When the time came to get serious about playing America’s game, eighth grader La’el Collins sought out Guy Mistretta, coach of local powerhouse Redemptorist High School.
During Redemptorist’s spring practice, Collins approached Mistretta during a break to introduce himself and ask about joining the team. When asked where he was going to school, Collins simply responded, “Capitol.”
“I thought he meant high school,” Mistretta said. “He said, ‘No, coach. I’m at Capitol Middle.’ Holy smokes. I thought he was a senior in high school.”
While Collins possessed jaw-dropping natural ability, he struggled with the finer points of the game, which held him out of varsity competition during his first year at Redemptorist.
“He was always big and remarkably agile for his size, but he wasn’t emotionally ready for varsity [when he arrived],” Mistretta said.
Once Collins made varsity, the awards started rolling in. He was named first team All-State for class 3A three years in a row. He earned a five-star ranking from every major recruiting service and was named the No. 1 offensive prospect in Louisiana his senior year.
Players of Collins’ pedigree often drag out the recruiting process, but after attending LSU’s summer camp following his sophomore season, his coach could tell it would be a race for second place.
“La’el loved hanging out [at LSU],” Mistretta said. “At the same time that year, we had Avery Peterson on our team, so they were hanging out with him and [former LSU cornerback and current Arizona Cardinal] Patrick [Peterson] a lot. … They were really sold on LSU from an early age.”
Collins committed in September of his junior season, making him the first member of a signing class that was exceptional even by LSU’s standards. By all accounts, he never seriously considered anywhere else.
As a college freshman, Collins played sparingly, getting into seven games in a mop-up role. He thought the experience taught him to trust the coaching staff in personnel matters.
“[Playing time] was never a disappointment thing for me because I know the coaches are going to do a great job being able to put someone there that can fill that position and play that role,” Collins said.
Expectations grew for Collins in his second year at LSU when he was penciled in to start at left guard. He embraced the new challenge, and when starting left tackle Chris Faulk was lost to a major knee injury, he wanted nothing to do with his former position because he was “loving playing inside.”
The opening at left tackle also worried his former coach.
“I was really concerned they were going to move him then, once the season had gotten underway,” Mistretta said. “I would’ve hated that for him. SEC play is no time to be learning a new position.”
After taking every offensive snap at guard last season, Collins will return to his rightful place at left tackle this year as the most experienced member of the line. His time at guard not only made him a better player, but a model for younger players.
“He’s been in the big time games, so he can teach you a lot,” said freshman offensive lineman Ethan Pocic. “He can help you with the playbook, on the field or whatever. Players like him, they can help you a lot.”
As for his award-studded past, Collins believes it’s just water under the bridge now.
“I don’t really feel any pressure,” Collins said. “It is a big role to fill at the left tackle position and there are a lot of expectations.”
Fortunately, he’s a big man.