UCLA defensive lineman Collins Acheampong hits transfer portal

Another portal loss for UCLA.

The transfer portal news carried through into Westwood on Monday with redshirt freshman Collins Acheampong announcing on Twitter that he’s entering the transfer portal.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal with 4 years of eligibility remaining,” Acheampong said. “This decision is about pursuing the opportunity to play the sport I love and showcase my abilities on the football field.”

The four-star defensive lineman recruit came to UCLA after spending a season with Miami (Florida) where he didn’t see any game action. It was the same story this year with the Bruins, as Acheampong couldn’t make his way onto the field.

It’ll be the second straight offseason in the transfer portal for Acheampong after transferring into UCLA, as the Ghana native will look for an opportunity to get onto the field this time around. 

“I want to thank God for His guidance and express my gratitude to my head Coach, strength coaches, teammates, and fans for their unwavering support.” Acheampong added in the tweet. “Thank you, UCLA, for the memories. I’m excited for what lies ahead.”

While Acheampong hasn’t seen action on the field, at 6’7” and 270 lbs he has the measurables that will be desirable to other schools.

2023 Michigan football commit flips to ACC school

Excuse me, what??

Despite last year’s College Football Playoff run and another one happening this year for Michigan football, at times, recruiting has been a strange beast.

And it’s grown even stranger.

After the Wolverines beat the rival Ohio State Buckeyes in the best win by any team in college football this season, the maize and blue added three commitments, all from the state of Ohio, to the commitment gained on Friday afternoon. But after that streak of recruiting wins, the Wolverines had a recruiting loss: Four-star defensive end prospect Collins Acheampong, who had committed in June, flipped to a struggling Miami Hurricanes program.

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Considering Michigan went 12-0 compared to Miami’s 5-7, it’s quite evident this is an NIL issue for Acheampong. Michigan projected him as a David Ojabo-type prospect and are far from full in the class.

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Michigan football commit named to the 2023 ‘Freaks List’

Can’t wait for him to get to campus next season!

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman comes out with his ‘Freaks List’ yearly for college football. For his 2022 rendition, Feldman had Mazi Smith ranked No. 1.

Andrew Ivins with 247Sports came out with a 2023 high school football version of a Freaks List. Ivins put 50 2023 high school prospects on his list and he had a summary of why they were ranked.

There was one Michigan commit listed.

Collins Acheampong comes in at No. 16. Acheampong is a four-star athlete from Santa Margarita Catholic.

Collins Acheampong looks like someone who was built in create-a-player mode on Madden — or maybe NBA 2K — as he’s over 6-foot-7 and equipped with 10-inch hands to go along with his near 7-foot wingspan. He didn’t play football as a sophomore or junior after the global pandemic dismantled his school’s football program, but he flashed this summer on the camp circuit and was better than expected in the first game of his senior season at Rancho Santa Margarita Catholic, totaling a sack and multiple pressures. Acheampong, who many view as a pass rusher long-term, will need some time to develop, but he could be a monster one day given how explosive he is with his length (has touched 141 inches on a vertical leap test and gone 4.2 in the 20-yard shuttle).

Acheampong is listed as an athlete on 247Sports, but he is projected to be an edge rusher when he comes to Michigan. He is listed as the 244th ranked prospect and the 16th ranked athlete in the country by the 247Sports composite.

What makes the recruitment of Acheampong so interesting is that he didn’t play football the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he tore it up on the defensive side of the ball his freshman year of high school. In 2019, as a freshman, he recorded 51 tackles, 15 TFL, nine sacks, and one fumble recovery.

Mike Elston was the primary recruiter and the California product committed to the Wolverines back on June 10. He chose Michigan over both Miami (FL) and LSU.

The No. 1 prospect on Ivins’ Freaks List is a prospect that Michigan fans are really hoping the Wolverines can reel in, Nyckoles Harbor.

Harbor is a five-star athlete from Archbishop Carroll (Washington, DC) and he is the 10th-best prospect according to the 247Sports composite. The Wolverines are trying to fend off Maryland, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. Harbor can play either the edge position or be a game-changing tight end at the next level.

The other obstacle in the way of landing the talent of Harbor is track. Harbor is not only a football star, but he is an incredible track runner. Harbor has talked about going pro in track after high school, which would affect college football.

Harbor is expected to visit Michigan on the weekend of Sept. 23 for the home game against Maryland.

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Michigan football gets a commitment from four-star athlete

Another one for the good guys! #GoBlue

Michigan football strikes again in the recruiting department just one day after it landed four-star interior offensive lineman, Amir Herring. 

On Friday, the Wolverines got a much-needed boost to the 2023 recruiting class after four-star Collins Acheampong announced his commitment to the maize and blue. He picked Michigan over LSU, Miami (FL), and UCLA among plenty of others. Acheampong, who goes to Santa Margarita Catholic (California), is listed as an athlete on 247Sports. He is also a dual-sport athlete who excels at basketball.

The California product is projected to play the edge position at the collegiate level and his size tells the story. Acheampong is listed at 6-foot-7 and weighs 254-pounds. According to the 247Sports composite, he is the 298th-ranked player for the class of 2023 and the 17-ranked prospect from California.

What’s unique about Acheampong is he hasn’t played football since his freshman year at Fairmont Prep. Academy — his football program was disbanded after COVID-19 — which is why he is now at Santa Margarita Catholic for his senior season. In his freshman year of football, he tallied 51 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, and nine sacks.

You can watch highlights from Acheampong’s freshman year at Fairmont Prep. below.

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Gators in line for a visit from this out-of-state 4-star ATH recruit

The Gators may get their chance to impress a top California ATH recruit this month.

Florida football will be hosting a crop of recruits this coming weekend as new head coach Billy Napier and his staff continue to push forward into the next era of the gridiron Gators. The staff has been out on the hunt for the top prep prospects in the nation all spring and now turn their attention to the summer months, in which the Swamp will play host to a myriad of high school prospects in hopes of luring them to the Orange and Blue.

Among those Napier and Co. hope to make the trip down to Gainesville is 4-star athlete Collins Acheampong from Anaheim (California) Fairmont Preparatory Academy, who made some adjustments to his school visit itinerary ahead of his July 1 commitment date. Included in the changes included a possible visit to the Swamp on June 17 — a date he had previously set with the Washington Huskies. Instead, either UF or the Texas Longhorns will host him that weekend.

The Golden State prospect offered the following to 247Sports regarding his change of plans.

“Texas and Florida recently offered me and both are elite football schools that I’ve been following for a long time. 

“Texas offered me first and I’m leaning towards locking that visit in with them for the 17th, but I’m still talking with Florida too. Before I moved here (from Ghana), those were two schools I had interest in. Texas is a big-time program and Florida is as well. They both like me as a defensive end and, like I said with LSU, both programs play on a big stage. I know they can develop me really well too.”

The 6-foot-7-inch, 230-pound athlete narrowed his list to the Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans and Washington Huskies back in April before adding Florida, the LSU Tigers and Longhorns in early May. The final stop on his summer tour will come on June 24 when he springs through Coral Gables to visit the U.

Acheampong ranks No.  overall and No.  nationally at his position, according to the 247Sports Composite, while the On3 Consensus lists him at Nos.  and , respectively.

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Texas extends an offer to four-star TE Collins Acheampong out of California

The Longhorns are now targeting 6-foot-7 tight end Collins Acheampong.

The Longhorns are now targeting a two-sport athlete out of California. Continue reading “Texas extends an offer to four-star TE Collins Acheampong out of California”

LSU offers three-star tight end from California

The Tigers are one of several top programs targeting the 6-foot-8-inch west coast product.

LSU is trying to land the services of an absolutely massive tight-end prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.

Collins Acheampong is a 6-foot-8, 230-pound player from Fairmont Prep Academy in Anaheim, California. When it comes to unconventional recruitment, this definitely would fit the bill. Acheampong has made a name for himself mainly through the camp scene.

As you can see below, the only film available for him is from his Freshman year in 2019. Why? Due to COVID, Fairmont Prep shut down its football program after the 2019 season. That didn’t stop Collins from working hard and getting offers though as he has amassed 10 Division I offers even though he has only played one year of varsity football.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 3 4 53 27
Rivals
ESPN
On3 Recruiting 3 59 62
247 Composite

Vitals

Hometown Anaheim, California
Projected Position TE
Height 6-8
Weight 230
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered March 9, 2022

Offers

Crystal Ball

No crystal ball projections at this time.

Film

Twitter

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