Notre Dame’s last linebacker commitment came nearly two years ago in the 2019 recruiting class, but that changed today.
Jonesborough (Tenn.) David Crockett’s Prince Kollie has been previously listed as an athlete, but he has been recruited as a linebacker for the Fighting Irish, and their efforts pursuing him have paid off.
The 6-2, 205-pounder announced his commitment to Notre Dame over fellow finalists Georgia, LSU, Louisville and Oklahoma today. He held more than 30 scholarship offers in total.
Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clark Lea led the charge for the Irish in Kollie’s recruitment.
“Prince has spoken very highly of the program and what their coaches bring to the table,” David Crockett head coach Hayden Chandley previously told BlueandGold.com. “I know that it’s a very historic program and it speaks for itself — not only the football program, but the education that comes with it. It’s a very intriguing place and it definitely has Prince’s attention.”
Rivals lists him with a 5.6 recruit ranking, the mid-level designation for a three-star prospect, but due to the pandemic, analysts have not been able to see him in person. Either way, it seems likely that he will rise in the rankings before it’s all said and done.
Kollie did it all for David Crockett last season, catching 68 passes for 1,085 yards and nine touchdowns on offense, while also recording 78 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, seven passes defended, one fumble recovery and three forced fumbles on defense.
“He’s extremely physical and has a nose for the football,” Chandley added. “He has good sideline-to-sideline speed and just finds the football. His instincts are off the charts. I think he’s extremely versatile. He’s played three different positions for us in two years. His sophomore year [he played] more of our strong safety position — a back-end player for us.
“Transitioning to his junior year, he was the guy who split the No. 2 and 3 receiver — playing to the field out in space. We had an injury to our starting linebacker during game eight, and we moved Prince inside the box to our Mike linebacker. He excelled exceptionally well with limited practice.
“It’s been really cool to watch him evolve from his sophomore year to what he is now. His instincts take over. He gets better with each and every game.”
Kollie is the eighth defensive and 16th overall commitment in Notre Dame’s 2021 class.
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