How Jeremiah Collins, a Louisville transfer, could be a boost for Oakland football
Jeremiah Collins was familiar with Oakland's football team well before he moved to Murfreesboro from Louisville.
If he lives up to the hype, it won't take Patriot fans long to get familiar with the 3-star prospect.
The 6-foot-2, 160-pound defensive back is ranked as the No. 14 player in Tennessee in the 2023 class, No. 36 nationally as an athlete, according to 247Sports Composite. He was committed to Louisville before re-opening his recruitment around the same time he left Kentucky for Tennessee.
Collins was ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 3 player in Kentucky before leaving Male High. He recorded 19 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in leading Male High to a 6A runner-up season.
Collins, who moved to Murfreesboro to live with his father, was impressed with the Patriots' first preseason practice Monday.
"I felt the intensity," said Collins, who was limited a bit while recovering from a pinky finger injury. "My father had already told me about Oakland and them being a top-10 team in the nation. I believe it's more competitive down here. It will help me get better individually and get bigger."
Despite decommitting from Louisville, the Cardinals are still well in the mix for Collins, who will play in the secondary and receiver for Oakland, but expects to be used as a defensive back in college.
He also has offers from Kentucky, Illinois, Purdue, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others.
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Collins plans to visit West Virginia before the college season begins and then expects to take multiple visits during the season. He said Alabama, Mississippi State, Kentucky and South Carolina are schools that are on his radar for future visits.
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"He's a real smart kid," Oakland coach Kevin Creasy said. "He had a real high ACT, but he's also real smart when it comes to football. He has a really good football IQ. We can move him around and play him in several different positions, like we like to do, in the secondary. He will complement what we already do on defense."
Collins believes he can step in and help Oakland in more ways than just his performance on the field.
"Being a senior and having our secondary corps being young, I think I can help them individually," Collins said. "I'll try to help them with moral support and technique as well. It's just about getting better.
"As a whole I think we're coming together on defense. I saw that today."
Oakland, which is riding a 30-game winning streak, will be at home 6 p.m. Friday in a scrimmage vs. Cane Ridge. The Patriots open the regular season at home vs. Hendersonville on Thursday, Aug. 18.
Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Jeremiah Collins: Oakland football benefits from Louisville transfer
