Audric Estime, Prince Kollie Named Gatorade State Players Of The Year
Two Notre Dame four-star signees earned Gatorade Football Player of the Year honors in their respective states.
Linebacker Prince Kollie won the award for Tennessee, while running back Audric Estime claimed it for New Jersey, Gatorade announced Thursday. It’s the latest national recognition for both.
Kollie was a two-way player at linebacker and running back for Jonesborough (Tenn.) David Crockett High School. He rushed for 1,562 yards and 26 touchdowns on 181 carries in 2020, leading his team to a 9-3 record and the second round of the Tennessee Class 5A state playoffs. He also caught 13 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he had 109 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.
The 6-2, 210-pound Kollie is a two-time first-team all-state selection, the 2020 Tennessee Class 5A Mr. Football winner and a MaxPreps Second Team All-American. He also won the high school Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s best linebacker.
Rivals ranked Kollie as the No. 242 player in 2021 class. He chose Notre Dame in August 2020 from a list of more than 30 offers. He had a top five of Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Notre Dame and Oklahoma. He ended his junior season with zero offers. He has a 3.47 GPA.
“Kollie is scary when you see him on film, and even scarier in person,” Clark Duncan, head coach at South-Doyle (Tenn.) High School, said in Gatorade’s press release. “I don’t think there’s a better football player in Tennessee. He’s fast and very athletic. He can cover from sideline to sideline and he’ll really hit you. He’s got great tools on both sides of the ball.”
Estime ran for 1,838 yards and 22 touchdowns on 185 carries as a senior for Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph Regional. He added 14 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
Gatorade’s is the third New Jersey player of the year award for Estime. MaxPreps and NJ.com previously named him their 2020 winners. He was also a first-team all-state selection.
“Estime has been the best back in the state of New Jersey for the past two seasons,” Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) coach Bill Fitzgerald said in Gatorade’s release. “He’s big, with breakaway speed, and he’s got excellent hands when he’s used in the passing game.”
The No. 130 player in the 2021 Rivals 150, Estime (6-1, 215) flipped his commitment from Michigan State to Notre Dame on Dec. 18.
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_,and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.