Wide receiver Nico Collins had every intention of suiting up for Michigan this year. Even when the season was in limbo this summer due to COVID-19, he wanted to wait as long as possible to make a decision on the NFL.
When the Big Ten announced in August a revised 10-game schedule starting Sept. 5, Collins was committed to playing. A few days later, the season was postponed altogether.
That's when Collins turned his focus to the future. He hired an agent and decided to start preparing for the NFL Draft.
"They canceled the season, and that was heartbreaking for me," Collins said Tuesday on The Adam Schefter podcast.
Worse, it wasn't clear when or if the Big Ten was going to start play.
"They were saying in the spring, Thanksgiving, there were too many unknown questions to be answering. Nobody really had an answer to it," said Collins. "I sat down with my family and just made a business decision because I felt like I was in no-man's land."
A month later, the Big Ten announced it would start an eight-game season in October. Collins considered opting back in, like teammate Jalen Mayfield.
"It was an option. I thought about it," he said. "When I saw guys opting back in, that's when I asked my parents. We had a talk."
But by then, it didn't feel like a smart decision for a potential first-round pick.
"It was kinda late," said Collins. "It was eight games straight. I just don't want to get injured, something bad happen. It just didn't feel normal to me. I felt like everything was forced, almost, pressured.
"I want to be out there playing with my teammates and everything. But I just had to make the best decision that was right for me."
While he won't be on the field with Michigan when it starts the season Saturday at Minnesota, Collins said he'll be watching at home with his parents. He's expecting big things from the Wolverines in 2020.
"The team's very special," he said. "We re-loaded and I feel like the team's got something to prove. They're going to prove everybody wrong. I feel like everybody has a chip on their shoulder and they're going to go out Saturday and ball out."
