Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2021 31 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER Athens (Ga.) Academy class of 2021 wide receiver Deion Colzie made a household name for himself tearing it up on the football field. He earned an offer from the Fight- ing Irish after impressing the coaching staff at a camp in June 2019. Then, following a recruit- ing process that included an early commitment to Notre Dame, a decommitment and eventually a recommitment, Colzie inked with the Irish in December. The Notre Dame signee has had very little down time dur- ing his prep career. During the fall, it's all about football. Once that ends, he's right into bas- ketball season, and then comes track and field. As much as Colzie loves foot- ball, he also enjoys dunking on the hardwood even more. As the star football player at Athens Academy for the past few seasons, Colzie knew the opposition's game plan was centered on stopping him and expectations were high. Play- ing basketball is all about fun. "For pure enjoyment, it's basketball," said Colzie, who earned all-region honors as a sophomore in 2019. "I feel way less pressure in that. It's just going out and having fun, like playing pick-up basketball pretty much." On the track, Colzie was a Georgia Class A private state runner-up as a freshman and sophomore in the high jump. His personal-best in the event was six feet, eight inches in 2019. The time he's spent working on his leaping ability has translated well to the gridiron. "I started back in seventh grade because I was tall and could jump," Colzie explained. "When I got to high school, I realized that the event helped me increase my leaping ability in the red zone and jump ball situations. I've learned how to take off from the ground to get the maximum amount of air. "Being a 17-year-old and just jumping around for fun, six feet, eight inches is really good." Colzie also runs the 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay and the open 400 meters. With his 6-3, 200-pound frame, folks may jump to the conclusion that Colzie is more of a "possession receiver." However, he has de- ceptive speed. "My legs are longer than most people's, so it takes me a while to get going, but after about 10 yards, it's just pure speed at that point," he said. ✦ Deion Colzie Was A Multi-Sport Standout At The Prep Level In addition to excelling on the gridiron, Colzie has competed in basket- ball and track and field. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER DEION COLZIE WIDE RECEIVER 6-3 · 200 ATHENS ACADEMY MCDONOUGH, GA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 144 20 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 75 11 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 116 14 13 STATISTICS • Hauled in 31 receptions for 571 yards and seven touchdowns while battling an injury during his senior season. • Caught 39 passes for 867 yards and 13 touch- downs, plus posted four interceptions (two re- turned for scores), during his junior season in 2019. NOTABLE • Born on July 28, 2003. • Selected to play in the 2021 All-American Bowl in San Antonio and Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu, but both games were canceled. • Named to the 2020 Touchdown Club of Atlanta All-Star Team, honoring the best prep football players in Georgia. • Member of the 2020 Athens Banner-Herald Terrific 10 and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11. • 2019 Georgia Class A-Private School first-team defensive back. • Averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks per game in regular season basketball action in 2019, earning a Geor- gia Region 8-A first-team selection. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame in October 2019 before decommitting from the Irish in March 2020, citing that he rushed his decision. • Was considered by pundits as a near lock to sign with the in-state Georgia Bulldogs, but Flor- ida, Notre Dame and Tennessee continued to re- cruit him. The Irish outlasted the SEC programs in pursuit and won his recruitment on Sept. 28, 2020. • Recruited by wide receivers coach Del Alexan- der and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. 2021 PROJECTION • Colzie will have an opportunity to throw his hat in the ring with the departures of Javon McKinley and Ben Skowronek, but expectations should be tempered as a true freshman. THEY SAID IT Rivals Southeast analyst Chad Simmons: "Colzie is a legit 6-foot-4 wide receiver with long arms, good bend and the ability to win 50-50 balls. He has the size and the ability to be the next big wideout to make plays in South Bend. Colzie is not all about the flash and attention, but he is one of details. He is a very smart young man who is always working to get better. "His long frame and leaping ability are not his only strengths. He has strong hands, he is willing to block on the perimeter, and he is as unselfish as they come. Colzie can still improve on his top-end speed and the ability to separate from elite defen- sive backs, but with his size, he is able to use that to shield defenders." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "This is a tall, very athletic receiver with 4.5 speed. He shows strong hands and can highpoint the ball as well as any receiver in the state. He's good off of press coverage, shows very good speed for someone his size and has good body control and balance. "He's a natural receiver and also looks good as a defensive back. He shows enough agility to make most defenders miss in the open field and is dy- namic on quick screens."