A year from now, ten of the eleven schools that make up the Big
Ten Conference could become prey on the mat.
Gilroy – A year from now, ten of the eleven schools that make up the Big Ten Conference could become prey on the mat.
Gilroy wrestler Hunter Collins gave a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan this week, allowing the Maize and Blue to capture one of the most sought after recruits in the nation. Collins, a 6-foot, 1-inch senior, will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. on Thursday for an official visit to the campus. Over the course of a weekend, he will meet with future coaches and teammates, view the campus and facilities, and attend a football game between the Wolverines and the Purdue Boilermakers.
“My plans are to look at the campus, check everything out, really make sure this is the place I want to go,” Collins said. “From what I heard, it’s beautiful.”
Landing an athlete like Collins should make Michigan look even better in the coming years.
A five-time All-American and two-time National champion, he was being recruited by the United States Military Academy (West Point, NY), the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD), Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a host of other top-tier schools.
“It does take off a little pressure of not worrying about where I’m gonna go and everything,” he said. “Now I can focus on just wrestling.”
With his attention being directed solely to what happens on the mat, Collins believes this will be the year he takes a Central Coast Section, state and national title.
“Most definitely a state title, and then I’m working towards winning my first national title out at Fargo, North Dakota,” he said.
Already on the recruiting radar from his years at GHS and wrestling with the Gilroy Hawks, Collins became an even greater target of elite college wrestling programs after defeating the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation in his weight class, Kirk Smith, at the Reno Tournament of Champions over the summer.
“After I won that match, I won it 5-2, that really kind of put me on the map,” Collins said.
Despite being the underdog in that contest, Collins said he has never viewed himself in that manner.
“I don’t really think about, going into my matches, (being) confident about winning or losing,” he said. “All I think about is, if I wrestle how I know I can wrestle, I can win. I think about it the same with every person. Anyone can be beaten by anybody.”
After competing in the 171-pound weight class last year, Collins expects to wrestle at 189 pounds this season. Michigan coaches have indicated they will want him to compete in the 197-pound division next year.
The challenge of competing against the best collegiate wrestlers in the country, in what many consider the toughest conference in the nation, was a big part of what drew him Collins to Michigan.
“Oh, most definitely,” he said. “I talked with the coaches and everything and I just really felt I could achieve my wrestling goals there.”
The head coach at Michigan, Joe McFarland, is entering his ninth season running the program. Last year the team placed sixth at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, the seventh straight year the team has finished with a top-ten ranking. The team also had the fifth-highest grade point average among Division I wrestling squads last year. With an unequaled string of success in academics and athletics (UM is the only wrestling program to finish in the top ten in both categories the last two years), Collins should be a perfect fit.
He has a 3.5 GPA and plans on majoring in business.
“I want to study business management and work on becoming a CEO in that kind of field,” Collins said. “I like real estate.”
With a rare combination of brains and brawn, Collins should have every opportunity to put his name on the map.
