As we head into the College Football Playoffs, NFL Draft prospects on every team are going to be looking to make their marks on each game and raise their stock. Today’s report looks at a big body star in the middle of the Texas Longhorn defense, Alfred Collins.
A former 5 star recruit per 247 sports, Alfred committed to the University of Texas and made an immediate impact. His first season saw him make an immediate impact while playing in all 10 games that season: 22 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble, and at the time, was the first true freshman to record a sack for Texas in 10 years!
His second season saw him play in all 12 games and start four times. During that time, he would record 25 tackles and 2 sacks, so a consistent effort from his previous season.
Year 3 saw a bit of a dip in his production, with only 17 tackles and 1 sack, but year 4 got him right back on track with 22 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 pass deflections.
Heading into the college football playoff, his fifth year has been the best one yet statistically speaking: 43 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. Stats are great, but does the tape match the consistent improvement from the big man in the heart of Texas? Let’s dive in and find out:
Player Info
Name: Alfred Collins
Jersey: No. 95
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: University of Texas
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 320 lbs.
Alfred Collins’ Strengths
Alfred is a big body defensive tackle with prototypical length and anchor to eat up space in the trenches. He also still showcases an explosive get-off for a man his size, which allows him to shoot gaps and disrupt blocking schemes as well.
He also shows a powerful bull rush move that pushes interior offensive linemen right back into the laps of their QBs. He has heavy hands at the point of attack, allowing him to shed through blockers very quickly and easily in the run game.
He also is a high ceiling prospect, as his athletic profile suggests a huge developmental upside, as the one thing that can’t be taught is his size.
Alfred Collins’ Weaknesses
Alfred is raw from a defensive lineman standpoint, however, as he often relies on brute force rather than hand fighting and footwork in the trenches. This may work in college, but he will need to make a concerted effort on his technique moving to the NFL level.
Alfred also needs to work on his play recognition, as he is often a step slow in diagnosing run vs pass situations. I’d also like to see him develop somewhat of a pass rush toolbox, as his only move currently is his bull rush move and if an offensive lineman stunts that, then he has no counter to it.
Draft Projection
For me, Alfred is a top 75 player, and I have him going at the end of round 2/start of round 3 to a team that could use a big swing on a development athlete at defensive tackle. Teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints could look to take Alfred and add him to their defensive line room in the NFL Draft.
Regardless of who takes him in the NFL Draft, that team will need to understand that Alfred is not a finished product currently. There are some good tools in his tool belt, but he will need some further development before you can consider him an everydown player.
However, you can’t teach size and athleticism, and Alfred has both of those, which will make teams more likely to want to bring him in and mold him into an excellent defensive lineman moving forward!
My comparison for Alfred Collins: Jonathan Allen, DL, Washington Commanders
