Notre Dame wide receiver Beaux Collins played a key role in the Fighting Irish’s Week 1 win over Texas A&M on Saturday night. The graduate transfer from Clemson proved to be quarterback Riley Leonard’s go-to receiver in his Notre Dame debut.
On a pivotal fourth-quarter drive that led to a Jeremiyah Love touchdown, Collins showed why his sure hands will pay dividends for the Irish this season. Following a strike to Jaden Greathouse for a first down to extend the drive, Leonard connected with Collins downfield. Collins made a contested, highlight-reel grab along the sidelines, somehow getting a foot down in bounds. His dramatic 20-yard catch over Aggies cornerback Will Lee III was among the top non-scoring plays of the game. Collins was understandably fired up after making the acrobatic catch and got away with shoving Lee in the back after the play.
“Beaux Collins did a great job,” said Marcus Freeman at his post-game press conference. “I looked at Riely a couple of times (and said) ‘Trust him (Beaux Collins).’ He’s got to keep his cool after making a big play, he knows that. He made some big plays.
“Coach (Mike) Brown has done a really good job,” Freeman added. “I’m going to give him a shout-out. With that room, getting six guys to be unselfish, it’s hard. Wideouts want the ball. Those dudes are selfish people at times. Coach Brown has done a great job at keeping them unselfish and getting them to take pride in their blocking, running routes, and taking advantage of their opportunities. It was good to see.”
Beaux Collins Leading Irish Receiver in Week 1
While he failed to find the end zone, Collins was Notre Dame’s leading receiver in Week 1. Collins caught five passes on seven targets for 62 yards, including the crucial grab late in the game. He racked up 25 yards after catch.
“You just got to throw the ball up to the dude,” Leonard said of Collins in his post-game press conference. “And I was just trying to be too cute and throw a back shoulder earlier. By the end of that last drive, I was like, ‘Shoot, I’m just going to throw the ball up and let him make a play.’ And he did. That was an extremely pivotal moment in the football game. When it matters most, just throw it up to Beaux.”
At Clemson last year, Collins recorded 91 receptions for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns. He played in 32 games with 27 starts at Clemson from 2021-23. He broke out in his true freshman year with 31 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns.
As a Tiger, Collins joined DeAndre Hopkins (2010), Sammy Watkins (2011), Artavis Scott (2014), Hunter Renfrow (2015), Deon Cain (2015), and Justyn Ross (2018) as the only Clemson freshmen—true or redshirt—in the Dabo Swinney era to post at least 30 receptions and at least 400 receiving yards in their debut season.
Transfers Make a Difference
Collins was not the only transfer player to make an impact in the season opener. Leonard, a Duke transfer, played well behind an inexperienced offensive line. For the game, Leonard threw for 158 yards, going 18-of-30. He also rushed for 63 yards on 12 carries (5.3 average). Additionally, kicker Mitch Jeter nailed three field goals in his Irish debut. His longest of the night was 46 yards. Jeter ended last season as South Carolina’s top point scorer. He hit 12-of-14 field goal attempts last season and connected on 33-of-34 extra point attempts. His season-long field goal of 51 yards came against Missouri last year.
“When we talk about bringing in transfers, they have to be really good players, great players, but they have to fit the culture we have,” Freeman said in his post-game press conference. “That was a sign of what you saw out there. Guys that are really good players that fit this place and this culture.”
Reasons for Optimism
With a crucial Week 1 road win over a ranked opponent in the books, the Notre Dame offense has nowhere to go but up. Fortunately, if the stubborn Notre Dame defense continues to keep opposing teams out of the end zone, the offense has time to come together.
“When you have a good defense, you don’t have to play risky,” Leonard said in his post-game press conference. “At the same time, you want to score. It’s a tough game to play. A lot this game we weren’t as aggressive. There weren’t any huge mistakes, but shoot, there were a lot of mistakes. And a lot of them by me that I have to fix. At the end of the day, we’ll get that cleaned up in film.”
Leonard was efficient in his Notre Dame debut. The young offensive line was “baptized,” as Freeman declared in his post-game press conference. After being pushed around by a strong Aggies defensive line for three quarters on Saturday night, the O-line improved as the game went on. Despite the aggressive play in the trenches, the offensive line did not allow a sack. The Irish running backs room is explosive with Love and Price accounting for both touchdowns against Texas A&M. Toss in the experience and production from Beaux Collins, a favorable schedule the rest of the way, and Notre Dame’s prospects for making the College Football Playoff look bright after Week 1.
