Miami commit Savion Collins has ‘great’ bond with UM, but signing plans ‘up in the air’
There was a widespread concern for college coaches across the country about what their linemen might look like once practices began ahead of the 2020 season.
The COVID-19 pandemic meant no organized workouts for most of the spring and summer, and, for some, limited access to weight rooms and gyms altogether.
Savion Collins — Miami Palmetto’s 6-4, 290-pound defensive lineman — faced some of those issues. He sat out some of the earliest days of Palmetto’s preseason practices last month. He wasn’t in game shape yet and he had a back injury. The Panthers had to ease him back onto the field.
“We were all out of shape,” said Collins, who remains orally committed to the Miami Hurricanes, “but you’ve got to tighten up.”
Now his back feels better. His conditioning is improving. He’s noticeably quite a few pounds lighter than he was when Palmetto started practicing last month.
After a few quiet games in the regular season, Collins finally looked like his Under Armour All-American self Saturday when Palmetto beat Orlando Dr. Phillips, 10-0, in a Class 8A play-in game in Miami. The four-star defensive tackle recorded a tackle for loss was instrumental in Palmetto holding Dr. Phillips to just 88 total yards in the shutout victory at Traz Powell Stadium.
Collins’ accolades have always been as much about his potential as what he has already done. He didn’t start playing football until his freshman year, but college coaches have always been blown away by how quick he is at nearly 300 pounds. On his tackle for loss last week, Collins pushed past an interior lineman and launched himself into the backfield to drop Dr. Phillips running back Amir Johnson for a 2-yard loss.
After a slow start to his senior season, Collins is once again on an upward trajectory because he has worked his way into shape, Mike Manasco said.
“You can tell,” the Palmetto coach said Saturday. “Oh my gosh. We’re excited.”
While he’s on track to potentially graduate early and would like to sign a national letter of intent in December, Collins said it’s not a guarantee. He insists the relationship with the Hurricanes is good, but there’s not everyday communication like there is with some other recruits. Some Southeastern Conference schools are still interested, but not constantly pressing to pull out of Miami-Dade County like they were earlier this year
“It’s still up in the air,” Collins said.
An early commitment
Collins had only been playing football for a year when the Hurricanes became the first team to offer him a scholarship in 2018. He had just wrapped up his freshman season at Miami Southwest, playing as a rotational lineman for a sub-.500 team, and he attended a Hurricanes camp in Coral Gables hoping to catch his favorite team’s attention. At the end of the workout, former defensive line coach Jess Simpson made Collins an offer.
A few months later, Collins committed to Miami. He has been committed to the Hurricanes’ Class of 2021 longer than all but one other prospect, and he stuck with them even as the Florida Gators and other programs tried to pry him away. Collins feels the allure of home and idea of playing for the team he grew up liking. He also appreciates how quick Miami was to believe in him.
Earlier this year, two of his Palmetto teammates joined him in the Hurricanes’ 2021 recruiting class. Four-star wide receiver Brashard Smith committed to Miami in July and five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor followed a month later. Collins is particularly close with Taylor.
A lot of Collins’ communication with the Hurricanes right now is done through Taylor, who’s the top-ranked player in Miami’s class, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
“I hear from them a lot, it’s just not a constant back and forth. They’ll talk to me through LT and stuff like that. The connection’s great,” Collins said. “Coach [Todd] Stroud knows what he’s doing, man. You see [defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera] in the backfield every game.”
He still hears from Florida sometimes, too, and occasionally the LSU Tigers, “but not much,” Collins said.
A work in progress
At this point, every snap is important for Collins and his development.
Last season, the lineman was Palmetto’s most improved defensive player, Manasco said, and he earned second-team all-county honors from the Miami Herald.
When he played at Southwest, Collins often just tried to use his massive frame to clog up running lanes and overpower offensive linemen. At Palmetto, he has tried to become a more cerebral player.
Since he only started playing football in high school, Collins still doesn’t have all the same natural instincts as a player like Taylor, so he tries “to use my brain more.” He knows it can be as much a strength for him as his size and athleticism.
“This is my fourth year doing football, so I’m just trying to learn and keep growing,” Collins said. “I’m trying to make it up there with LT, man.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 2:15 PM.
