For a good chunk of time, there was a very real possibility that Alfred Collins was not going to play college football in the state of Texas, let alone Austin.

Collins, a Rivals250 strong-side defensive end out of Bastrop (Texas) Cedar Creek, curbed that narrative by committing to and signing with the Longhorns on National Signing Day. He picked Texas over Alabama and Oklahoma.

The four-star defensive lineman is a Longhorns legacy. His mother, Benita Pollard-Collins, played basketball at Texas. Nonetheless, with attrition on the coaching staff in Austin, Collins close very close looks at several of Big 12 schools like Baylor and Oklahoma and maintained a longstanding bond with the coaches in Tuscaloosa before ultimately landing with Texas.

"They talk about just how I can come in and help the team and take them to the next level," Collins previously told Rivals. "It's close to home and they tell me I can still come in and do some damage.

"They (were) pushing pretty hard. We have a pretty good relationship and I like them. They tell me how big of a priority I am over there and how I'd be taken care of, that I would get what I need."

Collins was viewed as a Texas lean for the bulk of his recruitment. In the spring, he began to whittle away at his long list of offers, though it felt as if everybody trailed the Longhorns.

Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and LSU all trailed Texas, which held onto pole position for several months.

By the time the fall arrived, the Longhorns began to lose some steal with their priority defensive line target. The team was struggling defensively before rumors of some staff shakeup eventually turned into a reality. Texas let go of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, who's now at USC, which opened the door for some other regional schools to capitalize on the uncertainty on the 40 Acres.

Baylor was one of the main threats. Matt Rhule made a strong impression on Collins and had the four-star defensive lineman on campus quite a bit on Saturdays last fall. If Rhule wound up staying in Waco, the Bears may have finished in a better spot with the state's No. 18-ranked player.

Oklahoma, too, capitalized on the coaching turnover at Texas. Lincoln Riley took a very personal role in Collins' recruitment and as of the All-American Bowl in January, there was a feeling that the Sooners were the team to beat.

Texas eventually pieced together a new-look staff. Chris Ash took succeeded Orlando as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Oscar Giles was retained. Giles, of course, developed a strong relationship with Collins in that allowed the Longhorns to jump out in front early on in his recruitment.

The Rivals250 prospect took an unofficial visit back to Texas in January to get acquainted with the new members of the staff, and in particular Ash, while also getting to reconnect with Giles and Tom Herman.

"They told me they need me to stay patient and don't let it (coordinator changes) deter you," Collins told Rivals of the staff changes taking place in Austin.

That patience and honest dialogue ultimately worked in Texas' favor.

Collins possesses fantastic athletic ability for the position. He's a dynamic basketball player that runs the court well and has the vertical ability to dunk. He also dominates the level of competition for Cedar Creek and always sticks out in a crowd against his competition for his freakish size (6-foot-6, 284 pounds).

As a senior, Collins displayed a great motor as a defensive tackle and a defensive end in a three-man front. For his size, he's incredible getting down the line of scrimmage and defending to the sideline. He's especially agile with short-area quickness and explodes off the line, and he seemingly loves to battle inside in the trenches.

Collins' athleticism is worth mentioning. There's, of course, his basketball background, but he also caught a handful of touchdowns and 2-point conversions for his high school team.

As a pass-rusher, that athleticism is a major factor that needs to be considered. He's extremely disruptive on pass-rush and running situations. If let in 1-on-1 situations, Collins explodes through opposing tackles and naturally lasers to the football, often looking for strips and turnovers.

In addition to his rare combination of size and athleticism, Collins has a long wingspan to disrupt passing lanes and good-enough hands to battle inside. He's a three-down player that'll crash running lanes or defend to the sideline, while also getting after opposing quarterbacks.