Hominy athlete Zaven Collins commits to Tulsa

Zaven Collins plays quarterback and safety for Hominy (Okla.), but Tulsa recruited him as a linebacker, and on Sunday night, Collins gave a verbal pledge to the Golden Hurricane.

“The (Tulsa) coaches really care about you and want to build a strong relationship with you,” Collins told Inside Tulsa Sports on Monday morning. “They're an upbeat program with a bunch of energy and want to see you succeed not only on the field but in the classroom and life as well.”

Aside from the coaches, the TU campus and football facilities also factored into Collins’ decision.

“They're really nice,” he said. “I love the way the campus is compacted together and how you can access your classes very easily.”

The 6-foot-4 and 220-pounder also had an offer from Central Oklahoma and was receiving strong interest from Oklahoma State.

As for making the transition to linebacker at the college level, Collins said “being coachable” should make for a smooth process. When asked about his strengths on defense, he listed “size and speed, run support and open field tackling.”

Collins led Hominy to a 13-2 record last season and a trip to the Class A semifinal game. At quarterback, he carried the ball 204 times for 1,594 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also completed 54 of 124 passes for 826 yards and nine more scores. On defense, he totaled 69 tackles and four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

As a senior in the upcoming season, Collins plans to tend to some unfinished business.

“My individual goal is to lead our team successfully to a state championship,” he said. “As a team, we only want one thing and that's the Gold Ball.”

With his college decision out of the way, Collins can focus all of his attention on school and football.

“Knowing where you get to play the sport you love and furthering your education -- it's one of the best feelings in the world,” he added.

Collins is currently the top student in his class at Hominy, and he is taking three college-level classes to get a jump on his college credits.

Tulsa now has 12 commitments in its 2017 recruiting class, including four from Oklahoma. CLICK HERE for a complete look at all 12 current commitments.