Michigan Wolverines football junior wideout Nico Collins provided head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Maize and Blue offense with excellent news on Jan. 5 when he announced he'd be returning for his senior season in 2020.
After reeling in 729 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games in 2019, Collins was viewed by many as the most NFL-ready of U-M's wide receivers this past fall.
At 6-4, 222 pounds, Collins has been an outstanding downfield threat during his time at Michigan, evidenced by the 19.7 yards per catch he averaged this year (second best in the Big Ten).
With junior receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (438 yards and six touchdown grabs) departing early for the NFL and redshirt sophomore wideout Tarik Black (25 receptions for 323 yards) transferring, Collins will be expected to take on an even bigger role in Michigan's offense in 2020, alongside junior-to-be Ronnie Bell (led the team in both catches and yards this year, with 48 and 758, respectively).
“There will be a lot of opportunities for Collins next year," NFL draft expert Scott Wright of DraftCountdown.com explained.
"He can be the focal point of the offense, especially with Tarik Black transferring, and there will be a lot of opportunities for him to make his mark in that passing attack.
"He’s on the short list already when we talk about the top receivers for next year’s class. I haven’t taken an in depth look at him yet, but he’s definitely a guy who’s on that radar.
