Possible recruit??

[HSKRNOKC]

THE RECRUITING GUY: Plenty of interest for Texas player with Arkansas ties

By Richard Davenport

 

 

LITTLE ROCK - When Razorbacks coaches go out of state to recruit an athlete, it's always a bonus to find a prospect with Arkansas ties. That's the case with Flower Mound, Texas, cornerback/wide receiver Collin Ashley.

 

Ashley, who's considered one of the top 2009 football prospects in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, is originally from Monticello.

 

And Ashley's Arkansas roots surface often, Flower Mound Coach Cody Vanderford said, especially when he visits local elementary schools as part of the Athletes for Literacy program.

 

"We always tease Collin," Vanderford said.

 

"We’ve had Collin in several of the elementary classrooms calling the hogs with the kids. It's pretty funny; it's really pretty good actually."

 

Ashley moved to Texas after fifth grade.

 

"All my family lives in Warren (Ark.)," Ashley said.

 

"My cousins are always calling me and asking me, 'Have you gotten any letters, you get any from Arkansas?'"

 

Ashley, 6-0, 165 pounds, 4.40 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has indeed received letters from Arkansas along with about 15 other schools, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Iowa, Washington State, Nebraska and LSU.

 

While the recruiting process is in the early stages, Ashley already attended one junior day and has plans to visit Fayetteville.

 

"I went to Oklahoma State's junior day two weekends ago," Ashley said. "I'm planning on possibly going to a camp there. I think Arkansas' junior day is in April, and I'm planning on coming up for that. My plan is do camps at my top five schools after this spring. My top five include Oklahoma State and Arkansas for sure. I've talked to Texas' coaches, and I probably want to go to Texas and one of their camps, possibly LSU and Kansas."

 

Ashley said despite living in Texas, he's still a Razorbacks fan.

 

Ashley picked up some impressive postseason honors. He was on the Texas Sport Writers Association Class 5A all-state team and was second-team all-area.

 

He finished the season with 35 tackles, 5 interceptions and 7 pass breakups. As a sophomore, Ashley led the state with eight interceptions.

 

Ashley picked up a couple of other honors the past two years, according to Flower Mound Coach Cody Vanderford.

 

"As a sophomore he was the newcomer of the year in our district," Vanderford said. "And this past year he was the district co-MVP as a junior."

 

Ashley plans to possibly narrow his list near the end of the school year.

 

"I'm pretty much going to look at my options," said Ashley, who reports a 280-pound bench press and 320-pound squat. "Like April towards June, towards the end of school and see what all my options are and ask myself really if these are some of the schools that I would want to go to and if any other schools offered me, would I want to go there. I'll probably make a decision about my plans near the end of school year."

 

Vanderford has coached for 19 years and said Ashley's speed and instincts make him a top player.

 

"I've been coaching a long time, and he's one of those kids that has what everybody defines as 'it,'" said Vanderford, who graduated from Southern Arkansas. "He's an extremely instinctive player. He has tremendous speed. His instincts are as good as anybody I've coached. As a corner, he has the ability to change directions so quickly. That's why I think he's able to close on the ball so well and have as many interceptions as he does."

 

Ashley credits film study and his speed for allowing him to recover from a lapse on the field.

 

"I feel like I can make a small mistake unlike other corners, like open hips the wrong way then the receiver has a step on him, but my speed really helps me at corner. It allows me to make small mistakes without it hurting me too bad," Ashley said.

 

Ashley is also an outstanding kickoff returner.

 

"I got second team all-state in Texas this year at [kickoff] returns," he said. "I think I had close to 600 yards returning. I think I averaged 35 yards a kickoff return."

 

College coaches like for an athlete to have the versatility to contribute at different positions.

 

Vanderford said Ashley is the most explosive athlete on the team and will play more offense next fall.

 

"He's a legitimate 4.4 kid," Vanderford said of Ashley's 40-yard dash time. "He caught I think two or three touchdown passes this year. As the year progressed, we started to integrate him a little bit more into our offense. We spot-played him because he played every down on defense. He was a difference maker."

 

Vanderford said Ashley is a fearless competitor and is the best at his position in the Dallas area.

 

"You watch him return kicks, he has the ability to run full speed and see seams and get into them without ever slowing down," he said.

 

"He's just a fearless player. He is the best cornerback in the Dallas metroplex bar none."

 

Vanderford said he's had numerous players play Division I college football and a couple of players make it to the NFL but Ashley's talent is second to none.

 

"I coached a kid name Denard Walker that played for LSU and played for the Tennessee Titans and ended up with the Denver Broncos," Vanderford said. "He played in the secondary as a corner. Denard's physical stature, he was a bigger kid. Collin hasn't got that size yet, but Collin is a much better player of the game than Denard was at his age."

 

-------------------

 

Kid sounds like an absolute playmaker.

[huskernumerouno]

Maybe we can pull a fast one but it sounds like we are not one of his top teams right now

[DeathCultArmaggedon]

Maybe we can pull a fast one but it sounds like we are not one of his top teams right now

I agree. The kid sounds like a baller, but we'll see how interested he is in Nebraska as time progresses. Not getting my hopes too high.

 

Oh, and HSKRNOKC, your avatar is awesome.