Jordan Yates (13) is hit as he throws by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Jordan Yates (13) is hit as he throws by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 02: Desmond Ridder #9 of the Cincinnati Bearcats runs the ball as Cam Hart #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reaches for the tackle during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on October 2, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 02: Desmond Ridder #9 of the Cincinnati Bearcats runs the ball as Cam Hart #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reaches for the tackle during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on October 2, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Defensive two-deep projection entering Spring

Cornerbacks

If there has been a weak point on Notre Dame’s defense in recent years, it’s been at cornerback depth. It’s an important spot to get filled. Going up against the elite teams in college football, like Ohio State, you need to have a lot of consistently great receivers to match them.

When talking about the cornerbacks, there are three basic positions within the larger cornerback spot. The first is the boundary side corner, then there is the field side corner, finally followed by the nickel. The boundary side corner typically plays on an island. Meanwhile, the field side corner often has safety help. Nickel corners, for their part, cover in the slot.

Boundary Side Corner

  • 1st team-Clarence Lewis

Standing nearly six feet tall, Clarence Lewis is an excellent tackler from the defensive back spot. He played in twelve games last season, including grabbing his first career interception against Florida State. Expect him to step into a huge role for the Irish.

  • 2nd team-Ryan Barnes

A former three-star recruit, Ryan Barnes is incredibly tall for a corner, at nearly 6ft 2in. He’s also come on strong as a talent for the Irish, playing in four of his last five games as a freshman. This gave him planty of experience, while maintaining a redshirt. That means Barnes still has four years of eligibility and will likely be seeing more time as a rotational player.

Field Side Corner

  • 1st team-Cam Hart

Cam Hart played in all thirteen games, starting ten of them in 2021. He actually got the season started at Florida State with his first career start. Expect him to take a step forward in 2022 and act as a lockdown corner on the outside for the Irish.

  • 2nd team-Tariq Bracy

Now a graduate student, expect TaRiq Bracy to continue to step into a larger role on the defense. He did start in five games last year, seeing action in all thirteen, which means he could even step into a starting role.

Nickel

  • 1st team-Tariq Bracy

The nickel has its own skillset, but it’s also oftentimes the spot where the third best corner on a roster goes to start. As of right now, that’s Bracy. He could thrive there.

  • 2nd team-Houston Griffith

Houston Griffith typically plays safety for Notre Dame, but he’s also more than capable of moving into the slot and playing nickel when the time comes. Look for him to do that some in 2022.

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