Texas Football: 3 likely starters ready to breakout in 2021

Alfred Collins, DT

There’s little doubt that the former blue-chip recruit and sophomore defensive tackle Alfred Collins should be a contender to get a starting spot along the defensive line this fall. Collins had the type of production under former defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chris Ash in a more limited spotlight last year that should propel him on a path to be one of the best in the front seven for the next couple of years at the very least.

Depending on how the scheme ultimately shakes out under new co-defensive coordinators/linebackers coaches Pete Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate this fall, Collins could either start as a defensive tackle or a larger defensive end. Challengers for reps at those spots along with the defensive line with Collins include senior Moro Ojomo, redshirt freshman Vernon Broughton, and senior Jacoby Jones.

None of those aforementioned Texas defensive linemen have the same ceiling as Collins, though. The 6-foot-5 and 300-pound Collins was a true force to be reckoned with in the reps he did get last fall. In the just over 300 snaps that Collins was on the field for last fall, he registered 23 combined tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, and three pass breakups.

If Collins does get around 500 snaps this fall, just by nature you would expect his stat line to start breaking through in a big way. Realistic expectations for Collins this fall could be somewhere around 40-50 combined tackles, six or seven tackles for loss, four or five sacks, and at least a few turnovers drawn.