Former Michigan Wolverines football wide receiver Nico Collins and cornerback Ambry Thomas have each been invited to the annual Reese's Senior Bowl that will take place in Mobile, Ala., in January.
The event will be a homecoming of sorts for Collins, who hails from Birmingham, Ala. Following a junior campaign that saw him rack up 729 yards and seven touchdowns, Collins announced he'd be returning to Ann Arbor for his senior season.
The cancellation of Big Ten football caused him to change his mind, however, and though there was hope he'd return once gridiron action came back, that never came to fruition.
Collins' statistics were never off the charts during his three years at Michigan, though he'll nevertheless be an intriguing prospect to NFL clubs due to his 6-4, 222-pound size. His stature made him an outstanding downfield threat for the Maize and Blue, averaging 19.7 yards per catch last year and 16.6 as a sophomore in 2018.
Collins' 19.7 yards per reception last season was the second best mark in the Big Ten. He was expected to form one of the Big Ten's best wide receiver tandems alongside junior Ronnie Bell in 2020, after the latter led the team in both catches (48) and yards (758) in 2019.
The 6-4, 222-pounder's absence has been felt so far in 2020. U-M's pass catchers have already dropped seven passes through two games, an area that Collins never really struggled in as a Wolverine (dropped five passes during his three years in Ann Arbor).
Thomas planned to return to Ann Arbor as well for his senior campaign, but opted out once the season was canceled the first time around. Last year was his first as a starter at cornerback, with the Detroit native earning the starting nod in all 13 games.
Thomas racked up 38 tackles and seven pass breakups in 2019, while tying for the team lead with three interceptions. He also suffered from a health condition called colitis during the 2019 offseason, making his decision to opt out understandable.
Michigan's secondary has struggled mightily in his absence so far in 2020, with the unit allowing an average of 260 passing yards per game. That checks in 79th nationally out of the 115 FBS programs who have played a game this year.
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