Notre Dame will need to expedite trust in five-star freshman

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said during his Monday press conference that true freshman and five-star linebacker Prince Kollie has a chance to play more going forward. Kollie is the No. 25 overall player in On3’s class of 2021 rankings.

“Look, you heard what I just said, right?” Kelly asked. “It doesn’t matter how good you are. We got to be able to trust you. That trust is going to have to be accelerated with Prince. So yes, he’s moving inside and he’s gonna get work. We may have to call upon him a little bit sooner than we had expected.”

A five-star prospect, Kollie also had offers from powers such as Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. The 6-foot, 222-pound freshman played at David Crockett High School in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

He was one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation’s top high school linebacker. He recorded 109 tackles, two sacks and an interception in his senior season.

The news that Kollie will see more time comes after senior linebacker Paul Moala suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Florida State. Fellow linebacker Shayne Simon suffered a shoulder injury and has an MRI on Monday. Both were reserves.

The losses must have had some impact, as Notre Dame allowed Florida State to storm back from 18 down and force overtime Sunday evening. The Fighting Irish surrendered 442 total yards, which was 108 more than their average a year ago.

Safety Kyle Hamilton was the star of the defense, coming away with two interceptions. But he can’t do it all by himself. If Notre Dame hopes to have a successful season, they will need to find more playmakers within this unit.

From the sound of it, we may get a glimpse at the five-star recruit as soon as Notre Dame’s next game. The Fighting Irish take on Toledo at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Could Kollie be the next impactful linebacker?