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Notre Dame CB Philip Riley no longer with Fighting Irish football program

IMG_9992by: Tyler Horka03/22/23tbhorka
notre dame philip riley
Notre Dame class of 2021 cornerback signee Philip Riley. (Photo by Chad Weaver/BGI)

The top-rated defensive back from Notre Dame’s recruiting class of 2021 is on his way out of South Bend. Cornerback Philip Riley is no longer with the Fighting Irish, head coach Marcus Freeman announced Wednesday.

Riley arrived at Notre Dame as a four-star prospect and the No. 26 overall corner in the country per the On3 Consensus Industry Rankings out of Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale High School. He only played six defensive snaps in his two seasons with the Fighting Irish.

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The 5-11 1/2, 195-pound Riley wasn’t ever able to ascend the depth chart. Clarence Lewis and Cam Hart had a stranglehold on the outside CB spots in 2021. This year, it was Hart and freshman Benjamin Morrison with help from Lewis and freshman Jaden Mickey. Morrison and Mickey instantly leapt over Riley in their first year with the program.

Hart announced he’ll be back at Notre Dame for a fifth season on Nov. 29. With Morrison breaking out as a star as a true freshman, he’s bound to have one of the two outside slots locked up for at least two years. Mickey seems poised to blossom into a reliable nickel corner. Lewis can hang around for up to two more years, too.

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Four-star signee Christian Gray was Notre Dame’s No. 4 overall signee in the class of 2023. He’ll have potential to play right away like Morrison and Mickey. There simply is not an easy path to playing time at the Irish cornerback positions in the near future.

Riley was one of three Notre Dame sophomore corners who was not able to get on the the field much in 2022. He did not play a single special teams snap, and his six defensive snaps all came in the snowy, blowout win over Boston College on Nov. 19. The other sophomore CBs, Ryan Barnes and Chance Tucker, played zero and 17 defensive snaps, respectively. Tucker’s also all came vs. Boston College.

Riley will bring three years of eligibility with him wherever he goes.

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