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Notre Dame Football Recruiting: 4-Star CB Philip Riley decommits from the Irish

Kind of out of nowhere

By Joshua Vowles

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2021 recruiting class took a big hit on Friday when 4-Star cornerback Philip Riley decided to decommit.

Notre Dame got his commitment back in May and was made shortly before (minutes) the Irish missed out on 5-Star running back Will Shipley to the Clemson Tigers. Notre Dame beat out schools like the Oregon Ducks, Virginia Tech Hokies, and Washington Huskies.

Riley made this commitment without visiting Notre Dame, and with the NCAA extending their no-visit dead period to January of 2021 — this decision by Riley actually makes some sense. If a prospect commits and has some doubts or questions, an official visit usually helps firm up that decision. Without this, it all comes down to a level of comfortability — and it’s clear that it just isn’t there for Riley.

This brings Notre Dame’s class to 17 commits for 2021.

Notre Dame Football’s 2021 Commit List (27)

POSITION PLAYER SIGNED STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE COMMIT DATE EARLY ENROLLEE
POSITION PLAYER SIGNED STATE HT WT RIVALS ESPN 247 SPORTS 247 COMPOSITE COMMIT DATE EARLY ENROLLEE
QB Tyler Buchner ☘️ California 6'2" 200 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 03/08/19 YES
DT Gabriel Rubio ☘️ Missouri 6'6" 290 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/15/19 YES
OT Blake Fisher ☘️ Indiana 6'6" 300 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/15/19 YES
TE Cane Berrong ☘️ Georgia 6'5" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/21/19 YES
WR Lorenzo Styles ☘️ Ohio 6'1" 170 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/13/19 YES
S Justin Walters ☘️ Illinois 6'2" 175 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 02/02/20 YES
OL Pat Coogan ☘️ Illinois 6'5" 290 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 04/15/20 -
DE Jason Onye ☘️ Rhode Island 6'5" 245 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 05/07/20 -
CB Ryan Barnes ☘️ Maryland 6'2" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 06/06/20 YES
OT Joe Alt ☘️ Minnesota 6'7" 257 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/06/20 -
CB Chance Tucker ☘️ California 6'1" 170 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/22/20 -
RB Logan Diggs ☘️ Louisiana 6’0" 195 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/29/20 -
TE Mitchell Evans ☘️ Ohio 6'7" 240 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 07/31/20 YES
LB Prince Kollie ☘️ Tennessee 6'2" 205 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/07/20 -
OG Rocco Spindler ☘️ Michigan 6'5" 315 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/08/20 YES
DE Will Schweitzer ☘️ California 6'4" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 08/16/20 YES
WR Deion Colzie ☘️ Georgia 6'4" 195 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 09/28/20 -
WR Jayden Thomas ☘️ Georgia 6'1" 205 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10/02/20 -
CB Philip Riley ☘️ Florida 6'0" 195 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/16/20 YES
K Josh Bryan ☘️ Colorado 6'1" 185 SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ SAILER 6⭐️ 11/17/20 -
LB Kahanu Kia ☘️ Hawaii 6'2" 220 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/19/20 -
OT Caleb Johnson ☘️ Florida 6'7" 295 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/19/20 YES
CB JoJo Johnson ☘️ Indiana 5'11" 180 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 11/24/20 -
DE Devin Aupiu ☘️ California 6’6” 225 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/09/20 YES
QB Ron Powlus III ☘️ Indiana 6'3" 225 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/16/20 YES
S Khari Gee ☘️ Georgia 6'3" 190 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/18/20 -
RB Audric Estime ☘️ New Jersey 6'2" 215 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 12/18/20 -

This is certainly bad news for Notre Dame, but it’s hard to think this is their fault. It’s equally hard to blame a kid from changing his mind about a place he can’t visit. This is the struggle of the 2021 class and recruiting in the time of the coronavirus.

Yo win some, and you lose some. You also win some back that you lose and lose those that you never really had. It’s a crazy time, but Notre Dame is still sitting with a really nice class that they will continue to try and add more talent to as the months go on — or in a few days.

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