ESPN Article On Offensive Lineman La’el Collins

Its NFL Draft week and as many as 9 former LSU players will be finding new homes in the NFL by the end of the weekend.

All-SEC offensive tackle La’el Collins would have been a lock to become an NFL pick this year but decided to return to LSU for his senior season. Here is what Collins had to say about his decision to come back to LSU per ESPN:

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“Just being able to put that [decision] behind me any way it kind of went, just being able to start back focusing on whatever it was I needed to focus on -- and that was staying in school and coming back and getting better -- it feels great because I’m able to come here every day and just work hard and know that in a few months that my time is going to come,” Collins said toward the end of spring practice. “I’m just going to focus on helping my team win football games here.”

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With Collins returning, LSU's already veteran offensive line is expected to be the strongest point on offense for the Tigers in 2014. Here is what center Elliot Porter had to say about the offensive line:

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“I feel like we’re better off because everybody is back, not just La’el,” said center Elliott Porter, one of three probable starting linemen who will be seniors. “We’re one as an offensive line. It’s not just one person, because you can’t do it with one person. La’el ain’t out there blocking everybody by himself, so La’el’s a great player, but like I said Vadal [Alexander] is back, I’m back, [Jerald] Hawkins is back. The only one we’re missing is Trai [Turner, who entered the draft], but he had to do what he had to do.

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Collins ranks among the top offensive tackle prospects for 2015 and Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that he “has as much upside as any left tackle in the country.”

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