Listed Measurements: 6-foot-3, 244 pounds
2017-18 year, eligibility: Freshman yet to enroll
Depth chart: MacCollister finds himself behind two seniors (Jay Hayes and Andrew Trumbetti) and sophomore Khalid Kareem at defensive end.
Recruiting: A consensus three-star recruit, MacCollister chose Notre Dame from a lengthy offer list, which included Auburn, Clemson, Michigan State and Ohio State.
QUOTE(S)
Irish coach Brian Kelly noted MacCollister’s versatility on National Signing Day. When discussing MaCollister, fellow defensive end Kofi Wardlow had not yet officially committed to Notre Dame, making Maccollister the then-only dedicated pass-rusher in the class.
“Speaking of a guy that’s developing on the outside, Jonathan MacCollister … He’s long and athletic,” Kelly said. “Call him Big Bird. He’s a very athletic player that we’re going to play on the outside. He’s a guy that we think has the length, the athleticism that can play the defensive end position”
WHAT WE SAID WHEN WARDLOW’S NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT ARRIVED
“With Jalen Harris staying in the southwest, MacCollister may be the only true edge-rusher in this class. His length should serve him well in a three-down front, which is expected of new defensive coordinator Mike Elko.”
2017 OUTLOOK
Expect a year on the sidelines preserving eligibility for MacCollister. The Hayes/Trumbetti combination will likely take the vast majority of snaps at defensive end, with Kareem filling in only to an extent his performance demands. Finding additional chances for MacCollister would simply be more difficult than the limited handful would be worth.
DOWN THE ROAD
If MacCollister were to have a strong fall and subsequent spring, he could quickly find himself in the two-man combination at end. Trumbetti will be gone, and Hayes has yet — though that is a key three-letter word in this instance — shown enough consistency to think he would carry the pass-rush load on his own. In this instance, MacCollister would face competition from Kareem, but overcoming one player only a year his elder is far more feasible than any path to playing time for MacCollister this season.
A portion of MacCollister’s appeal in recruiting was his overall athleticism. As a tight end in high school, he displayed it frequently. Some projected his collegiate future would be as an offensive tackle, not on the defensive line.
That is not to say MacCollister will make that flip. Given Irish offensive line coach Harry Hiestand’s success in recruiting, converting a defensive lineman might be out-and-out unlikely. But it should be noted, as crazier things have certainly happened.
(For example, Notre Dame once played a home game delayed by rain in the second half for such a lengthy interval, a subsection of the student section had enough time and perseverance to sing all 99 verses of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”)
Aside from the five early enrollees, the numbers are not yet known for the Irish freshmen class. That is one of the admitted drawbacks to organizing this summer-long series numerically. But a little bit of educated guessing can garner estimates for those numbers, and those estimates can allow the series to proceed without pause.
How are those estimates crafted? The first step is to take a look at certain NCAA rules, but the NCAA does not put recommendations on defensive players, broadening MacCollister’s options. When discussing incoming defensive ends, it made some sense to have MacCollister quickly follow Kofi Wardlow’s theoretical No. 47.
Jonathon MacCollister very well may not wear No. 46, but it is possible.
2017’s Notre Dame 99-to-2
Friday at 4: Goodbye A-to-Z, hello 99-to-2 (May 12)
No. 99: Jerry Tillery, defensive tackle
No. 98: Andrew Trumbetti, defensive end
No. 97: Micah Dew-Treadway, defensive tackle
No. 96: Pete Mokwuah, defensive tackle
No. 95 (theoretically): Darnell Ewell, defensive tackle
No. 94 (theoretically): Kurt Hinish, defensive tackle
No. 93: Jay Hayes, defensive end
No. 92 (theoretically): Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, defensive tackle
No. 91: Ade Ogundeji, defensive end
No. 90 (theoretically): Cole Kmet, tight end
No. 89: Brock Wright, tight end
No. 88: Javon McKinley, receiver
No. 87 (theoretically): Jafar Armstrong, receiver
No. 86: Alizé Mack, tight end
No. 85: Tyler Newsome, punter
No. 84 (theoretically): Michael Young, receiver
No. 83: Chase Claypool, receiver
No. 82: Nic Weishar, tight end
No. 81: Miles Boykin, receiver
No. 80: Durham Smythe, tight end
No. 78: Tommy Kraemer, right tackle
No. 77: Brandon Tiassum, defensive tackle
No. 75: Daniel Cage, defensive tackle
No. 74: Liam Eichenberg, right tackle
No. 73: (theoretically) Josh Lugg, offensive tackle
No. 72: Robert Hainsey, offensive tackle
No. 71: Alex Bars, offensive lineman
No. 70: Hunter Bivin, offensive lineman
No. 69: Aaron Banks, offensive lineman
No. 68: Mike McGlinchey, left tackle
No. 67: Jimmy Byrne, offensive lineman
No. 65: (theoretically) Dillan Gibbons, offensive lineman
No. 58: Elijah Taylor, defensive tackle
No. 57: Trevor Ruhland, offensive lineman
No. 56: Quenton Nelson, left guard
No. 55: Jonathan Bonner, defensive lineman
No. 54: John Shannon, long snapper
No. 53: Sam Mustipher, center
No. 53: Khalid Kareem, defensive lineman
No. 52: (theoretically) Jonathan Doerer, kicker
No. 48: Greer Martini, inside linebacker
No. 47: (theoretically) Kofi Wardlow, defensive end
TRANSFERS
No. 66: Tristen Hoge, offensive lineman, transfers to BYU
No. 50: Parker Boudreaux, offensive lineman
No. 30: Josh Barajas, linebacker, to transfer to Illinois State
INJURIES
No. 13: Tyler Luatua, tight end, career ended by medical hardship