Four-star CB Philip Riley commits to Notre Dame

Philip Riley hasn’t visited Notre Dame.

He hasn’t even had the chance to do so since receiving a scholarship offer from the Irish on March 25. The NCAA has prohibited college visits through at least May 31 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The lack of a visit didn’t stop Riley, a four-star cornerback in the 2021 class, from giving Notre Dame his verbal commitment. He shared his decision Tuesday on Twitter, less than an hour after four-star running back Will Shipley picked Clemson over Notre Dame.

“I am 1,000 percent committed to the University of Notre Dame,” Riley wrote in a statement on Twitter.

Riley chose the Irish from an offer list that included Clemson, Florida State, Miami, USC and Washington. He became the first cornerback to commit to play for new Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens.

The 6-foot, 190-pound recruit drew tough assignments in his junior season at Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale. His highlight reel includes plays of him covering four-star wide receiver Agiye Hall, a 2021 Alabama commit, and four-star receiver Greg Gaines, a 2022 recruit.

Hall played at Armwood (Fla.) Seffner last season, but is now teammates with Riley at Bloomingdale. The two will get to battle each other in practice. Hall caught six passes for 192 yards against Bloomingdale last year, but his big plays didn’t come with Riley matched up against him.

Riley finished his junior season with 28 tackles and one interception.

“He’s a good prospect,” said CBS Sports Network recruiting analyst Tom Lemming. “He has everything going for him. He has length. He has loose hips. He has quick feet.”

247Sports slates Riley as the No. 20 cornerback in the 2021 class.

The addition of Riley gives Notre Dame nine commitments in the 2021 class. Riley is the only Irish cornerback pledge and joins three-star safety Justin Walters in the secondary.

Both Rivals and 247Sports rank Notre Dame’s nine-man class 10th in the country.