Alfred Collins ready to show that he's evolved from 'player who flashes' to 'consistent'
Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins has “flashed” on several occasions during his four-year career with the Longhorns. It started with a diving interception against Colorado in 2020, but those flashes remained sporadic with defensive tackles like Moro Ojomo, Keondre Coburn, Byron Murphy, and T’Vondre Sweat providing more consistent play across the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons.
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“I’d get asked about Alfred Collins a lot early on,” Steve Sarkisian said on April 9. “That was one of the common themes. We’d see the flash, now we need the consistency.”
But with all those players off to professional opportunities, Collins made the most of the spring and realized his team needed more from him on a down by down basis. In 2024, he plans to give that to the Longhorns.
“Y’all are going to see some consistency and some playmaking,” Collins said Thursday.
It took a while for it to get that way for Collins. Having that many all-conference players ahead of him made providing consistent effort a challenge for the Bastrop (Texas) Cedar Creek product and Longhorn legacy.
But at this juncture, he’s providing what Sarkisian and Kenny Baker want from No. 95 entering his fifth season.
“It took a little bit of time, but I can tell you today we’re getting the consistency out of Alfred Collins,” Sarkisian said. “We’re getting the flash and the consistency. That’s really important.”
It’s coming at the right time for Collins, who is using the eligibility relief provided by the NCAA in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He could have left Texas, but that wasn’t in the cards for the big D-tackle who grew up with a Longhorn women’s basketball letter-winning mother at home.
“It’s Texas, man,” Collins said. “The best school in the nation. I stayed because I wanted to finish my degree. My mom graduated from here. She always tells me finish what you start.”
He’s also ready for his educational journey to be over.
“I didn’t want to leave and then have to come back (to finish my degree),” Collins said. “Once I’m done with school, I’m done.”
The fact that Collins, the No. 78 overall prospect in the 2020 On3 Industry Ranking, is back for a fifth year at the same school is notable given the opportunity other schools could provide both with regards to playing time or otherwise.
But Collins used the lessons learned watching Coburn, Ojomo, Sweat, and Murphy to better his game heading into his super-senior season. So far, that’s exactly what he’s done.
“The people that were above me, I really looked up to them and the way they went about things, the way they worked,” Collins said. “Now it’s my turn. I’m excited.”
How did the consistency come about? Collins credited Kenny Baker for helping get more out of his game.
“I’m just more focused on the minute details,” Collins said. “Having Coach Baker here, he really enforces that. He doesn’t let any of the little details slip. If you take one wrong step, he’s like ‘go again.’ I feel like that’s the biggest change since freshman year. That and getting stronger.”
It’s a big year for Collins. Between the defensive tackle job being his and Vernon Broughton‘s, his game going to a new level, and the challenge of the SEC ahead, Collins can live up to that top-100 prospect billing he had four short years ago.
It’s a challenge he’s ready to take.
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“I’m just more in tune with football and being present with everything because it’s my last time here,” Collins said. “Trying to make the most of it.”
