Today we have a signal-caller in high school who'll hope to transition to becoming the quarterback of the defense in College Park.
Milan Collins, Freshman, Safety
Stats:
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Twitter: @terps_7
High School Stats: 1500 passing yards, 500 rushing, 300 receiving, 15 touchdowns; 60 tackles
Recruiting Rankings: Three stars by Rivals, Scout, 247, ESPN
High School: Bishop McNamara
Hometown: Forestville, Md.
High School Highlights:
How'd He Get to College Park?
Collins is a Louisiana native, but his family was transplanted to the D.C. area by Katrina several years ago - and years later he became part of the Maryland Pride movement sweeping the area in local recruiting. Collins was offered by a handful of other BCS schools, including BC, N.C. State, and Syracuse, but he decided instead to stay at home, even though it meant transitioning from quarterback to being a full-time safety, committing to the Terps last June and sticking solid with his commitment all the way through.
Nickname:
Milan "The Maryland Flash" Collins. (That's his actual nickname, by the way. And it's freaking awesome.)
Career Highlight:
In his own words, throwing an 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter in McNamara's 7-0 win over Georgetown Prep.
Dream Season:
His instincts and athleticism outshine his rawness, and he receives snaps as a reserve safety, pushing Sean Davis and A.J. Hendy.
2013 Prospectus:
Collins was a quarterback in high school and that's definitely where he's most experienced, but he holds a lot of promise as a safety, too. His time at QB has drilled him on the shape routes take and how to read quarterbacks, which will give him an instinctual advantage when it comes to predicting the path of play. He's also a darn heady player to begin with, and if there's anything we know about Maryland's staff it's that they love smart players. They also love raw athleticism, and Collins has that in spades, too.
Anthony Nixon has a safety spot locked down, but none of Sean Davis, A.J. Hendy, Undray Clarke, or Zach Dancel are particularly secure in their depth chart position, and if Collins impresses in practice he could push them. But that's a lot of space to get through, and fellow freshman Elvis Dennah is competing as well. He'll be in the mix for a redshirt-burning, but at least initially the odds are for him sitting out a year, getting used to playing safety full-time, and looking to become an impact contributor next year.
Up Next:
Our next player is one of two brothers of current Terps coming into the program next year. And that's an easy one, so this is a two-parter (have to get both): who was the last pair of brothers to play for Maryland at the same time?
ClickClack62 joins the tie at the top.
Standings:
Redturtle - 2
curterp - 2
ClickClack62 - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
Maryland1206 - 1
apgibson24 - 1