Cliff-notes: The Longhorns picked up commitment No.19 for the 2020 class on Wednesday afternoon when Bastrop (Texas) Cedar Creek defensive end Alfred Collins committed to Tom Herman and his staff.
Rankings: Collins is a 5.8 low-four star prospect in the final Rivals.com rankings and is currently slotted as the No.146 overall prospect in the nation, while also ranking as the No.18 overall prospect in the state of Texas. Collins ranks as the No.9 player in the state of Texas in the current LSR Top 100. Other recruiting outlets such as ESPN (No.52 nationally overall) and 247 (No.32 overall nationally) had Collins ranked much higher than Rivals.
Key Offers: Alabama, Oklahoma, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State and Texas A&M
Evaluation: Let's start by stating the fact that Collins tips the scales at 6-4, 260+ pounds, which is pretty critical when you look at the historical trends of defensive line prospects that eventually develop into big-time college players and future pros. Players that are under 6-4 and below 250 pounds have proven over the years to struggle in development more than players above 6-4, 250 pounds... so, Collins is no tweener. On top of his ideal measurements, Collins ticks a ton of boxes on the field. Plus-athleticism? Check. Quick first step? Check. Physical at the point of attack? Check. Versatile enough to play multiple positions along the defensive line? Check. On top of all of these qualities, I don't view Collins as a guy that's anywhere near his ceiling as a player, as evidenced by the fact that he took a big step forward as as senior as a player. If I was going to quibble with anyone about his ranking, I would say that I'm not sure that he's quite a five-star prospect because I don't believe he has the kind of freakish athletic ability that I associate with that kind of ranking. However, he's a definite national top 100 player in my book, which means from a total ranking standpoint, I'd offer he's somewhere between the ESPN/247 rankings and the final Rivals ranking.
Click here for his senior highlights on HUDL
Former Texas recruit he reminds me of: Cedric Reed
Why it matters: There is no bigger need in the Texas program than the need to add difference-makers along the defensive line and in Collins the Longhorns landed one of the best defensive end prospects it has signed in the last decade. In fact, you'd have to go back to 2014 (Derick Roberson) to find a Texas defensive end prospect that ranks as a national top 100 prospect and he's probably the highest-rated defensive end prospect that the Longhorns have signed since the program landed Jackson Jeffcoat in 2010. This is a VERY big deal.
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