SCOOP HD: Where Does Collins Fit
LIVINGSTON, Texas - Few players have kept more quiet since the summer than Livingston three-star athlete Chevoski Collins. The nation's No. 30 athlete however has been busy making lots of noise for the Lions in spite of a tough 0-3 start coming into last Friday's district match-up with Southeast Texas rival Little Cypress-Mauriceville.
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With SCOOP HD in attendance Collins and the Lions collected their first win 42-35 over the Battlin' Bears of LC-M. And it should come as no surprise that it was Collins who led the way with 15-carries for 124-yards and four touchdowns (9, 34, 5, 5,) and as the team's starting quarterback he also went 4-for-10 for 42-yards passing.
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While Collins may be one of the state's premier athletes there seems to be no consensus on where he'll play in college with some feeling his frame and athleticism could make for an elite defensive back and others thinking it would be hard to take the ball out of the hands of such a dynamic playmaker.
One thing that is clear after watching Livingston's district opener is that on offense is where Collins is most comfortable currently, particularly when it comes to where he projects in college. At 5-foot-11 and 185-pounds Collins is currently more than capable of playing safety at the high school level however the Sooners, and several others, are thought to be eying him as a cornerback where Collins only lined up on one play last Friday.
On the play, near the Livingston goal line, Collins played press coverage and in a short yardage situation allowed his receiver an inside release that resulted in a nine-yard touchdown on a quick slant. It's an easy thing to work with a young defensive back on but it was just an indication of how raw he is at the position on a night in which he wasn't asked to do a lot defensively against an LC-M team that was run heavy on the back of Texas A&M commitment Alex Sezer, who had 22-carries for 131-yards and a pair of touchdowns (5, 50).
Offensively Collins showed great open field ability in particular on his 34-yard touchdown run at least twice the state's No. 52 ranked prospect looked to be going down before springing loose for the score. The odd thing about so many great open-field players is their greatness can often be measured by how well they work in traffic and on the night Collins showed an ability to see tacklers before they had him and make quick, subtle moves to distance himself from his pursuers.
As he continues to familiarize himself with the defensive side of the ball his athletic ability will allow him the opportunity to become a difference maker and as that happens it'll be harder and harder for Collins to stay clear of the spotlight.
NOTES:
*A player that is one to file away is Little Cypress-Mauriceville class of 2015 offensive guard Marvis Brown. The big offensive lineman is more about frame and natural ability at this point but the natural tools are there for him to be yet another star from the Golden Triangle. He is a long way from a finished product but at roughly 6-foot-4, and 285-pounds Brown has natural athleticism and figures to improve by leaps and bounds in the next few years.