Listed measurements: 6-foot-1 ⅞, 182 pounds.2021-22 year, eligibility: As an early-enrolled freshman, Barnes obviously has four seasons of eligibility remaining.Depth Chart: Barnes worked at field cornerback during his spring head start, where he should crack the depth chart no higher than third, behind sophomore Clarence Lewis and senior TaRiq Bracy. Even if Bracy ends up working at nickel back throughout the fall, Barnes is not in position for extensive work, at least not as of yet.Recruiting: A consensus three-star prospect, Barnes’ ratings and his offers diverged. While rivals.com may have considered him the No. 60 cornerback in the class, Clemson, LSU, Oregon and USC all saw fit to pursue the Maryland product.
To some degree, Barnes’ recruiting profile was diminished by his lack of a senior season due to the pandemic, but that clearly did not hurt his quality of options.
NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
Though not a for-profit opportunity, Barnes and the rest of his teammates will partake in a “Lift for Life” tomorrow (Friday) to benefit rare disease research. For every max rep taken on the leg press, donations will go to the undeniably good cause.
Kids these days, so selfish, right?
WHAT WAS SAID WHEN BARNES SIGNED“Barnes comes in as a cornerback, and his length would serve him well there, but it could also serve well at safety, where Notre Dame is more likely to be short-handed down the line.
“In addition to length, Barnes brings speed. In other words, he has the tools of an ideal cornerback. As suggested above, the three-star ranking is misguided in this instance. ...
“Whether Barnes ends up at cornerback or safety, the recent years when Notre Dame missed at one of those positions (2017 at cornerback, 2020 at safety) mean large holes exist on the depth chart.”
2021 OUTLOOK
Enrolling a semester early may have put Barnes in better position to play in 2021, but the growing depth at cornerback for the Irish means that is still not an excellent chance. Notre Dame has added pieces at corner diligently the last few recruiting cycles. Add in receiver-turned-corner junior Cam Hart, presumed boundary starter, and suddenly the Irish may not be as desperate at cornerback as they have seemed to be every couple seasons for the last decade.
Nonetheless, Barnes’ length could make him an intriguing piece if needed. Two things remain beyond teaching at cornerback, speed and length, and Barnes already has half that combination to a degree perhaps only Hart can genuinely match in the position group.
Early enrollee CB Ryan Barnes flashing his length here.
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreemanISD) April 17, 2021
Video | Notre Dame Athletics pic.twitter.com/hHqN4VtAht
It is most likely Barnes sees minimal action in 2021, perhaps in a few blowouts or maybe in a very specific matchup against a physical receiver.
DOWN THE ROADBarnes could move to safety in years to come, something openly acknowledged during his recruitment, but his most likely destination may be boundary cornerback, where his length could be best utilized.
Hart should have that position to himself for the next two seasons, giving Barnes some time to work on the finer pieces of his technique.
https://www.instagram.com/p/COYENpDJLuI/
NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
Let’s try this again
No. 99 Rylie Mills, sophomore defensive tackle
No. 98 Alexander Ehrensberger, sophomore defensive end
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, early-enrolled freshman defensive tackle the size of a Volkswagen
No. 95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, fifth-year defensive tackle-turned-end
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, sophomore defensive tackle
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, early-enrolled freshman tight end, a former high school quarterback
No. 87 Michael Mayer, star sophomore tight end and lead offensive weapon
No. 85 George Takacs, senior tight end, ‘152 years old’
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, sophomore tight end
No. 82 Xavier Watts, sophomore receiver
No. 81 Jay Brunelle, speedy sophomore receiver
No. 80 Cane Berrong, early-enrolled freshman tight end
No. 79 Tosh Baker, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 78 Pat Coogan, incoming freshman center
No. 77 Quinn Carroll, junior offensive lineman
No. 76 Joe Alt, incoming and towering freshman offensive lineman
No. 75 Josh Lugg, fifth-year right tackle, finally a starter
No. 73 Andrew Kristofic, junior offensive tackle, possible backup center
No. 72 Caleb Johnson, early-enrolled offensive tackle, former Auburn commit
No. 70 Hunter Spears, junior offensive guard, former defensive tackle
No. 68 Michael Carmody, sophomore offensive tackle
No. 62 Marshall guard Cain Madden transfers to Notre Dame, likely 2021 starter
No. 57 Jayson Ademilola, senior defensive tackle
No. 56 John Dirksen, senior reserve offensive lineman
No. 56 Howard Cross, junior defensive tackle
No. 55 Jarrett Patterson, the best Irish offensive lineman
No. 54 Jacob Lacey, junior defensive tackle
No. 54 Blake Fisher, early-enrolled freshman left tackle, starter?
No. 52 Zeke Correll, junior, starting center
No. 52 Bo Bauer, senior linebacker, #BeADog
No. 50 Rocco Spindler, early-enrolled freshman offensive guard
No. 48 Will Schweitzer, early-enrolled freshman defensive end
No. 44 Devin Aupiu, early-enrolled freshman defensive end
No. 44 Alex Peitsch and No. 65 Michael Vinson, Irish long snappers, both needed
No. 41 Kurt Hinish, fifth-year defensive tackle, eventual record-holder in games played
No. 40 Drew White, fifth-year linebacker, three-year starter
No. 39 Jonathan Doerer, fifth-year kicker, using the pandemic exception
No. 38 Jason Onye, incoming and raw freshman defensive end
No. 37 Joshua Bryan, incoming freshman kicker
No. 35 Marist Liufau, junior Hawaiian linebacker
No. 34 Osita Ekwonu, junior defensive end
No. 33 Shayne Simon, senior linebacker
No. 29 Matt Salerno, senior punt returner, walk-on
No. 28 TaRiq Bracy, senior cornerback, possible nickel back
No. 27 JD Bertrand, junior linebacker
No. 26 Clarence Lewis, sophomore cornerback, second-year starter
No. 25 Philip Riley, early-enrolled freshman cornerback
No. 25 Chris Tyree, speedy sophomore running back
No. 24 Jack Kiser, junior linebacker, onetime pandemic hero
No. 23 Litchfield Ajavon, junior safety
No. 23 Kyren Williams, junior running back
No. 22 Logan Diggs, incoming freshman running back
No. 22 Chance Tucker, freshman cornerback
No. 21 Lorenzo Styles, early-enrolled freshman receiver
No. 21 Caleb Offord, sophomore cornerback
No. 20 C’Bo Flemister, senior running back, coming off an offseason with a smirch
No. 20 Justin Walters, early-enrolled freshman safety and likely early special teams contributor
No. 19 Jay Bramblett, junior punter
No. 19 Justin Ademilola, senior defensive end
No. 18 Joe Wilkins Jr., senior receiver, team favorite
No. 18 Nana Osafo-Mensah, junior defensive end, coming back from a knee injury
No. 17 Jack Coan, graduate quarterback, Wisconsin transfer
No. 17 Jordan Botelho, sophomore defensive end, full-speed at all times
No. 16 Deion Colzie, incoming freshman receiver with both speed and leaping height
No. 16 KJ Wallace, junior safety, possible starting nickel back