Spring Ball Preview | Cornerback
Notre Dame returns their top three corners from last season. Normally that would be considered a great thing, but they enter the spring with some uncertainty at the position.
The biggest questions for them are, do they have someone who can match up on the boundary and do they have players who can be better in man coverage? Those questions may or may not be answered this spring.
Clarence Lewis was playing the field corner to start last season after a promising freshman debut there. He was moved to the boundary after Cam Hart struggled against Toledo. Lewis had his share of struggles as well, specifically against players like USC’s Drake London, Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce, and Oklahoma State’s Tay Martin.
Maybe some of it is about regaining his confidence because he was in a position to make some plays on the ball and wasn’t able to finish last season. Maybe it’s that Lewis feels more comfortable and is better suited to play the field. Whatever it is, it’s abundantly clear that Lewis needs to have a strong spring.
Hart played pretty well after making the move to the field. Now we need to know if that move is going to be permanent or if he might be the solution playing the boundary for Notre Dame. Both he and Lewis were not good in man coverage last season and if the former wide receiver can make a significant step forward in that area this spring, that could go a long way in helping ease some of those concerns Irish fans have about the position.
TaRiq Bracy lost his starting job at the end of the 2020 season and last fall was a bounce back for him as Notre Dame’s third corner. He played the nickel and was solid in that role. At the very least he provides good depth, but it will be interesting to see if he can hold off any challengers for that nickel job this spring.
I’m not sure if there is another more intriguing young player in the secondary than Ryan Barnes. Anyone who has seen pictures of him knows that he looks like a future NFL player. His size would be rare at corner and if he could make a move playing the boundary, it would certainly make things interesting.
Like every other young corner from last year, we have not seen much of him so he has a lot to prove. Is he too big to play corner? Is safety going to be his best position? These are questions that should be answered over the next couple of months.
It was a little surprising not to see Philip Riley get in the mix last season and he’s another player who could make a move with a great spring. His development is going to be important because the early enrollee corners are going to have a chance to make a move as well.
Chance Tucker was the forgotten freshman from last year when it was obvious he needed quite a bit of physical development before he saw the field. He’s up to 183 from 170 so that’s an encouraging sign for this spring.
There may not be a more anticipated arrival in the secondary than Jaden Mickey. The early enrollee looks like he has the tools to compete early on and he should be an immediate challenger for the nickel job. We’ll see if he can insert himself into the conversation more than that, but expectations are high for him.
They aren’t as high for Jayden Bellamy, at least not immediately. He’s listed at 170 so getting bigger and stronger had to have been the biggest point of emphasis during winter workouts. He’s a heck of a pure football player, though. He may surprise some people before the season.
At the moment, this isn’t a group that is one of the strongest on the team heading into spring ball. That could change drastically if some young players emerge and Notre Dame needs them to.