4-Star California CB Isaiah Rutherford
Cornerback Isaiah Rutherford
Ranking
ISD: 92 - Four-Star
Composite: 91.8 - Four-Star
Vitals
6’2 - 170
Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.)
Recruiter
Defensive backs coach Todd Lyght and special teams coach Brian Polian
Recruitment Rundown
Notre Dame wasn’t included in Rutherford’s top four in the summer, but still found a way to emerge victorious in the end and that was all because of the persistence of Lyght and Polian. The Irish assistants were convinced Rutherford would be a great fit on and off the field at Notre Dame and pressed him to come for an official visit for the Irish’s opener against Michigan. After the trip, it became clear to everybody that Rutherford would indeed be a fit, but the race wasn’t over for another month. Oklahoma, Oregon, Colorado and Cal were the other finalists. Many pegged him to end up at Cal early in the process because that’s where his father played, but the entire Rutherford family always maintained they wanted Isaiah to forge his own path and that’s exactly what he’s doing.
Head Coach Marlon Blanton
“Isaiah is fast and athletic. He’s a tough kid, loves to compete. He has a lot of dog in him. When it’s time to compete, he doesn’t want to lose in anything on the field or off the field. And where he’s going, you have to have that.”
ISD expert Jamie Uyeyama
I see a lot of similarities between Rutherford and current Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride back when he was a recruit. He too needed to add weight, but was an exciting athlete. We’ve seen him develop under Lyght and become a high-level player for the Irish. I think Rutherford can do the same. It took Pride some time to become the player he is now and I can see Rutherford ending up on the same track. When he gets where he needs to be physically, I think he has the tools to become a taller version of Pride with the talent to be a multi-year starter that can play the field or boundary corner.
Favorite quote to ISD
“I hadn’t been to the Coliseum before, so it was cool to see my guys. I wanted them to blow them out, but it was good. A W is a W.”
