Recruiting: USC offers RB JoJuan Collins

After participating in USC Elite Camp on June 10th, junior running back JoJuan Collins out of Narbonne High School received an offer from the Trojan coaching staff. Did Clay Helton and the scouting department make a good decision with Collins?

Junior running back JoJuan Collins wears #24 for the Narbonne Gauchos. His Twitter cover picture is a photo of Marshawn Lynch, the powerful Super Bowl-champion running back known as “Beast Mode” and also dons the number 24 on his jersey. It is safe to say that Lynch is an inspiration to the young Collins, who aspires to unleash his own “Beast Mode” on the field.

Collins’ performance on the field, which most recently led the Gauchos to a 12-3 season and a state championship win, certainly echoes Lynch’s powerful running style, as the 6-foot and 205 pound junior is able to consistently shake off defenders with such ease that you wonder if the defense is even trying when trying to take him down.

What’s even better than Collins’ raw power is his tremendous vision while trying to navigate his way through the interior of the defense. While most running backs just try to blindly push forward to gain positive yardage, Collins occasionally likes to take his time behind his offensive line and find an open lane to run through, something Lynch and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell often do to find success on the field.

Oh yeah, and Collins can hit the gas pedal hard when he finds that hole and gets into the open field, leaving the helpless defense in the dust as they watch him celebrate a long touchdown run.

Colins has a 4 star rating and is ranked as the No. 19 running back in the Nation according to the 24/7 Sports Composite. He is also ranked 21st overall in the state of California.

USC does have a good amount of competition in snagging Collins. Ten other schools (Auburn, Boston College, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Tennessee, Utah, UCLA) have also offered scholarships to the junior, who will need to narrow that long list down and choose the right school for himself.

From that list, Georgia, Oklahoma, and UCLA immediately stand out as the biggest potential threats to steal Collins away from the Trojans. But hey, USC is still USC. Who wouldn’t want to join the Trojan family and win a championship with a promising young roster? I have a good feeling that Collins will want to stay in Southern California and become a Trojan that could eventually have a huge impact.