Notre Dame WR Beaux Collins Willing To Do Anything to Advance
It’s not a secret that Notre Dame’s passing game had its ups and downs in 2024. Yet, when Notre Dame has needed a play, Riley Leonard and his receiving corps find a way, even if it’s not the prettiest.
The Irish did it again in the Sugar Bowl as Riley Leonard found Beaux Collins for a 13-yard scoring strike to put Notre Dame up 13-3.
When the play was called, Collins immediately thought there was a chance he could make a game-changing play and when the Irish lined up, the California native knew the ball was coming to him.
“Coming off the sideline, I heard the play call,” Collins recalled. “I was just like, ‘I might get this one right here.’ When we lined up, it was the perfect look for us to fake the RPO and throw it downfield. When I lined up, I kind of knew I was about to get it. I had to make sure the DB can’t attach to me and stay open.”
Notre Dame’s passing game will need to step up this week, as 90 yards isn’t going to get the job done in the final four of the College Football Playoff. The positive outlook is Notre Dame is due for a breakout game similar to USC in the passing game, but Collins and company will be ready to muck it up if need be.
“It was wild,” laughed Collins. “It kind of felt like it was 90 yards, but at the same time, it didn’t. It was one of those we had to slug it out with them. We tried to run the ball. Some were successful, some weren’t. It was wild. After the game, I was definitely like, ‘Wow. Ninety yards is insane.’ I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.”
Some receivers would get annoyed with low numbers or even the lack of emphasis on the passing game at times, but not Collins. As someone who came from a successful program, Collins chose to be unselfish when looking for a new school last winter, despite it being his last year to impress NFL scouts.
“Transferring you have to think about, ‘’Do I want to go somewhere I can put up crazy, insane numbers to where scouts are like no doubt that’s a guy? Or do I want to go somewhere and leave a legacy with other guys and selflessness,’” explained Collins. “That’s something I really made a decision off of.”
And yes, Collins like every other receiver would love to be putting up big numbers and winning like those receivers at Ohio State, but embracing a role at Notre Dame has been easy.
Why? Collins doesn’t have to look far to see other seniors accepting smaller roles as Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas have bought into doing whatever it takes to win football games.
“At the end of the day, we’re all trying to get to the same place, which is the next level,” Collins stated. “We have the same goals of winning a national championship. Whatever that takes, I’m willing to sacrifice or give up whatever for it.”
Collins backed up those words last week as well. At halftime, Collins had to get an IV as he was battling the stomach flu and was about 80 percent heading into the game.
Marty Biagi actually took Collins off of kickoff return and replaced him with Leo Scheidler, who got a huge block to spring Jayden Harrison.
“I was getting an IV at halftime and Coach Biagi walked up and was like, ‘You think you’ll be good,’” Collins said. “I was like, ‘Uhh, I have a needle in my arm right now. I’m not sure.’ They put my man Leo in and he killed it. He had the dude stalemated and drove him 10 yards. It was a blessing and a curse at the same time.”
Notre Dame and Collins are now full speed ahead on Penn State. Recovery is the word of the week as the program will have a quick turnaround from the Sugar Bowl, but it’s also a focus the program has emphasized all season.
“Treat yourself as a pro,” said Collins. “Younger dudes are gonna have to wake up a little earlier. You’re not going to be able to eat junk all the time, stay up late, play video games. You’re gonna have to actually treat yourself as a pro.
“There’s a lot of guys that say they are dudes, but you have to actually live it now with the season being this long. I definitely feel some aches and pains. I just gotta take the extra, whether it’s like 10, 15 minutes of recovery or something like that every day.”
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