Clemson football WR explains decision to transfer: ‘I wasn’t reaching my potential’
As a true freshman in 2021, Dacari Collins stayed patient and eventually made some late waves for the Clemson football team.
But as he fell down the Tigers depth chart early in the 2022 season, “I wasn’t reaching my potential,” the wide receiver said.
That was Collins’ main motivation in leaving the Clemson program after three games last fall with intent to enter the NCAA transfer portal and eventually committing to N.C. State – one of the Tigers’ top ACC rivals – in December.
Collins, a former top 200 recruit from Atlanta, made his season debut for the Wolfpack last Saturday and caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in a 45-24 loss to No. 9 Notre Dame.
In his first media interview since transferring from Clemson, Collins spoke glowingly of the N.C. State program and said he feels like Raleigh is “the right place for me.”
“Something that was very important to me was going somewhere where they wanted me and appreciated me,” Collins said Wednesday, per The Wolfpacker. “Somewhere where I could go and work and develop into a better person and as a football player.”
Collins originally signed with Clemson as a four-star recruit from Westlake (Ga.) High School. He ranked as the No. 32 wide receiver and No. 182 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, according to the 247Sports composite ratings.
And he showed off those skills as a true freshman for the Tigers. Collins played in nine games and started three for Clemson in 2021 and, thanks to some injuries among the wide receiving corps, finished the season as one of one of the team’s most consistent pass catchers.
Collins had a career-high six catches and 97 receiving yards in a win against UConn and also led Clemson in receiving yardage in big wins against rival South Carolina (50) and Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl (56) during a 10-3 season.
Collins finished his true freshman season with 16 catches for 221 yards, the fourth-highest receiving total on the team.
But he struggled to find playing time and targets in Clemson’s first three games of 2022 while ceding time to other receivers in a more crowded room. The 6-foot-4 wideout got in on 63 offensive snaps in three games and caught one pass for eight yards before leaving the team.
“Great kid,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said of Collins in September 2022. “Really talented player and has a bright future. He’s just gotta continue to mature and grow and really commit to being the best he can be but he can do it for sure. Nothing negative. He loved his time here and appreciated everybody. … Guys aren’t patient much anymore. That’s the world we live in. Wish him well and keep moving.”
Dacari Collins chooses NC State
Due to NCAA rule changes last year, Collins was able to leave the team with intent to transfer but couldn’t officially enter the portal until Dec. 5. Collins officially visited N.C. State in mid-December and announced his commitment Dec. 17.
“I feel like (it was) just going somewhere where they wanted me, again,” Collins said. “Just being somewhere where I can help. That was pretty much the biggest thing for me, not going anywhere and having to sit or whatever. I feel like I can compete, too, which I’m doing.”
Collins, a redshirt sophomore, is currently listed the co-No. 3 receiver at one of N.C. State’s two outside receiver positions. He caught a 23-yard touchdown from starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s home loss to Notre Dame.
Collins – one of 12 players who transferred out of Clemson last recruiting cycle – also will get a chance to play against his old team next month when Clemson (1-1, 0-1 ACC) visits N.C. State (1-1) on Oct. 28 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Tigers and the Wolfpack have played a number of close games in recent seasons – including unranked N.C. State’s double-overtime upset of No. 9 Clemson in Raleigh in 2021 and Clemson’s 2022 win in an AP Top 10 matchup. They’re also permanent opponents through 2026 in the ACC’s new divisionless scheduling model.
Three games into his N.C. State football tenure, Collins said he’s happy to be on the other side of the Textile Bowl.
“It’s like a whole different program and I love it here,” he said. “I just think they work hard, and I think they’re about the right things – not just for football but for life and things that teach me to be a grown man. So I think that’s very important.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2023 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Clemson football WR explains decision to transfer: ‘I wasn’t reaching my potential’."
