OFFICIAL: LB Raleigh Collins III Signs with West Virginia
LB Raleigh Collins III
Height: 6'3" Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
High school: Neumann Goretti
Power Five Offers:
Boston College, Kansas, Maryland, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, West Virginia.
Group of Five Offers:
Army, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, UConn, Temple.
Evaluation:
Collins III has spent his high school career in the secondary, but defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley and inside linebacker coach Jeff Koontz have identified him as a linebacker - it may be due to the fact of the bad intentions he has when approaching the ball carriers, delivering devastating blows and the ability to shed blocks and naturally, his size. He is versatile and athletic and may fit into the bandit role (Hybrid of linebacker/defensive back) and his physicality will be another welcome presence in the box. Then again, once he gets a closer evaluation and adds weight, he could shift to weakside linebacker. His versatility is exactly what makes him appealing in this WVU defense - an athlete, the coaching staff, can line up nearly anywhere, something the staff is evolving more towards.
Playing time projection:
Considering he's at a fairly low weight for a linebacker, I wouldn't expect him to play right away. Not only that but he is still learning the position and making that adjustment from being in the secondary may take some time getting used to.
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