Notre Dame linebacker commit Prince Kollie now a top 100 overall recruit, per 247Sports
When Notre Dame offered Prince Kollie a scholarship in May, he was a three-star recruit in the 2021 class.
The Jonesborough (Tenn.) David Crockett High product was pegged as the No. 33 outside linebacker and No. 448 overall player in the class. Rivals slated him as its No. 57 athlete.
Since accruing that offer and verbally committing to the Irish in August, Kollie's stock has skyrocketed. 247Sports now values Kollie as a top 100 overall player in the class as a four-star recruit. Rivals now slates Kollie as its No. 22 athlete this cycle, though he's still a three-star recruit.
Kollie's latest bump in the recruiting rankings came in 247Sports' update on Wednesday. 247Sports now ranks Kollie as its No. 6 outside linebacker and No. 91 overall player in this cycle. He ascended 142 overall spots from the last 247Sports update.
No linebacker recruit to sign with Notre Dame has ranked inside the top 100 overall players in their class on 247Sports since Nyles Morgan (No. 98) in 2014. Daelin Hayes (No. 31) and Jack Lamb (No. 77) cracked the top 100 on Rivals in the 2016 and 2018 classes, respectively.
At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, Kollie brings intriguing versatility. He could play rover or inside linebacker. He draws comparisons to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame's multi-faceted rover.
“He has the athletic ability to grow into a linebacker,” CBS Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming told the Tribune in September. “But I think he could be a little bit more of a rover right now because of his speed. He doesn’t have a lot of weight to him yet. But he has the frame to add that weight. So I think it’s just a matter of once he gets to Notre Dame, where they prefer him at and where they think his growth will eventually make him.”
Kollie completed his senior football season last Friday. South-Doyle High eliminated David Crockett (9-3), 27-20, in the second round of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division I Class 5A playoffs.
In 12 games, Kollie lined up at inside linebacker, running back and wildcat quarterback. He recorded 1,562 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 181 carries, 13 catches for 290 yards and three scores, and 109 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and one interception.
“His versatility is off the charts,” David Crockett head coach Hayden Chandley told the Tribune in September. “It’s unlimited, really, what you can do with Prince. We talked with (Irish defensive coordinator Clark) Lea about how his second and third year, how maybe in some third-and-long situations, putting him at defensive end and letting him rush the passer.
“I really think his game translates in so many ways that you can really use him as needed. He’s kind of that utility guy and can really play a handful of positions based on what your team needs.
“I think that’s the biggest thing with Prince — he brings so much to the table and he allows you to do so many things because of how versatile he is.”
Among Notre Dame's other pledges, offensive lineman Joe Alt also received a significant boost in 247Sports' updated rankings. The Fridley (Minn.) Totino-Grace product elevated 158 spots to 178 overall. The bump earned him four-star status as the No. 21 offensive tackle in the class.
247Sports likes Alt's untapped potential and how his body continues to develop. At 6-7, 283, Alt gained approximately 26 pounds since pledging to Notre Dame in July. He will transition to offensive tackle next year after playing tight end in high school.
The following Irish commits also appeared among the top 247 overall players in 247Sports' updated rankings: offensive tackle Blake Fisher (No. 85), quarterback Tyler Buchner (No. 88), offensive guard Rocco Spindler (No. 93), wide receivers Deion Colzie (No. 114) and Lorenzo Styles Jr. (129), defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio (No. 148) and cornerback Philip Riley (No. 233).
Fisher stayed put while Buchner ascended three spots overall. Spindler (13), Colzie (four), Styles (four), Rubio (one), and Riley (14) descended in the overall rankings.
247Sports and Rivals both peg the 21-player class at No. 10 nationally.
