Nico Collins named us his outright leader today him& DPJ on the outside

got to have a big season this year
BEAVERTON, Ore. - Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville Top247 receiver
Nico Collins maintained Michigan as his leader at The Opening Finals Wednesday afternoon, the first day quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends took the field at the Nike World Headquarters.
Other contenders include Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Florida State for the nation’s No. 13 receiver and No. 76 prospect overall per the 247Sports Composite.
“There is a lot of stuff about Michigan,” Collins said. “That’s an old-fashioned school, its tradition there, the academics, they care about you after football and what you plan to do after football. That and football plays a big role in that.”
Michigan is sitting on the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class per 247Sports with five-star quarterback
Dylan McCaffrey one of the headliners.
“Having Dylan in my class at quarterback I know that’s somebody that can get me the ball,” Collins said. “The coaching staff, everything just felt right up there.”
“I never would have thought when I was younger Michigan in the North would be recruiting me but I’m just blessed and enjoying the process right now.”
McCaffrey and Collins are playing on the same 7-on-7 team in Oregon.
“That might be my quarterback for three to four years,” Collins said. “He wants me in there pretty bad and I’m kind of loving Michigan.”
Five-star receiver
Donovan Peoples-Jones is also on the same team as Collins. Both are the Wolverines top two receiver targets.
“That’s a possibility,” Collins said of them landing in Ann Arbor together. “It’s up there, it could happen. It’s a crazy duo, who to check, me or him?
The coaching staff at Michigan has the Wolverines sitting pretty.
“Coach (Jim) Harbaugh that’s a pretty cool dude to be around,” Collins said. “The way he is on camera is how he is in person. He’ll talk to you about anything, he’ll joke around with you, dance with you, anything.”
Collins also talked about why he went public with Michigan being No. 1.
“Just hanging out with them, having conversation with my parents, they really loved it and I really loved it,” Collins stated.
If Michigan indeed leads, Georgia and Alabama look like the biggest challengers.
Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in Alabama per the 247Sports Composite, Collins said he talks often with
Billy Napier and chatted with
Nick Saban shortly before coming out to The Opening.
“He tells me I’m a big priority for them,” Collins said of talks with Napier. “The receiver board, a big-sized receiver like me playing on the outside the x position, he’s saying he has a lot of big plans for me if I come. He really wants me to come, he’s saying how he could use me in different ways.”
Collins has been to Georgia three times since
Kirby Smart took over.
“I had to go up there and see what the new Georgia was like after Coach Richt left,” Collins said. “What Kirby is doing with them, he’s doing pretty good with them. They have
Jacob Eason and
Jake Fromm, them two are trying to get me up there, especially Jake he was talking to me last night wanting me to come up there.”
Fromm is also Collins’s teammate for 7-on-7. He enjoys the atmosphere in Athens for games.
“It’s an awesome experience,” Collins said. “It’s pack out, the crowd is yelling, I can see myself there.”
Collins added he’s looking to visit Clemson and LSU next