Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
7 6 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 6 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Franklin said a few months after Collins arrived. "Other than that, we've been impressed so far." Collins went on to play six games in 2023, and he continued to make strides in spring practice ahead of the '24 cam- paign. Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said he was "a night-and-day different player" and "the most consistent guy out there." Collins appeared in all 16 games that fall as a rotational player, finishing with 26 tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and an interception against Maryland, the first of his career. Last season, he took another step for- ward. Listed at 183 pounds but just as quick as before, he made his first ca- reer start in Penn State's season opener against Nevada. Collins went on to start every game and earned honorable men- tion All-Big Ten honors from the media panel. Describing him as "the kind of kid you want to coach every year," Smith said Collins thrived because of a commit- ment to continual self-improvement and a determination to silence the skep- tics. "He's hungry, he wants to learn, he wants to be better, and he listens, he trusts," Smith said. "I don't know if I've coached a kid that has all those attri- butes. He just works hard, and he trusts me, he listens to me. … The day he came in, I said, 'You're little, and nobody's rooting for little guys. You've got to prove us all wrong.'" The Right Direction Because of Collins' relationship with Smith, there was never much chance that he would end up at some other school after Penn State overhauled its staff in December. PSU had announced that Smith would be staying on as a member of Matt Campbell's staff, and that decision helped clarify Collins' thinking. Said the rising redshirt senior, "Knowing he was coming back meant a lot to me." Smith's bond with the players in his position room became evident to all when the transfer portal opened. Keeping track of PSU's comings and goings was a full-time job in January, but Smith's room stayed nearly intact. Of the eight scholarship cornerbacks from last year's roster with remaining eligibility in 2026, Harris and Kenny Woseley Jr. were the only ones to leave. But while Collins knew he wasn't go- ing to transfer, there was still a decision to be made. He was eligible for the NFL Draft, and that was a more tempting op- tion than anything he expected to find on some other college campus. "I was either going to the league or I was coming back," Collins said. "I wasn't going to leave Penn State" for another school. In the end, he decided his best op- tion was to spend another season un- der Smith's tutelage with the Nittany Lions, confident that the program was trending in the right direction after struggling to a 7-6 record the year be- fore. "I'm all in with Coach Campbell and Since transferring from Mississippi State in 2023, Collins has played in 35 games and made 13 starts for the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Scholarship Players (17) CORNERBACK No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. 20 Tyrell Chatman Fr. 6-2 196 2 Audavion Collins R-Sr. 5-11 183 5 Daryus Dixson So. 6-0 184 15 Joshua Johnson R-Fr. 6-2 189 23 Jahmir Joseph R-Fr. 6-0 190 29 Hunter Sowell R-Fr. 5-10 180 12 Xxavier Thomas R-Fr. 5-11 180 7 Zion Tracy Sr. 5-11 184 17 Josiah Zayas Fr. 6-2 205 SAFETY 30 Christian Askew Fr. 6-4 199 4 Jeremiah Cooper R-Sr. 6-0 188 27 Omarion Davis So. 5-11 198 24 Ibn McDaniels R-So. 6-3 202 31 Marcus Neal Jr. Jr. 6-1 216 3 Jamison Patton Sr. 6-2 206 21 Vaboue Toure R-So. 6-1 209 28 Bryson Williams Fr. 6-4 188