Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 MARCH 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY PATRICK ENGEL Philip Riley's curiosity and inter- est in Notre Dame didn't disappear when his Irish commitment did. Riley, a four-star cornerback from Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Fla., flipped his pledge from Notre Dame to USC in late September after originally making it in May. His defection only de- veloped as a real possibility in the couple weeks before it happened and was rooted in a growing desire to play on the West Coast, where he grew up. Even with the commitment change, Riley felt some pull to- ward Notre Dame and had some questions he still wanted to answer about what it offered. Enough to go find some answers for himself. On Halloween weekend, Riley took a self-guided visit to Notre Dame while still committed to USC. His discussions with the Irish coaches had shifted from a recruiting pitch centered around his on-field abilities to long talks about life at Notre Dame. Bonding with Riley the person be- came the coaching staff's focus more than recruiting Riley the cornerback. "It was definitely welcoming and a friendly vibe," Riley said in Novem- ber of his visit. "Seeing the students in their natural environment and the students in their regular weekday definitely was amazing. "We saw how tight-knit the com- munity is and how they support their athletes. It's really diverse there — people from different walks of life and different perspectives. "I built strong relationships with the other commits and coaching staff — that also resonated with me and helped lead me back to Notre Dame." Before his initial Notre Dame commitment, he had previously reached out to current students via Instagram for their perspec- tive. Their feedback and his re- lationship with Irish cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens helped build enough comfort to commit sight unseen in May. It was a comfort level that lasted and remained present despite the attraction to USC. With more information to con- sider after his visit, he recommit- ted to Notre Dame two weeks later, on Nov. 16. Mickens, then- defensive coordinator Clark Lea and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian were the primary assistants involved and never stopped their contact with Riley. Riley became the second player in Notre Dame's 2021 class to re-com- mit, joining four-star wide receiver Deion Colzie. ✦ Four-Star Cornerback Philip Riley's Interest In Notre Dame Never Wavered Notre Dame pulled Riley, a four-star cornerback, back into its class after he briefly flipped to USC. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER PHILIP RILEY CORNERBACK 6-1 · 190 BLOOMINGDALE H.S. RIVERVIEW, FLA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 24 44 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 21 55 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 18 37 STATISTICS • Caught 62 passes for 1,025 yards and nine touchdowns during high school career. • Recorded 76 tackles, two tackles for loss, six interceptions and two return downs from 2018-20. • Finished his senior season with 24 tackles and two interceptions. He also returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown on his way to 333 all- purpose yards. • Helped Bloomingdale finish with its best record in school history (12-1) and the program's first state semifinal appearance. NOTABLE • Born on April 17, 2003. • 2019 Tampa Bay Times' All-Hillsborough County football honorable mention. • One of 10 siblings. • Moved from Washington to Florida in Decem- ber 2018. RECRUITMENT • Originally committed to Notre Dame on May 5, 2020, but decommitted from the Irish on Sept 25, 2020. Three days later, he committed to USC but flipped back to the Irish on Nov. 16, 2020. • Was recruited by cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens. • Visited Notre Dame's campus in October for a self-guided tour. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in February. 2021 PROJECTION • Riley has a solid chance to play as a true fresh- man with Notre Dame's cornerback position rela- tively unproven collectively. THEY SAID IT Former Irish defensive back Preston Jackson: "When he's in press coverage, his feet are live first, then he's shooting the correct hand depending on the release of the wide receiver. He's moving his feet and trying to adjust to stay square, which shows you that he's well-coached and executing the coaching on the field. That's a coach's dream; you can have a talented kid, but if he blows coverage and you can't trust him, he can't be on the field. This kid takes the coaching in practice and applies it in the game." Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Mike Goolsby: "He looks the part, and you can see the size on tape. In some of these plays where it's an outside toss run, he'll disengage from the receiver and make tackles. That really speaks to his strength and eye discipline. He's well coached and his footwork is exceptional. "I think he could be a boundary [short-side of the field] cornerback. He's big and physical — beats up receivers playing press. But also what I like is his in- testinal fortitude; he's competing all the way through the snap. He's very well-coached, so it comes down to ability. I think he's an exceptional player. I'm really excited that [Notre Dame] got this kid." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Riley brings decent size, quickness and production to the recruiting table. When he's not tracking the ball, he's very aggressive in run support. He shows good antici- pation skills and the ability to track the long ball. He takes few missteps and shows good body control and leaping ability. He's very light on his feet and always appears to be in the right place at the right time."