Notre Dame entered the day with 17 commitments. Rivals.com three-star cornerback Ramon Henderson joined the group this afternoon, the cherry on top of the Irish sundae known as the class of 2020. With his commitment and signing, Notre Dame is pushing 90 scholarships for 2020, leaving some space to cover to get to the NCAA maximum of 85.
RAMON HENDERSON
Liberty High School; Bakersfield, Calif.
Measurements: 6'3”, 180 lbs.Accolades: A rivals.com three-star, Henderson rated as the No. 63 recruit in California.
Other Notable Offers: Henderson’s commitment was not a total surprise; as the process wound down, Utah was the greatest Irish competition. Tennesee, Washington and Oklahoma also chased Henderson pretty aggressively, giving you an idea of how little faith to put in that three-star ranking.
Projected Position: Cornerback, especially with the long arms that accompany his 6-foot-3 frame.
Quick Take: A 6-foot-3 athlete able to run sub-10.6 in the 100-meter dash typically projects as a receiver, but Henderson’s ability to read routes makes him a plenty dangerous cornerback, with that size helping him handle physical receivers and that speed allowing him to recover as needed.
Short-Term Roster Outlook: Henderson becomes the fourth cornerback to sign with Notre Dame today. That may seem like an unwanted influx, but for the Irish, it is necessary. Presuming the NCAA grants Shaun Crawford a sixth year of eligibility, Notre Dame currently has just five cornerbacks on the roster, with three of them hardly having played at all. Thus, these four signees were desperately needed to correct the mistakes made in the 2017 recruiting cycle.
Henderson may be the best of the four, and that alone could get him on the field in a contributing role in 2020.
Long-View Depth Chart Impact: Even if Henderson does not crack the two-deep next season, the cornerback depth issue will be a concern for at least another year, meaning opportunities will abound for a player as tall as he is and as fast as he is.