Five-star Clemson quarterback commit D.J. Uiagalelei threw for 322 yards and a pair of touchdowns while leading St. John Bosco (Calif.), the fourth-ranked team in the USA Today Sports Super 25, to a 35-7 win over No. 20 DeMatha (Md.) on Saturday night.
One of the touchdowns Uiagalelei tossed was caught by his four-star wide receiver teammate Beaux Collins, who also happens to be one of the Tigers’ top targets in the 2021 class.
The Clemson Insider caught up with Collins about the big season-opening victory, his recruitment and more.
“It felt great for me, starting off the season fast as we expected with D.J. and proving that we have one of the most explosive offenses,” he said. “So, it’s pretty big to me.”
The game was nationally televised on ESPN2, and Collins enjoyed playing in the spotlight after the initial butterflies subsided.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” he admitted. “But once I got the hang of it, it was a great experience.”
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Collins appreciates the luxury of having Uiagalelei as his quarterback.
“It helps me out as a receiver, knowing that I don’t have to have the best routes, but he can still fit it in small spaces and get the ball to me downfield,” Collins said.
The nation’s No. 2 receiver in the 2021 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Collins expects his recruiting process to heat up when Sept. 1 rolls around and college football coaches can begin actively reaching out to junior prospects like himself.
“Right now, it’s been pretty chill,” he said. “I’m just waiting until Sept. 1 for the coaches to call me and stuff like that.”
Collins visited Southern Cal recently for the team’s fall showcase. He is looking to attend the Ohio State-Penn State game in Columbus on Nov. 23, and also wants to visit Death Valley for Clemson’s game against Florida State on Oct. 12.
“That would be pretty big for me, seeing Clemson and their game atmosphere and how crazy the fans would be,” he said. “That would be a pretty fun experience.”
Collins will gain more clarity in his recruitment and be able to better gauge the interest level of schools once coaches can begin contacting him. But right now, the standout wideout feels that three schools are showing him the most attention.
“Right now, I would say Ohio State, maybe USC and Clemson, and that’s pretty much it right now,” he said. “Other schools are laying low.”
Clemson extended an offer to Collins in June after he competed at the Dabo Swinney Camp, joining an offer list that includes many of the nation’s top programs such as Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Texas, Southern Cal, Oregon, LSU and Notre Dame.
When Collins considers Clemson as one of his college options, a couple of things stand out to him.
“Just how many receivers they have put out (to the NFL),” he said, “and how they develop men out there and teach them to be family based and faith based. That’s pretty big to me in my eyes.”
Collins is not sure when he will narrow things down and make his commitment, but the Tigers stack up well with the other contenders.
“They’re pretty high on my list,” he said. “I would say top three.”
Collins is ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect in the 2021 class regardless of position by the 247Sports Composite.
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