LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins faced the biggest decision of his life following the 2013 season.
After starting all 12 games he played in his sophomore season at left guard and earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors after his first season starting left tackle in 2013, Collins had proven to be a versatile prospect for NFL scouts and was widely projected to be selected in the second or third round of the 2014 NFL Draft, should he enter. 
In a program that has seen 18 players leave early to enter the draft in the past two seasons, Collins went against the grain, opting to stay in Baton Rouge for one more season to improve his draft stock.
Ten months later, Collins said he doesn’t even think about his decision.
“I’ve been just overwhelmed with falling in love with this place,” Collins said. “Ever since I got here, it was always a great place for me. LSU’s been nothing but good to me. I love the program. I love my coaches. I’ve learned a lot this year. Me learning so much this year really made me realize I wasn’t ready to move onto the next level.”
Even with his time at LSU dwindling and his chances of playing football on Sundays improving, Collins doesn’t concern himself with the future. Instead, he’d rather enjoy the short time he has left on the campus he’s called home the last four years.
“I just take it one week at a time, especially now,” Collins said. “I definitely know in the future I’m going to have to take on everything that’s coming my way, but I’m just trying to embrace my last couple weeks I have here and just enjoy it with my teammates. You can always make money and play and do those things, but you can’t always make memories. I just want to make the best of what I have left here.”
Collins’ coaches agree he made the right choice.
LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson half-jokingly told foxsports.com he’d “kiss his own ass” if a team did not pick Collins in the top five of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Head coach Les Miles wasn’t as fervent, but he expressed admiration of Collins’ decision to return from both an athletic and academic standpoint.
“He’s putting himself in position to have his degree,” Miles said. “He is a leader of our team.  He’s a guy that has improved, is a dominant player on Saturdays and eventually, when the back end of this thing is all said and done, I think he’ll have an opportunity to be a first‑round draft pick.”
Collins makes a point to not concern himself with draft  projections and early scouting reports, but he does appreciate the compliments from his coaches and takes their praises and criticisms to heart.
“I definitely appreciate that because coaches see how hard you work and the time and effort you put into different things,” Collins said. “Them being able to see the way you’ve progressed because of the hard work you’ve done and compliment you for it, it definitely feels good.”
Collins’ dedication to LSU and improvement has not gone unnoticed by his teammates, either.
Sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings said Collins’ leadership and experience have been invaluable for LSU’s young offense. 
“He’s one of the best leaders I’ve been around,” Jennings said. “Having him on the offensive line is a huge confidence boost for me. Knowing that you have somebody like that, it’s a physical presence on the offensive line.”
Jennings said he has little doubt Collins’ accomplished his goal of improving his draft status this season, calling him one of the best offensive tackles in the nation. 
Collins has received praise from his coaches and teammates, won All-SEC honors and already received invites for multiple senior bowls. It would seem he’s impressed everybody he can. 
Well, everybody but himself.
“I have a mindset that everybody’s better than me,” Collins said. “I feel like I’m the underdog, so I continue to work hard and be the best player that I can be and let everything else sort itself out.” 
You can reach Tyler Nunez on Twitter @Nunez_TDR.