National Signing Day 2017: 3-Star DE Jonathon MacCollister To Notre Dame

Florida 3-star defensive end, Jonathon MacCollister may be the ultimate sleeper in this class. MacCollister has his national letter of intent, and it’s signed and delivered to Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

What if I told you Notre Dame won a recruiting battle for a 6-4 240 pound defensive end from the state of Florida over programs such as the Ohio State Buckeyes, Clemson Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan State Spartans, Tennessee Volunteers, and many others- would you be impressed? You should be.

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I realize that three star prospects generally are “toss-ups” when it comes to fans, but in many cases this should be disregarded completely.

MacCollister is a big player and has very good power. Although he may not be the most athletic defensive end on the market, he uses his hands well and gets tremendous leverage on his opponent. He can hold the point of attack and can bring a physical presence to the defensive line that is ALWAYS needed. Although I am still uncertain how he fits exactly in Mike Elko’s defense, I am confident he will find a place, develop, and flourish.

I really think this kid can be a gem in this class.

While Notre Dame is young on the roster right now with weakside defensive ends, they are full of upperclassmen on the strongside. This will allow Notre Dame time to physically enhance the young Jonathon MacCollister and prep him to make a bigger role by his 3rd year in the program. It’s never a bad thing to redshirt players playing in the trenches if you are able, and Notre Dame should be able to do just that.

Seriously... think about some of those teams that offered MacCollister and then imagine him playing across the line from the Irish for one of those teams in 2019. I’m really glad that thought is a work of fiction, and we have him in our arsenal.