Ronald Darby Decommits from Notre Dame: Breaking Down His New Contenders

With veteran senior starters Gary Gray and Robert Blanton both departing South Bend, cornerback is going to be one of the biggest need areas for Notre Dame going into the 2012 season. 

Head Coach Brian Kelly thought he had a player that could help be part of the solution to that problem in standout cornerback prospect Ronald Darby—a four-star recruit out of Maryland's Potomac high school—who gave his verbal commitment to the Irish back in April of 2011. 

But after eight months of staying committed to Notre Dame, Darby has suddenly decided to reopen his recruitment with just a few weeks left before National Signing Day. 

That certainly isn't good news for a team with such a glaring hole at cornerback. But, at this point, it's still tough to predict where Darby will actually end up. 

Here's a look at the top five potential contenders for the talented, young corner's services 

Clemson Tigers

Judging from the 70 points that Clemson gave up to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl, the Tigers could use a little help on the defensive side of the ball for the 2012 season.

And, with top cornerback Coty Sensabaugh leaving, there will be plenty of room for Ronald Darby to make an early impact at Clemson if he chooses the Tigers. 

Coach Dabo Swinney has done a terrific job on the recruiting trail over the past few years, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him nab another big highly touted prospect like Darby in 2012. 

Florida State Seminoles

Florida State will return two of the nation's top cornerbacks—Xavier Rhodes and Greg Reid—next season, but 2012 will likely be the last campaign for both, as Reid will be a senior and Rhodes will likely enter his name into the 2013 NFL draft. 

If Ronald Darby makes the decision to go to Tallahassee, he has a great chance to become a starter by his second year. 

LSU Tigers

Pretty soon we may have to start calling LSU "Cornerback U."

The Tigers are on pace to produce three straight first-round cornerback prospects—Patrick Peterson in 2011, Mo Claiborne in 2012 and presumably Tyrann Mathieu in 2013—and that has to be music to the ears of any top cornerback recruit in America who has dreams of making it to the NFL one day. 

Although LSU is one of the few top schools in the country that has yet to offer a scholarship to Ronald Darby, I'm sure Les Miles could find some room for him if the young four-star recruit is seriously interested in coming to Baton Rouge. 

Auburn Tigers

Gene Chizik is turning Auburn into a recruiting powerhouse.

And, despite the tough transition year the Tigers had to endure in 2011, they'll be back in contention in the SEC next season. 

Ronald Darby already paid a visit down to Auburn for the Iron Bowl, and the Tigers are a team that will definitely be on his radar in the coming weeks. 

Never discount the persuasive recruiting tactics that Chizik and his staff use.

Maryland Terrapins

Randy Edsall's first year at Maryland certainly can't be characterized as a dream season, as the Terrapins were known more for their wacky jersey combinations than their actual relevancy on the field.

They went just 2-10 in 2011. 

After such a disappointing campaign, it seems like a long shot that a recruit the caliber of Ronald Darby would sign with the school. But, given that Darby lives just a half-hour away from the Maryland campus, Edsall will at least have the viable "stay close to home" pitch to make. 

Don't Count out the Irish

Just because Ronald Darby decided to decommit from Notre Dame, doesn't necessarily mean that the Irish are all of a sudden out of the running to land him.

It just means that Brian Kelly and his staff are going to have to work a little harder to convince Darby that South Bend is truly the right place for him. 

The idea of starting as a freshman has to be enticing to Darby, but Kelly will now have to show him that Notre Dame is truly headed in the right direction after another mediocre 8-5 season. 

Kelly has been making waves on the recruiting trail ever since he arrived in South Bend, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him figure out a way to reel Darby back in by the time National Signing Day rolls around.