Tag: ND Football Recruiting

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.

Current commit joins Rees in pursuit of ‘23 star WR Tate

There is a current commit that has been in the ear of elite wide receiver Carnell Tate. His efforts seem to be working.

Once again, I had the pleasure of speaking with 2023 wide receiver Carnell Tate, this time in person at Prep RedZone’s Showcase in suburban Chicago. A quick chat with Tate brought out an interesting tidbit regarding his recruitment with Notre Dame.

When I asked about who was recruiting him the hardest right now, Tate’s answer should be getting Irish Nation pretty excited. Tate said, “I definitely say Notre Dame because Pat Coogan has been recruiting me. Talking to me a lot. Like whenever I wear another school, he’s on me about it.”

It seem’s like what Coogan is preaching to Tate is working. The six-foot-two-and-a-half-inch pass catcher arrived in a Fighting Irish long-sleeve shirt.

Although it’s kind of hard to see, you can take my word for it. Tate was wearing a Notre Dame shirt.

What’s next for Tate in his recruitment is getting back to the coaches that have offered him; which also include Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and others. He is the only offer out to an offensive player in the class for the Irish.

Don’t be surprised when other schools step up and offer Tate, it’s just a matter of time. What we hope is that it’s just a matter of time when Tate commits to the Irish.

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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Former Irish commit Colzie sets commitment date, possible recommitment?

One-time Notre Dame commit Deion Colzie has set a date to make his second commitment. Could lightening strike twice for the Irish?

Last October, Brian Kelly scored a huge win when Georgia wide receiver Deion Colzie committed to the Irish. Notre Dame held on to Colzie’s commitment until March 20, when he reopened his recruitment. Colzie now has set a date to commit for the second time.

Taking a look at where some of the experts think Colzie is headed is not very encouraging. At 247Sports, there have been 6 “crystal ball” picks, each one of them favoring instate Georgia. The other pick was made for the Irish, but it was made the day Colzie previously committed to the Irish. It’s noteable that Irish Illustrated insider Tom Loy has picked Georgia.

Rivals sees it the same way, but with an asterisk. Their Notre Dame insider Mike Singer picked the Irish in their FutureCast, after another one of their insiders picked Colzie to recommit as well. So you’re saying there’s a chance?

Right now it tough to tell what Colzie’s intentions are. No doubt, Kelly and wide receivers coach Del Alexander would love for Colzie to rejoin the Irish 2021 recruiting class. Right now, Lorenzo Styles Jr. is the lone commit at the position. We will continue to monitor the situation, as the countdown to September 28 has begun.

Rucci sets commitment date, is Notre Dame an option?

Nolan Rucci, the 5-Star Pennsylvania offensive tackle, has set his announcement date for early next week. Are the Irish a viable option?

Late last January the Irish offered Pennsylvania offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, and the through was Notre Dame would be a player in his recruitment until the end. That is the case, as Rucci, the 14th overall player and nationally the 5th ranked tackle by the 247Sports composite has announced he will commit on Tuesday, televised by CBS Sports HQ.

Rucci will go live with his announcement at 6pm EST, but don’t expect to see Irish head coach Brian Kelly on Twitter with his #WeAreND reaction. Notre Dame has been included in his final 5, but they are on the outside looking in. At 247Sports there are 5 crystal balls, none of them favoring the Irish. The same at Rivals with their FutureCasts favoring Wisconsin, the overwhelming favorite to land the offensive tackle.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, Rucci’s older brother Hayden plays for the Badgers, while his father Todd is Penn State alumnus. Those are really the two schools that have the best chance at the younger Rucci’s commitment.

Kelly would have loved to add Rucci to the ‘21 class, as they currently have two tackles committed in Blake Fisher and Joe Alt. Fisher is a 5-Star like Rucci and Alt is considered more of a project due to his lack of experience playing tackle. When you add in the commits of guard Rocco Spindler and center Pat Coogan, it is a fantastic group even after missing out on Rucci.

Rees behind recruitment of ‘23 WR Tate

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has been leading the charge of 2023 Illinois star wide receiver Carnell Tate.

When Tommy Rees was elevated to offensive coordinator prior to the Irish’s Camping World Bowl game, many wondered how the former Notre Dame signal caller would do calling games and behind the scenes with recruiting.

The jury is still out on Rees’ play calling but he was instrumental in the recruitment of Tyler Buchner, who at the time had yet to be elevated to his new position when he committed. Rees has also been credited with offensive guard Rocco Spindler, wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr., and tight end’s Cane Berrong and Mitchell Evans as a major factor in their recruitments. For the 2022 class, Rees has already made a big impact with instate tackle Joey Tanona commitment.

Looking one more class ahead to 2023, Rees is putting his stamp on Illinois wide receiver Carnell Tate. Tate was interviewed by Fighting Irish Wire, and he let us know that Rees has been leading the charge in his recruitment.

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“Tommy Rees reached out to me, I’ve seen him before like right after our season, in the hallways at school. We talked a little,” is what Tate told me. A freshman with the talent that Tate has sure got Rees’ attention and the ensuing offer was made.

Tate is looking for a place that feels like home, and hopefully when Tate gets a chance to visit South Bend it reminds him of Marist High School (a private Catholic school). Tate did mention he could commit early, but is going to “be patient with his commitment.”

The sophomore is working hard to get better and that’s a very scary for opposing defenses. Tate wants to get a few more offers as he said Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Penn State are some he would like to get in the future. If he continues his current trajectory, Tate will have those offers in hand shortly. Hopefully, it won’t matter and we will see Tate wearing Blue and Gold in the future with Rees leading his recruitment.

WATCH FIW Exclusive: Interview with Carnell Tate

Notre Dame offered ‘23 star wide receiver Carnell Tate and our own Mike Chen got a chance to speak with him about the Irish offer.

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The Notre Dame staff seemingly was focused to get started on the 2022 recruiting class on Tuesday, the first day the NCAA allowed teams to expand contact to direct messages, text messages and mailers. That didn’t stop them from looking even farther ahead and an offer went out to Illinois wide receiver Carnell Tate.

Carnell is an exceptional young man, with a very bright future ahead of him. He is going to be one of the most sought after receivers in the 2022 class, picking up yet another offer from West Virginia yesterday. I got the chance to speak with the Tate yesterday, check out the interview above.

 

Could another Styles be headed to Notre Dame?

The Fighting Irish coaching staff are trying to have Sonny Styles, young brother to commit Lorenzo, join him in South Bend.

The Fighting Irish already have secured a commitment from one Pickerington Central star in Lorenzo Styles Jr. and there is plenty to be excited about his pledge. There could be another Styles on the way to South Bend as Lorenzo’s younger brother, Sonny was offered by Brian Kelly and his staff on the first of the month.

After watching Lorenzo’s highlights from their season opening win, I thought they could be making a move on the younger Styles soon. That’s exactly what happened as Sonny put on a show during a nationally televised game.

The Irish joined instate powerhouse Ohio State in offering the star sophomore, and once again more flip ideas went into many peoples minds. The Buckeyes have done well keeping the best talent in state, but the Irish are one of the very few schools that can pull elite talent out of Ohio. Recently, Notre Dame has pulled offensive lineman Zeke Correll, Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg away from their home state to play for the Blue and Gold.

Rivals once again revisited Lorenzo’s potential for a flip and both of their recruiting experts Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney don’t believe the Buckeyes will be able to. They actually see Michigan as Notre Dame’s biggest threat to flip Styles Jr., but I just don’t see that happening.

Back to Sonny, who seems to be on the verge of blowing up nationally, already with two Midwestern power programs after his pledge. Having a family member as a teammate is always something players will consider and when Lorenzo ultimately signs with the Irish, a build in recruiting advantage will be made.

The recruitment of Sonny is just beginning, but already having a relationship with the Styles family, father Lorenzo played for the Buckeyes, is an advantage that Kelly must take. Lorenzo Jr. is already asking Irish Nation to show his younger brother some love. The Irish coaching staff has already done that and hopefully they will once again be reunited on the field wearing the same colors.