Nico Collins sets sights on 2021 NFL Draft after hiring agent

2021 NFL Draft prospect Nico Collins. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Nico Collins is off to the 2021 NFL Draft despite the Big Ten’s decision

After a vote this last Sunday by BIG10 officials, it was officially announced that the conference will resume their season much earlier than they originally assumed. The new target date for the start of their season is October 17th. As a result, two big-name prospects — Wyatt Davis and Pat Freiermuth — from the BIG10 who earlier had opt-out renounced their decision to come back and play the season.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Michigan wide receiver, Nico Collins. Today, Collins announced that he will be forgoing the season to prepare for the NFL Draft and has already signed with an agent, making him ineligible to make a return to college football if he were to double-back on his decision.

Michigan Wolverines in shambles

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The Wolverines have not had the best luck retaining players this off-season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. First, Tarik Black announces he was entering the transfer portal and now finds himself playing for Texas. Next, Jaylen Mayfield and Ambry Thomas both chose to opt-out of the season. Lastly, as of today, both Dylan McCaffrey and Collins have opted out of the season as well.

The Michigan offense is taking a huge hit this year with several starters from last season looking on to the NFL, but Collins was going to be their best receiver, even if Black stuck around. Collins has excellent size for the receiver position; he is 6-foot-4, 215-pounds according to Michigan’s website. With his size and athleticism, he has proven to be a solid vertical threat who can win above the rim.

No 2020 season is going to make it a bit tough for Collins, he won’t have the ability to prove that he can be a true number-one wide receiver, he was never able to gain more than 800 receiving yards in a single-season. He isn’t yet a finished product and there are a few concerns, but they don’t make receivers with his size and athletic ability everyday; Collins has a solid shot to be selected in the top-100.