This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
13 DAYS TO 2026 KICKOFF: RJ Collins
MANHATTAN, KS - AUGUST 30: Kansas State Wildcats safety RJ Collins (13) before a college football game between the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and Kansas State Wildcats on August 30, 2025 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Goal No. 13: EXPECT TO WIN. And truly believe we will.
Robert “RJ” Collins Jr. (b. June 18, 2007) is a speedy young defensive back from Staley High School in Kansas City, Missouri, who is majoring in psychology. He enrolled in time for 2025 spring practices at K-State.
Collins, whose parents both attended K-State, redshirted and did not see any game action last season. He was listed as a safety in 2025 but now is described as a cornerback, a fairly deep position group this season that will make it hard for him to break through and see significant playing time (in my opinion).
Collins prepped under head coach Andrew Hudgins at Staley, where he was regarded as the 29th-best safety in the Class of 2025 by ESPN , in addition to the fifth-best overall prospect in the state of Missouri.
On3 rated Collins the 71st-best cornerback in the nation after he recorded 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and four pass breakups as a senior en route to all-state honors from the Missouri Football Coaches Association .
He picked up all-conference honors as a sophomore, junior and senior, and also competed in track, where he was a state champion in the 200-meter dash — setting a state record at 21.23 — as a junior, while he finished second as a senior. (That speed is something that might help to get him on the field sooner, especially on special teams.)
Collins won a state championship in the 100-meter dash as a senior and also broke the state record during the season by running a 10.27 . He finished third in the 100-meter dash as a junior and was a finalist as a sophomore.
“Being known as the fastest man in Missouri high school history is pretty dope. It’s a legacy that lasts, and it’s something I’m proud of,” Collins told GoPowercat.com .
He chose K-State over FCS offers from Delaware, Illinois State, Missouri State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State and Tennessee-Martin, plus a late scholarship offer from USC and regional recruiting interest from Iowa State, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
His primary recruiter was the Wildcats’ former safeties coach and defensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman.
(P.S. Be sure to give Collins’ father, Robert Sr., a follow on X/Twitter as he is one of the most passionate K-State parents I’ve seen on there in a while!)
*K-State has recently announced a new classification scheme that designates players by their year of eligibility regardless of whether they have “redshirted,” a term that will go out of use with the new “5-for-5” rule. Thus, the KSU SID lists Collins as a true sophomore even though he did not play last season. For the sake of consistency with past posts, I will continue to designate redshirts based on their playing history, but also note their remaining eligibility to stay consistent with the new designations as well.
BracketCatKansas StateRJ CollinsKansas State WildcatsNorth Dakota Fighting HawksBill Snyder Family StadiumManhattanPhotoScott WintersIcon SportswireGetty ImagesRedshirt Freshman
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