Because a couple of wideouts have been sidelined by injuries this spring, Clemson receivers coach Tyler Grisham has challenged Dacari Collins to do more.
The rising sophomore receiver has seen action at both the 9-man (boundary) and 2-man (field) positions during spring practice, with E.J. Williams out this spring after recently having his knee scoped and Troy Stellato missing time after pulling his hamstring the first week of spring practice.
“Dacari is doing good things,” Grisham said following Monday’s practice. “I think with him, challenging him. Because of a couple guys dropping – with Troy being out a little bit, with E.J. being out – he’s had to play 9 and 2. So he’s playing the boundary, he’s playing the field, and so he’s having to learn a lot, and he’s still a young guy learning.”
Grisham admitted Collins, who caught 16 passes for 221 yards over nine games as a true freshman last season, didn’t have the best beginning to spring practice this year.
But he’s responded after a rough start, according to Grisham, who has been pleased with what he’s seen from the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder over the last several practices.
“He’s done really well,” Grisham said. “I think the last four practices have been probably his best. He didn’t have a great start. But man, Dacari has done really well and bounced back from a little bit of a rocky start.”
Collins embraced opportunity down the stretch last season and had six-catch efforts against both UConn and Iowa State. His breakout performance vs. UConn saw him collect six catches for 97 yards, and after making his first career start vs. No. 13 Wake Forest, he had a team-high 50 yards on two catches at South Carolina before recording a team-high 56 yards on a career-high-tying six receptions vs. Iowa State.
A former four-star prospect according to every major recruiting service, Collins ranked as the No. 129 overall player in the nation by ESPN coming out of high school. The Atlanta native had a strong four-year career in the football-rich state of Georgia, racking up 109 receptions for 1,990 yards and 20 touchdowns in 37 career games while averaging a stellar 18.3 yards per catch for his career.
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