Nico Collins Up For 2020 Maxwell Award

Also eligible for the Belitnikoff Award, Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins was nominated for the 2020 Maxwell Award on Friday.

When the 2020 Maxwell Award Watch List was released on Friday, Michigan senior wide receiver Nico Collins was bunched among the top playmakers in America as a candidate.

Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year)Watch List @MaxwellFootball:

〽️ @lbg_nico7 〽️ pic.twitter.com/zO8UskcZPr

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) July 24, 2020

Just last week Collins was tabbed as a candidate for the Belitnikoff Award, which is given to the top wide receiver in America each year, and the 6-4, 222-pounder also recently announced a switch to the No. 1 jersey for the fall to round out a notable offseason.

Throughout his Michigan career, Collins has acted as a sure-handed deep ball threat for the U-M passing attack. So far, Collins has amassed 78 catches for 1,388 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his career with a 37-reception, 729-yard and seven-touchdown outing a year ago.

In order to compete for the Maxwell Award this coming season, Collins would likely have to double his career numbers to date. The last wide receiver to win the award came in 1991 when Michigan's own Desmond Howard was named the top player in the country after logging 68 catches for 985 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns.

In total, 90 players were named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, and the Big Ten had 14 such representatives. A Big Ten player has not laid claim to the Maxwell Award since 2002 when Penn State's Larry Johnson took home the honors.

Earlier this offseason, Wolverine Digest's Michael Spath conducted a poll on Twitter to determine who Michigan fans thought the Wolverines' best player was, and the results overwhelmingly pointed to Nico Collins.

Who is the No. 1 player on this Michigan football team heading into 2020?

— Michael Spath (@MichaelSpathITH) July 1, 2020

Two days earlier, Wolverine Digest voted on the top 25 players heading into the 2020 season, and Collins received second place honors with a pair of first place votes to his credit, so the expectations for Michigan's top receiver heading into his senior season are high.

What do you think is a fair level of production to expect out of Collins? Will he challenge for the Belitnikoff Award with a strong 2020 campaign? Let us know!