Ronald Darby Decommits from Notre Dame: Why the Irish Can Still Get Him Back

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish landed one of the top players in the country in cornerback Ronald Darby. He's rated as the No.1 corner on many recruiting sites and looked like he would be a big pickup for a secondary that will have many holes after this season.

Now, Darby has decided to decommit and is back out on the market.

Although Irish fans should be a little worried because he is a top player, they still have a great chance to win over the heart of this top prospect. 

"They're in it. They are still there." Darby said when taking about Notre Dame.

Here are a few reasons why the Irish can still land the top cornerback in the country.

He'll Likely Start Right Away

Not only is Darby a great talent, but the secondary is a huge need for this team right now. Both safeties and starting cornerbacks are gone after this year. The replacements on the depth chart lack experience, and for the most part, aren't as talented as Darby is.

He'd have the opportunity to come in right away and compete for a starting job. He can't really say the same for many other schools he's currently looking at. 

Best Cornerback Tandem

Although the Irish are losing quite a bit of experience in the secondary, they do have a great recruiting class coming in. Cornerback Tee Shepard is another top recruit that the Irish landed, and Darby would have the opportunity to play with him on the same field. 

Could you imagine two shutdown cornerbacks taking away the opposing teams top two receivers? It'd really help this young Irish team out and help cover up a lot of other holes on this team.

Look at LSU, for example, and where they are with Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu.

This cornerback tandem could be just as good as them and provide two key pieces to getting this program back on track. Will Darby really say no to something like that?

It's Notre Dame

Sure, Notre Dame may not be the same program they were several years ago, but it's only a matter of time before they're back on top. There's a reason nearly every top recruit at least considers becoming a member of this team.

Notre Dame has a lot to offer as far as education, national exposure and of course just being a part of one of the most prestigious schools out there. That alone will keep the Irish in the running for the nation's top cornerback.

Darby is looking at other schools like Clemson, Auburn, Florida State and Alabama, among others. But very few can match the history and the tradition that Notre Dame has.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]