Class Impact: Wide Receiver Deion Colzie To Notre Dame
Notre Dame has picked up a commitment from Athens (Ga.) Academy star wide receiver Deion Colzie. This is a big pickup for the Irish, who have added a talented wide receiver to the offensive class.
Colzie committed to Notre Dame last October before de-committing in March, but the Irish staff stayed on him and ultimately got him back in the class.
Let's look at how Colzie's commitment impacts the Notre Dame class and depth chart.
CLASS IMPACT
Colzie is the 18th commitment for Notre Dame in the 2021 class, and he's the tenth offensive player to join the group.
Getting Colzie back in the fold helps solidify the Irish skill class in 2021. Colzie is ranked as the No. 71 player in the country according to ESPN and the No. 84 player in the ESPN 300.
Notre Dame also has a commitment from Top 100 quarterback Tyler Buchner (consensus), Top 100 wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Rivals) and Top 100 tight end Cane Berrong (SI All-American, ESPN).
With Styles and Colzie in the class Notre Dame now has a pair of wideouts ranked in the Top 100 by at least one recruiting service.
Notre Dame also has a pair of Top 100 offensive linemen in Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler.
Styles and Colzie are also ideal complements to each other, and to last year's class. The Irish landed an outstanding trio of wideouts in the 2020 class (Jordan Johnson, Xavier Watts, Jay Brunelle), but none are considered "big receivers," but Colzie is. That means Colzie not only adds impact talent, but he also fills a very important specific need at the position.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Johnson can certainly play the boundary, but his skill set is versatile and his game is ideally suited for one of the two field positions. The rest of the 2020 and 2021 receiver commits are field players as well.
Colzie, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for Notre Dame's boundary receiver spot. He has top-notch height and length, he has the skills to be an excellent one-on-one player and he has the speed to stretch the field.
His speed is already above-average for his size, and Colzie has the potential to take another jump in explosiveness once he gets in the Notre Dame strength program. Much like Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool before him, I anticipate Colzie seeing a boost in deep speed once he gets to Notre Dame and starts to develop.
Colzie has a natural feel as a route runner, possessing the foot quickness and body control to be precise and clean with his top ends, and once he develops the nuances of the position he'll become a very difficult matchup.
The Athens star has top-notch hands and ball skills. He tracks the deep ball well, can make contested catches, shows supreme confidence in his hands and he is more than willing to work the middle of the field.
Colzie is also athletic enough to do damage after the catch. In many ways he has a combination of both Boykin and Claypool, which is likely a big reason the Notre Dame staff made him such a top priority, and why he's one of the nation's best pass catchers.
To read my full film breakdown of Colzie CLICK HERE.
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