Making the Case: Four-star WR Deion Colzie
Deion Colzie, one of the top uncommitted prospects in Georgia recently narrowed his recruitment to Florida, Notre Dame and Tennessee and is expected to announce his decision on Sept. 28.
Colzie was at one point committed to the Irish, so Notre Dame has done an excellent job staying in this race. They are battling two SEC programs, both closer to home.
Will Colzie end up a Gator, Volunteer or back with the Irish? We polled analysts and publishers from the Rivals network to take a closer look at where Colzie will land.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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FLORIDA
“Florida has been considered a darkhorse in recent months, and is now labeled as one of three finalists heading into this month's decision. The Gators haven't been buzzing as much as some additional schools, at least publicly, but Dan Mullen's staff has certainly been putting forth the effort behind the scenes, especially Billy Gonzales. Colzie is intrigued by his track record of developing and getting the most out of pass catchers, and the two have constructed a tight-knit relationship that is largely responsible for UF's late surge. Academics will arguably be the most important factor in Colzie's decision, and with Florida being the only university that currently ranks in the top 10 for both football and academics, you know Gonzales is echoing that during his presentations as well. With less than a handful of scholarships available, the Gators are currently being selective and only prioritizing certain targets, with one being Colzie.” — Corey Bender, GatorsTerritory.com
NOTRE DAME
“After Colzie decommitted from Notre Dame, sources on the Irish side of things made it very clear to me that Brian Kelly's staff would continue to push for Colzie as long as there was a pulse. Over the summer, Colzie wasn't overly responsive to Notre Dame's contact and it seemed he was trending away from the Irish more than ever. However, there was a shift in August of Colzie warming back up to Notre Dame, and when he announces later this month, I expect it to be the Irish and have my FutureCast pick in for him to land in South Bend. Certainly in Notre Dame's corner here is his mother, Yolanda Jackson, who admits to being a big Fighting Irish fan and loves the coaching staff. There's a need for a player like Colzie on Notre Dame's roster, and wide receivers coach Del Alexander will be fired up if indeed Colzie does choose the Irish.” — Mike Singer, Blue and Gold Illustrated
TENNESSEE
“Tennessee has a number of wide receivers in the current class and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them look at more playmakers. Colzie is former teammates with current Vol Lenneth Whitehead but honestly this one doesn’t feel like Tennessee. They took a long look at him over the summer but over the last month or so it feels like this partnership isn’t destined to happen.” — Austin Price, VolQuest.com
THE VERDICT
“Colzie will likely head back to Notre Dame and re-commit. This will be an interesting one because a few schools backed off due to a lack of progression in his game so he will have a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. Notre Dame has been his biggest fan all along.” - Mike Farrell, Rivals.com National Recruiting Director