3 underutilized Texas football players that must step up in November
Alfred Collins, DL
One of the most talented defensive linemen that defensive line coach Bo Davis and the Longhorns have on the roster is the former elite five-star recruit and junior DL Alfred Collins. And in recent weeks, Collins is starting to show more flashes of the type of defensive linemen the Longhorns were hoping he could become.
In the last three games, Collins is playing some good football as he is one of the multiple talented interior defensive linemen that this Texas defense has at its disposal. Collins is also playing some of the most consistent football of his collegiate career in the last three games.
Since the win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 8, Collins has not missed a single tackle, while raking in six combined tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback pressures, and three stops. It’s worth noting that this is only the second three-game stretch of Collins’ career where he’s managed at least five combined tackles without missing a single tackle.
That is a sign of the growing consistency that Collins is playing with this season.
Another key stat that is indicative of Collins’ growth in the last few weeks is the consistently-rising defensive grade. His defensive grade was better week-over-week in each of the last four games.
And against Oklahoma State, we saw Collins making some hustle plays in run defense down the field, which is not something the Longhorns faithful are very accustomed to seeing out of the 6-foot-5 and 290-pound defensive lineman.
Collins is also making plays by getting off blocks at the line of scrimmage to get key stops in run defense. He’s got three run stuffs in the last three games, with an average depth of tackle of just 0.3 yards.
All in all, we’re seeing a more consistent version of Collins in the trenches this season as he’s holding his gaps and making plays at the line of scrimmage in the run game. He’s also getting some pressure up the middle on opposing quarterbacks. All the while, he’s not missing any tackles in the last few games.
This version of Collins is one that I could get used to down the stretch this season.