CB Ryan Barnes
CB Ryan Barnes, 6-2, 182; Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard
Rivals ranking: Three stars, No. 62 cornerback.
247Sports ranking: Three stars, No. 35 cornerback, No. 470 overall.
Notable numbers: 34 tackles, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions (both were returned for touchdowns) in 13 games as a junior last season. Quince Orchard did not play football this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enrolled early? Yes.
Birthday: Aug. 3, 2002.
First scholarship offer: Tennessee.
Moment I knew I wanted to be Irish: “My mindset was that growing up, that was the place I wanted to be. A few weeks after I got the offer (in March) was when I knew that was one of my top schools.”
What I’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: “That you can’t take time for granted. Find what you enjoy, because there are going to be times when football isn’t the only thing in my life. I have to find something that I enjoy doing. This has given me a chance to go learn how to cook, go fish and doing all this stuff."
One word to describe Brian Kelly: “Energetic. You look at all these coaches, and they are hard-nosed guys that want to be quiet. You have a few here and there who are loud and excited, and coach Kelly is definitely one of those guys.”
Best player I’ve played against: West Virginia wide receiver commit Kaden Prather (2021 class).
Most interesting fact about myself: “I know there’s a lot of people who do this, fishing. I haven’t really met many other — other than some of the kids in this recruiting class — that really fish. None of my teammates really did it. I was one of the only ones.”
Most embarrassing song on my playlist: “Marvin’s Room” — Drake.
Most controversial opinion: “Waffles are better than pancakes.”
Dream job (other than the NFL): Marine biology.
NFL player comparison: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. “He’s a hitter, and tackling is something I’m not afraid of.”
Freshman year expectations: “To at least have a spot on the depth chart come game day. To prove myself when I get there and show that I do have the ability to play on the college level.”
Favorite thing about football: “Being able to be physical. If you do the things that you do in football in public, you would probably be arrested. So being able to do that is something I like to do.”
What’s your best sport other than football? Baseball.
Sports idol: Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Preferred social media: Twitter.
Favorite musician/band: New Edition.
Favorite TV show: “The Office.”
Favorite movie: “Friday.”
Celebrity crush: Jhené Aiko.
How many times have you watched Rudy? “More than 10 times. When I was a kid, my grandfather worked for NBC. He was a Notre Dame fan, so my dad was a Notre Dame fan. Growing up, we’d always watch that movie.”