Offseason of praise continues for Penn State cornerback Audavion Collins
Penn State thought it was set with an offseason Transfer Portal addition of former North Carolina cornerback Storm Duck ahead of spring ball in 2023. Those plans went south after the spring, as Duck instead re-entered the Portal and landed at Louisville.
With few options at his disposal after the spring, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith combed the waiver wire and threw a dart at former Mississippi State corner Audavion Collins. At the time, the connection didn’t make much sense on the surface. Penn State had scouted Collins, but not offered out of high school. He didn’t play in a game (though he did land on the First Year SEC Academic Honor Roll) and only had college practice clips to show prospective suitors.
There weren’t many.
Penn State was first, followed by Akron and Western Kentucky. Collins committed to the Nittany Lions a few weeks later.
Collins didn’t have much buzz during his first season in Happy Valley. He played in six games and recorded three tackles, two of which came against Delaware in September. But during the offseason, something clicked. He went from no feedback at all to one of Penn State’s most talked-about players internally. He capped his spring with a 4.28-second 40-yard dash in testing, which was another eye-opener.
Going into the summer, those on the defensive side of the ball have been effusive about the guy they call ‘AC.’That continued this week.
Link: Power Ranking the Penn State defense before training camp: No. 5 cornerback
“A player I’m really excited for now is Audavion Collins,” safety Jaylen Reed said last week at Big Ten Media Days. “I feel like he’s made a great stride this spring and he has a great opportunity this fall camp to compete for that starting spot. We lost the three corners last year, so I feel like it’s going to be exciting to see him this fall and I’m excited to see what he can do.”
Smith told reporters last month that Collins just went out and made plays in the spring. He added that Collins had the best spring in his room, which was quite a compliment considering it’s one of the deeper groups on the team.
“We just watched the film and we don’t add bias to the film. We saw that he could help us win,” said Smith. “Now we’re in the offseason and into the summer. So now he’s gotta take another step. Then in the fall, take another step. That’s all the progression and those are the steps that you have to take to become the starter.”
Link: What questions do we still have for Penn State football following Big Ten Media Days?
Where Collins’ rise came from is still a mystery. If the quotes and feedback come to fruition on the field, he could end up as a gem of an addition for the Nittany Lions.
“That’s really the cool thing, especially when it’s obvious that the light has gone on for a guy,” said James Franklin. “Audavion Collins is a young man that I would describe like that. From this time last year to now, it is dramatically different. He’s gotten bigger — when he transferred in here from Mississippi State, I think he was like 158 or 162 pounds, which is weird for a college player.
“He’s up to 180 right now, he’s playing with really good confidence. And he’s showing up on special teams, he’s showing up on defense. He’s part of that battle for that corner job.”
