Texas Tech Adds Pac 12 Slot Receiver Seth Collins
Texas Tech has added former Oregon State slot receiver Seth Collins to its roster. As a graduate transfer, Collins is eligible to play in 2018.
During the spring practice period, Texas Tech auditioned a number of candidates at the receiver position with none staking a definitive claim on a starting position. Now, a new name has been added to the pool of receivers hoping to star in the “Air Raid” offense next season.
Seth Collins, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound graduate transfer from Oregon State announced via Twitter Monday his intentions to join the Red Raiders for the upcoming season.
The San Diego native saw his 2017 season derailed by injury following a promising start. After missing the Beavers’ first three games, Collins returned for three games in which he hauled in 12 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.
But an undisclosed “health-related issue” signaled an end to a turbulent run in Corvallis for Collins. The former high school quarterback left the program in 2016 when he learned he was being moved from QB to receiver. However, he returned three months later.
Then, in December of 2017, he was arranged on assault charges resulting from an incident in which a 19-year-old woman alleged Collins caused her bodily harm including a swollen lip.
In the wake of an incident in which four Texas Tech players were arrested outside a Lubbock bar, taking on a player coming off a similar incident will cause many Texas Tech fans to question the wisdom of this move. That is where trust in Kliff Kingsbury and his staff will be tested.
On the field, Collins could make an impact on an inexperienced receiving corp. Despite his size, Collins played out of the slot for Oregon State racking up 548 career receiving yards and two touchdowns on 48 receptions.
"Oregon State offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven referred to Collins as “a very dynamic player that gives you some things in that role in the slot” in the wake of Collins’ absence last season."
Collins could add a unique dynamic to the Texas Tech offense. He is an explosive athlete with unquestioned speed who could be a nightmare matchup out of the slot. Texas Tech has size in the slot with 6-foot-5 receivers Donta Thompson and Antione Wesley but Thompson lacks Collins’ combination of size and athleticism while Wesley has not been as productive as Collins in his career.
Another factor to keep in mind is that if Collins proves to be a viable option in the slot for Texas Tech, Wesley could move back outside where he has spent the majority of his career. Wesley was moved to inside receiver this spring and had success with the new position but towards the end of the spring he was again working outside. Given that Wesley did not participate in the spring game, where the coaches plan to use him is left to speculation.
The Red Raiders are trying to replace 241 catches, 3,036 yards and 23 touchdowns lost from last season’s receivers. Collins could help reinforce a unit that returns a mere 65 receptions, 29 of which came from T.J. Vasher.
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One other note to consider, Collins could apply for a medical redshirt being as he played in just 25% of his team’s games last season. The NCAA stipulates that no player having played more than 30% of the games in a season is eligible for medical redshirt consideration.