Tag: Deion Colzie

Notre Dame talking with ‘21 WR Thornton everyday, what does it mean?

The Irish have three WR commits already in the fold for ‘21, but are still recruiting another one hard. What does that mean?

When Jayden Thomas committed last week, it gave Brian Kelly three spectacular prospects at the position for the 2021 recruiting class. According to a report today, one-time Penn State commit Dont’e Thornton is talking with the Irish staff every day.

With Thomas, Lorenzo Styles Jr. and Deion Colzie already committed, it makes you wonder what the staff is thinking going after another receiver. There are only three outgoing seniors at the position, and in last year’s class there were three players that signed. Fifteen total players will be on the roster next year, not including the three commits.

The group has yet to break out this year, but Kelly is confident they will. Kevin Austin and Bennett Skoronek return this week, while Braden Lenzy gets healthier and healthier each week. Skoronek is one of the three with their eligibility running out, Avery Davis and Javon McKinley the others. None have really made an impact.

Keeping all this in mind, could there be a player on the roster or a committed player be in line for a position change? After seeing highlights from this past weekend, immediately Lorenzo Styles Jr.’s name came to mind.

This is the reason why he came to mind. Styles Jr. has the skill set to play defense and after losing cornerback commit Philip Riley, there is a need at the position. The current two commits, Ryan Barnes and Chance Tucker are great players, but neither have the ceiling Styles Jr. does.

The frame Styles Jr. would bring to the position would be elite, 6-foot-1-inch and 185–pounds is an imposing figure at corner. Size would never be an issue with any receiver he would go up against.

Yes, the Irish would gladly take a commitment from Thornton, but his continued recruitment does open up possibilities for Styles Jr. to end up on the other side of the ball. Although Richard Sherman’s change was while he was at Stanford, it sure worked out well for him. Here’s hoping that if Styles Jr. does move to the defensive side of the ball, it ends up similar to one of the best corners in the game.

Notre Dame recruiting ranking update after Thomas commitment

So how did the addition of Notre Dame’s second four-star wide receiver in a week and third of the class effect their overall ranking in the eyes of the recruiting experts?

Notre Dame received more good news on the recruiting front on Friday when four-star wide receiver Jayden Thomas of Pace Academy in Atlanta announced his commitment to the Fighting Irish.

So how did the addition of Notre Dame’s second four-star wide receiver in a week and third of the class effect their overall ranking in the eyes of the recruiting experts?

247Sports:  9th

Notre Dame is up two spots to number nine after checking in just outside the top ten at 11 on Tuesday after the Deion Colzie commitment earlier in the week.  Notre Dame leap-frogged both Michigan and Miami to move into the ninth overall spot.

Rivals:  10th

Notre Dame sneaks into the top ten in the Rivals rankings as well, moving past Miami for that tenth spot.  The Irish are also right on the heels of ninth ranked and traditional powerhouse Clemson in these.

ESPN – 11th – Have not updated rankings since Thomas commitment.

For more information on Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class be sure to meet all 19 current commitments!

Notre Dame Football: Irish land commit from two-sport star

Notre Dame received great news on Friday as four-star high school senior Jayden Thomas announced his commitment to the University. Thomas joins a Notre Dame class that is fighting to be among the top ten in the nation in 2021 and a class of …

Notre Dame received great news on Friday as four-star high school senior Jayden Thomas announced his commitment to the University.

Thomas joins a Notre Dame class that is fighting to be among the top ten in the nation in 2021 and a class of receivers that is shaping up to be very special as Thomas joins Deion Colzie and Lorenzo Styles, Jr. as four-star commitments are the wide receiver position.

Thomas is listed at 6-1, 205 pounds and attends Pace Academy in Atlanta. He’s the second four-star receiver to commit to Notre Dame in a week as Deion Colzie of Athens re-committed to the Irish just days ago.

The commitment brings Notre Dame’s total to 19 in the 2021 class as it nears completion.

Thomas is also a fantastic baseball player and will join the likes of Torii Hunter, Jr., Cole Kmet, Jeff Samardzija, Golden Tate and several others who have played both football and baseball at Notre Dame.

Scouts Eye: Notre Dame’s newest commit, WR Jayden Thomas

The Irish added a 3rd wide receiver prospect in their 2021 recruiting class. Find out what to expect out the newest Notre Dame commit.

The Irish have added a pair of Georgia  wide receivers to their 2021 recruiting class just this week. On Monday, it was Deion Colzie, deciding that Notre Dame really was the place he wanted to be after decommitting in March. Today it was Jayden Thomas pulling the trigger for the Irish. Here’s what to expect from the newest Irish commit Thomas.

Check out Thomas’ junior highlight reel here.

A game-breaker who can make plays multiple ways. Thomas is able to take direct snaps sometimes completing a pass, splitting out wide or in the slot, change the field with a punt return or even return kickoffs. He runs good, crisp routes and uses his body well to shield off defenders. Thomas does a good job using his hands to catch the ball, rarely using his body to catch. He’s a willing blocker who will get better at it as he gets stronger. Thomas plays both ways, showing that he can flip his hips well enough to adjust to balls that aren’t the most accurate throws. I love that he’s a two-sport athlete as well. Thomas could be an addition to Link Jarrett’s baseball team as well.

The Irish are getting a fantastic prospect as Rivals rates him as the 195th overall player and 36th wide receiver. At 247Sports, they have Thomas as the  260th player and 45th wide receiver nationally. ESPN has him ranked as the 218th overall player.

With Thomas’ commitment, the Notre Dame class now stands at 19 players, good for 9th best overall class in the country according to the 247Sports composite (although it has yet to be updated, I used their class calculator to add Thomas). It’s a great collection of prospects that Kelly and company have assembled.

UGA recruiting: hometown WR Deion Colzie makes commitment

Four-star wide receiver Deion Colzie of Athens Academy has committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish over the Georgia Bulldogs.

Wide receiver Deion Colzie decommitted from Notre Dame back in March and reopened his recruitment. Colzie is a member of the class of 2021 and has now re-affirmed his commitment to the Fighting Irish.

Colzie plays for Athens Academy in Athens, Georgia, and is probably the best hometown prospect for the Georgia Bulldogs this year. Colzie is rated as a four-star recruit.

Per 247Sports, Georgia was a slight crystal ball favorite to land Colzie. Three of the six favored of the Bulldogs earlier in Sept. on Colzie’s 247Sports profile page.  Will Colzie stick the Fighting Irish for good or later flip to his hometown team, the Georgia Bulldogs?

Colzie ranks as the nation’s No. 84 overall prospect and as the No. 14 wide receiver in the 2021 class.

The Athens recruit released his top 10 via Twitter several months ago. He put Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ole Miss, Penn State, Virginia, Florida and Alabama among his top schools.

Kirby Smart and Georgia will have to hope to keep the hometown kid in Athens via a last minute flip. UGA currently has two commitments from wide receivers in the class of 2021: Adonai Mitchell and Jackson Meeks.

Best of luck to Colzie with the Fighting Irish. I wouldn’t rule out a flip at this point, but for now, Colzie’s committed to Notre Dame.

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Welcome back Deion Colzie, WR rejoins Irish 2021 class

The talented Georgia star has decided to recommit to his dream school.

The wild recruiting ride of Georgia star wide receiver Deion Colzie has finally come to an happy ending for the Irish as the star has recommitted to Brian Kelly and Notre Dame.

A quick timeline of events for Colzie, his initial commitment to the Irish happening last year on October 19 then his decommitment on March 20 of this year. This came as a shock to much of Irish Nation as Colzie has multiple times mentioned his dream school resided in South Bend.

Colzie is welcomed back with open arms as he rejoins the 2021 class, which now has 18 commits. Lorenzo Styles Jr. is the other wide receiver commit in the class, the pair give the Irish two of the best in the country.

Now that Colzie has rejoined the Irish, the overall ranking of the class has jumped from 14th in the nation to 11th according to 247Sports composite rankings.

What a great way to start the week off for Notre Dame.

Midweek Recruiting Update: Johnson offer, latest on Colzie, and more

A look at the latest recruiting news for Notre Dame Football.

It’s safe to say that it’s been fairly quiet on the recruiting trail for the Irish. The coaching staff changed that last night, as they offered Northwestern commit Theran Johnson.

The instate cornerback has been committed to the ‘Cats since May 3 of this year, Johnson is a very solid prospect. He stands six-feet tall and weights 170-pounds. The offer should catch Johnsons attention as aside from Northwestern, every other one of his offers are from non-Power Five schools.

I love this offer, Johnson is a player that might take some time to develop, but getting some of the better talent in Indiana to play for the Irish is a positive development. Almost all of the top 25 players in the state are heading off to a Power Five team, the Irish only have a commit from Blake Fisher. Yes, he’s a big one, literally and figuratively, the top overall player in the state.

Looking ahead at what’s to come for the Irish, the potential for Georgia wide receiver Deion Colzie to rejoin the class is looking better and better as we inch towards his commitment date on the 28th of this month.

Tom Loy, of Irish Illustrated, changed his crystal ball pick to the Irish. That gives me a ton of confidence that as of right now, Colzie is trending to rejoining Lorenzo Styles Jr. as the wide receivers in the 2021 class.

Right now the class consists of nine players on offense: quarterback Tyler Buchner, running back Logan Diggs, Styles Jr., Fisher, offensive tackle Joe Alt, guard Rocco Spindler, center Pat Coogan and tight end’s Mitchell Evans and Cane Berrong.

The defensive commits are a group of nine as well: defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio, defensive ends David Abiara and Jason Onye, linebackers Prince Collie and Will Schweitzer, and defensive backs Philip Riley, Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker and Justin Walters.

The group of 18 players ranks 12th at ESPN, 13th at 247Sports and 11th at Rivals. Brian Kelly has a solid group of three players committed in the 2022 class: offensive tackle Joey Tanona, tight end Jack Nickel and safety Nolan Ziegler.

It has been a bit slow, but with Colzie’s timeline to recommit set and spatula being brought out to flip Johnson, there could be some positive movement for the Irish. Stay tuned to Fighting Irish Wire for the latest in Notre Dame Football recruiting.

UGA football recruiting: hometown WR Deion Colzie sets commitment date

The Georgia Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are vying for a commitment from 4-star Athens, Georgia wide receiver Deion Colzie.

Wide receiver Deion Colzie decommitted from Notre Dame back in March and reopened his recruitment. Colzie is a member of the talented class of 2021.

Colzie plays for Athens Academy in Athens, Georgia, and is the best hometown prospect for the Georgia Bulldogs in some time. Colzie is rated as a four-star recruit.

Per 247Sports, Georgia is a slight crystal ball favorite to land Colzie. Three of the six favor of the Bulldogs on Colzie’s 247Sports profile page. Notre Dame has the other predictions, including a few recent projections this Sept. Will Colzie re-commit to the Fighting Irish or flip to his hometown team, the Georgia Bulldogs?

Colzie ranks as the nation’s No. 84 overall prospect and as the No. 14 wide receiver in the 2021 class.

The Athens recruit released his top 10 via Twitter several months ago. He put Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ole Miss, Penn State, Virginia, Florida and Alabama in his top 10.

Colzie will be picking among these schools when he makes his commitment on Sept. 28. He’s a UGA football recruiting target to watch.

Kirby Smart and Georgia will hope to keep the hometown kid at home. UGA currently has two commitments from wide receivers in the class of 2021: Adonai Mitchell and Jackson Meeks.

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Colzie Recommit? Rivals Weighs In on Notre Dame’s Chances

Georgia star wide receiver Deion Colzie released his Top 10 schools a few days ago and Rivals assesses where his recruitment stands.

When Georgia wide receiver Deion Colzie committed to Notre Dame on October 12th of last year it was seen as a huge recruiting win for Brian Kelly. When Colzie decommitted at the end of March, many wondered why because the Irish were viewed as his dream school.

Yes, the Irish as still squarely in his recruitment, Colzie included them in his newly released Top 10 schools just a few days ago. Encouraging news, but if that’s what you want to hear, then you better stop reading this right now. Rivals featured Colzie and others as they looked at how things stand with their Top 5 uncommitted wide receiver prospects.

Mike Farrell isn’t high on the Irish’s chances to regain a commit from the talented receiver. The way he sees Colzie’s recruitment isn’t news that the Irish want to hear, “Notre Dame did a good job landing Colzie, and academic are important to him, but getting a chance to compete at Georgia with Vandagriff is too much to pass on.” Brock Vandagriff is an in-state Georgia quarterback commit, Rivals ranks him as the best QB prospect in the nation and a Top 5 player.

It isn’t common to see prospects decommit from a program to recommit at a later date. The Notre Dame staff will continue to try and get Colzie to recommit, but don’t be surprised at all if he ultimately ends up staying home and playing for the Bulldogs.

Notre Dame Makes Cut for Former Star Commitment

Deion Colzie is one of the top wide receivers in the 2021 recruiting class. The one-time Notre Dame commitment hasn’t eliminated the Irish.

Notre Dame once had a commitment from wide receiver Deion Colzie of Athens, Georgia before the star high school senior-to-be stepped away from that and reopened his recruitment.

Colzie still hasn’t announced the school of his choice but did make a cut down to ten teams over the weekend and Notre Dame is still in the discussion.

Notre Dame joins Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, Oregon, Virginia and Florida for the talented receiver.

247Sports ranks Colzie as the third best receiver in the 2021 recruiting class while the 247Sports composite rankings find him to be the 45th best prospect in the entire class and fifth best receiver.

Tom Loy of 247Sports reported the following of Colzie:

“In talking to a source on this front, some on the staff believe that if Colzie agrees to get back on campus at some point before making a decision, the staff feels strongly that they can get him back on board. However, again, nobody feels great about a return trip taking place. They are just hopeful at this point.” – Tom Loy of 247Sports

That’s not the most-optimistic of looks for the Fighting Irish who currently have just one wide receiver in their 2021 recruiting class, Lorenzo Styles, Jr.