2021 QB pledge Finn Collins discusses his decision
There was a moment during Finn Collins' recruitment that caught him by surprise, an engaging act that made him rethink how every other school had been going after his services.
A week or so ago, Collins was on the phone with ASU’s coaches during what they have deemed their “Sparky hour.” In essence, it’s an hour a day where all the Sun Devils’ coaches gather in an auditorium, to keep the required social distancing and call recruits, a rapid-fire way for multiple coaches to talk with a prospect.
Collins, a three-star pro-style quarterback who played his junior season at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, had just finished a Facetime conversation with ASU offensive coordinator Zak Hill, Collins’ main recruiter.
Hill then asked if he could speak with Collins’ father, Jerry, a conversation that lasted nearly 20 minutes. It was the first time a school had truly made Collins’ family feel part of the recruiting process that will, in turn, affect them as well. That was no small feat.
“He really thought that was special,” Collins said of his dad, adding: “ASU involved my entire family during the recruiting process, compared to other schools that didn’t really involve anybody else but myself. I found that interesting and really awesome.”
The relationship he formed with Hill and the family atmosphere ASU provided made Collins comfortable enough to commit to the Sun Devils despite having never visited the campus and doing so while in quarantine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is definitely not how I pictured myself committing to a school,” Collins quipped. “I mean, it definitely takes a lot of pressure off myself and my family with this, so I can focus on myself and my team.”
Collins’ commitment is the first for Arizona State in the 2021 class. The fact that ASU got the 2021 class ignited with a quarterback may come as a surprise to some considering ASU seems set with Jayden Daniels. But the Sun Devils and Collins know that’s temporary.
Daniels will likely be leaving Tempe and declare for the NFL draft after the 2021 season, which means Collins, in his redshirt freshman year, could slide in under center after Daniels’ departure and command Hill’s offense. That’s, at least, what the Sun Devil coaches portrayed as a likely scenario.
“They want me to come in and learn from him and hopefully take the reins,” Collins said. “That’s my plan for sure.”
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Collins recently moved back to his home city of Los Angeles after a short stint in Fresno with plans to play at Calabasas High School next season. Last year, at San Joaquin Memorial, Collins threw for more than 3,500 yards with 39 touchdowns and a 62 percent completion rate.
“I loved his junior film and seriously considered a low four-star ranking for him,” Rivals’ national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney wrote of Collins. “Decided on mid-three until I saw him in person more. Liked him a ton at Under Armour camp.
“He's not going to blow you away physically but he has such a live arm. Ball pops off and he can gun it.”
Though Collins expects to run a spread offense at Calabasas, he’s intrigued with Hill’s offense -- a scheme centered on a variety of shifts and motions that often find the quarterback operating out of 12- and 22-personnel.
It puts pressure on the defense, Collins said, adding that he thinks he’ll be a great fit to run it.
Collins raved and raved about his relationship with ASU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He noted that Hill recruited him in earnest while at Boise State and was impressed that he continued with the phone calls and texts after nabbing a Power 5 job in Tempe.
“Once someone starts recruiting you -- like one of the first guys who actually starts noticing you, it’s really special,” Collins said. “I’ve always had a good relationship with coach Hill, so I made it my decision to go play for him.”
Collins’ decision will get the ball rolling on ASU’s 2021 class and while the country sits and ponders when, and if, sports will resume this year, the Sun Devils will try and build another Top 25 class. And Collins is more than eager to help those efforts.
“Oh yeah, I’ll be texting a ton of guys,” Collins’ joked. “I’ll be going crazy on social media.”
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