Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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PREP PROFILES Notre Dame's Keith Gilmore has found his next target on the defen- sive line, and it's one that has ties to the Irish. Gilmore was in Central Florida back in early May to see O r l a n d o ( F l a . ) Bishop Moore's Jonathan MacCol- lister work out. It didn't take long for the defensive line coach to get on the phone and let the three-star d e f e n s i v e e n d know that he had an offer to play for the Irish. Gilmore formally offered MacCol- lister on May 9. The recruit told Blue & Gold Illustrated it's a bid that puts Notre Dame right in his lead group of schools along with Auburn, Or- egon, UCLA, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. "It's a huge offer," MacCollister said. "It's one that I have been wait- ing for and one that I have really wanted. My circle had definitely gotten small, but Notre Dame just popped in there." MacCollister, who is unranked at the time, played this past season at Bishop Moore alongside four-star offensive guard Parker Boudreaux. He said that the two are good friends and that is one of the reasons why he has had interest in the Irish. "I have been watching Notre Dame ever since I was a little kid and just know about the tradition they have, but I have learned a lot more about them just because of Parker," Mac- C o l l i s t e r s a i d . " E v e r s i n c e h e c o m m i t t e d t o them, I have been w a t c h i n g a l o t more closely, and he's said a lot of good things about Notre Dame." While the rank- ings suggest that MacCollister might not be one of the top prospects in the area, his of- fer list suggests otherwise. The 6-4, 253-pounder, who doubles as a tight end on offense, was offered by Utah the spring before his junior season. MacCollister said he doesn't have any visits lined up, but also doesn't plan to drag out the recruiting pro- cess and could end his recruitment before August. "I don't want to spend a lot of my time just relaxing when it comes to recruiting," he said. "My plan is to be committed by the start of my sea- son. So whenever that comes in the summer or at the end of summer is when it will happen." — Andrew Ivins Notre Dame Is Targeting Orlando Defensive End JONATHON MACCOLLISTER ✪ ✪ ✪ Bishop Moore Orlando, Fla. Status: Offered Class: 2017 Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 253 40-Yard Dash: 4.85 Rivals Rankings: Currently unrated