Notre Dame WR Deion Colzie Earns Trust Through Efficient Production, Special Teams

Deion Colzie already had two receptions for 20 yards with 12 minutes left in Notre Dame’s season opener against Navy on Saturday night in Dublin. 

He wanted more. 

Offensive coordinator Gerad Parker called a play designed to get him the ball in space. Quarterback Sam Hartman threw Colzie a screen pass near the right sideline against off-man coverage. Tight end Holden Staes engaged Colzie’s defender, leaving a Navy safety as the only man between Colzie and a touchdown.

He cut inside, shed a shoe-string tackle and sprinted through the second level for a 25-yard score.

“The only thing on my mind was getting in the endzone,” Colzie said. We have this big rule in the wideout room. We never let one guy tackle us, so I knew it was only one guy stopping me from scoring a touchdown. I wouldn't have heard the end that out if I let him tackle me, so I couldn't let that happen.”

On four pass plays, Colzie finished as one of three Fighting Irish receivers with at least three catches, 45 yards and a score. He played seven snaps total and also contributed to multiple special teams units. 

“Seven plays and he ends up with a touchdown and some other big plays,” coach Marcus Freeman said. “Even some of the special teams things he did. Nobody comes to Notre Dame to be a special teamer, but you have to embrace that role.

“We really talk to our players about the value of special teams players as you look to the next level. There are very few individuals who play in the NFL that don't have special teams value.”

It’s unclear how much additional playing time Colzie earned with his performance since Notre Dame wants to use a seven-man rotation at receiver. 

At the same time, the Fighting Irish desperately need a playmaker with Colzie’s size and athleticism. He’s a broad 6-foot-4, weighs 210 pounds and runs at least a 4.5-second 40-yard dash.

Fans saw a peak of his potential over the back half of Notre Dame’s 2022.

In the five regular-season games, Colzie snagged nine passes for 192 yards and a touchdown while averaging an impressive 21.3 yards per catch. That led Notre Dame players with more than a single reception.

Fans hoped the former blue-chip prospect would break out in the spring after such a strong finish to his sophomore campaign, but the veteran never lockdown a starting spot.

During fall camp, he dealt with a lingering injury that limited his practice reps and hampered his production.

Colzie remained committed to his craft, knowing his time would come from persistence.

“Everybody has their own path, and I felt like I wouldn't be on that path for no reason,” Colzie said. “So I just kind of put my head down, did the gritty work that nobody sees, and did the things that don't really get talked about.”

By the end of fall camp, Colzie began winning more and more reps and played with consistent effort.  

That demonstrated to the coaching staff that Colzie deserved to be a part of the offensive game plan for the Midshipmen.

“He earned that trust, especially in the last 10 days,” Parker said. “It's a constant evaluation for all of us. He had some struggles and had to get healthy in camp there in a minute. Came back, practiced very efficiently and productive those last 10 days, and he found some efficient plays out there.”

Against Navy, Colzie also showed off his impressive catch radius by coming down with a diving catch on an underthrown ball and a leaping grab on a back-shoulder toss.

By proving himself, he knows Hartman will give him more opportunities to make contested receptions in the future. 

“It gives the receivers confidence,” Colzie said. “We make those types of plays at practice, and so he has the trust in us to make those same exact plays in the game. He knows that if he can just give us a catchable ball, it's not really a 50-50 ball anymore. It's more of an 80-20, 90-10 type of ball.”

The Fighting Irish face Tennessee State on Saturday. It’s the program’s final tune-up game before traveling to North Carolina State on Sept. 9, which is the first of Notre Dame’s eight 2023 matchups against a Power Five opponent that won eight games or more a season ago. That also includes three preseason top-10 foes in Ohio State, USC and Clemson. 

To overcome such a daunting slate, the Irish will need receivers like Colzie to make plays consistently. 

He proved against Navy that he might finally be ready for such a role. 

“I knew what I was capable of, and I got to show bits and pieces of that,” Colzie said, “but I'm just happy to keep moving forward and keep doing that the rest of the season.”