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Oklahoma State Football Recruiting

Oklahoma State Picks Up Another Pledge in Elijah Collins, More to Come?

January 14, 2023
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STILLWATER – It’s been a strong recruiting weekend for Oklahoma State football and head coach Mike Gundy as they have now picked up three new commitments, two of which are out of the NCAA transfer portal who will put their names on the dotted line on the National Letter-of-Intent on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

There is also the opportunity for more good news to come with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, as the Cowboys are bringing in more official visitors on Sunday who will stay through Monday. You likely read here on Pokes Report about the pledges from Enid, Okla. standout wide receiver Tykie Andrews and former Iowa Hawkeyes do-everything back/receiver Arland Bruce IV. Now you can add the name of former Michigan State running back Elijah Collins and Aledo, Texas slot receiver Jalen Pope could also possibly be added. 

Gundy, recruiting director Todd Bradford and the coaching and recruiting staff members hit on three of the five players who made official visits over the weekend making commitments to Oklahoma State. Like we said another, Jalen Pope of Aledo, Texas also looks promising. The one recruit who doesn’t look like he will commit before leaving is former Texas A&M and Southlake Carroll, Texas tight end Blake Smith. Smith was reportedly having a great visit but received a phone call while on the OSU visit from Oklahoma pleading with him to stop in Norman for a visit after he finished in Stillwater. We understand that Smith will make that stop. 

Michigan State University Athletics
Collins playing at home against Tulsa.

As for the players that Oklahoma State will welcome in, Collins comes in immediately for the spring semester and that is welcomed. He more than makes up for the loss of former Western Michigan back Sean Tyler, who switched his commitment to Minnesota on Jan. 13. 

Collins is Michigan State graduate having earned a degree in Media and Information. The 6-1, 215-pound Collins has rushed for 1,506-yards in his Spartan career with 11 touchdowns and averaged 4.3-yards a carry. His career carries number 353 and he has been durable and a good receiver too. 

This past season Collins played in all the games and helped Michigan State win over Indiana with 107-yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. 

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWOR
Collins scoring a touchdown against Indiana

His biggest season was in 2019 when he started 12 games and carried 222 times for 988-yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 4.5-yards a carry. He opened the season with 17 carries for 192-yards in the Western Michigan win. In the game with Illinois, Collins had 28 totes for 170-yards and two touchdowns. He had 31 carries for 109-yards vs. Rutgers. In the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, Collins had 96-yards on 21 carries against Wake Forest. 

In high school Collins was a two-time All-State player in Michigan and after his senior season with 1,076-yards and nine touchdowns posting 8.0-yards per carry he was named the top back in Michigan and was named to the MLive Detroit Dream Team.

Collins is a big back that can break tackles but also produce explosive runs. He has broken runs of 58-yards and has 12 runs of 20-yards or more. He also finished with 1,766-yards all purpose. 

Collins is a major addition for the Oklahoma State offense.

Discussion from...

Oklahoma State Picks Up Another Pledge in Elijah Collins, More to Come?

9,420 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Joe Khatib
TUSKAPOKE
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Welcome to OSU!!! GO POKES!!!
CanadianCowboy
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Another good get from the weekend visitors, and sounds like an upgrade from the RB that flipped to Minnesota. I know I'm more enthused about E. Collins' commitment than the other one. Looking forward to seeing how he contributes to the 2023 season! Go Pokes!
cgoekeler
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Need to somehow snag smith. He's really good and big. Unfortunate that he is going to stop in norman. Hope we can get a couple more portal commits come Monday.
Joe Khatib
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Here is your running back to replace Tyler, he is bigger and stronger too! It was funny watching him and Ollie Gordon together when they were at the Cowgirl game because they both have the same color braids almost exactly! LOL
Joe Khatib
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It seems like the ZERO U people down south have a CIA spy network targeting OSU and the portal, they find out a player is visiting OSU, they do a quick tape/film study and suddenly start calling and texting the player! I thought we didn't have anybody worth their time and effort according to all their fans!!! I am truly surprised they didn't make contact with Collins because they need running back help!!!
backphil
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I'm sure Gundy has an appropriate bit of wisdom he shares with prospective recruits, who receive a call from the land thieves while in Stillwater on a recruiting visit, inviting them to stop by Norman where 90% of the sewerner fans have never darkened the door of a classroom on campus.
Class 1980
TUSKAPOKE
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The Sewerners stink!!! GO POKES!!!
Cdub234
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They've always made it a priority to try and steal at least one of our commits right before or on signing day, so this isn't much different. Their old MO was to try and get a a silent flip right before the NLI signing day's dead period started so we wouldn't know and couldn't contact the kid.
CaliforniaCowboy
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backphil said:

where 90% of their fans have never darkened the door of a classroom on campus.
that's a "problem" that I wish we had....

you make it sound like it's a bad thing.

ALL FANS WELCOME!!!

Osufenceman
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Joe Khatib said:

It seems like the ZERO U people down south have a CIA spy network targeting OSU and the portal, they find out a player is visiting OSU, they do a quick tape/film study and suddenly start calling and texting the player! I thought we didn't have anybody worth their time and effort according to all their fans!!! I am truly surprised they didn't make contact with Collins because they need running back help!!!


Most schools have people monitoring social media. They likely saw him post something about the visit.
pokeacola
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Did I hear correctly on Robert's radio program that we were getting a visit from an O line prospect from Wyoming? A difference maker...
Crazed_Stallion
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Blake Smith just committed to OU.
Joe Khatib
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Crazed_Stallion said:

Blake Smith just committed to OU.
Well congratulations, you got a guy who has caught somewhere in the neighborhood of FIVE PASSES IN THREE YEARS! Yippee Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO!
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