By David Knox, Sports Editor
CLAY — Clay-Chalkville wide receiver Nico Collins saw his status bumped up this week – and bumped a few schools off his list as well.
Rivals.com boosted the Cougars’ star to five stars this week from his four-star status. It’s not likely to make any difference in his recruitment, as virtually every college football power would make a scholarship available to him.
Collins also narrowed his list of schools, posting on his Twitter account a top seven – not in any order of preference, he said. Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, LSU and Ole Miss are his seven choices. This would be bad news for Auburn fans, as he dropped the Tigers from the list. Alabama, Georgia and Michigan are believed to be his top three, but he isn’t saying yet.
Rivals made Collins No. 21 on their list of top players in the country, No. 4 among wide receivers, and No. 1 in the state.. Said Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell, “Big wide receivers who can high point the ball and have great body control are a quarterback’s best friend and that’s Collins in a nutshell. He is tall, has room to fill out and he has reliable hands. He doesn’t get a ton of separation on film but he provides a nice window for the ball, adjusts to poorly thrown balls and is a red zone nightmare for defenders. He’s also a willing and physical blocker.”
Added Adam Friedman, Rivals.com’s Mid-Atlantic analyst, “Collins is a massive target with very sure hands. He is particularly effective over the middle and on deep routes because of his size, length and ability to high-point the ball. He is a long strider and can stand to refine his route running a bit. There is plenty of room in his frame to fill out. His best football is ahead of him.”
Last season, Collins caught 60 passes for 1,103 yards and 16 touchdowns.