You've probably heard the name Christian Collins and immediately thought of the hardwood. It makes sense. He's a 6-foot-8 tower of power at St. John Bosco, a five-star basketball prospect who has basically the entire SEC and Big Ten breathing down his neck. But if you’re looking into christian collins football recruiting, things get a little more nuanced—and honestly, a bit more localized.
See, there isn't just one Christian Collins.
While the basketball world is losing its mind over the Bosco wing reopening his recruitment after those Kentucky rumors cooled off, the football world is actually tracking a different specialist. We’re talking about Christian Collins the running back. Specifically, the guy out of Notre Dame Academy in Wisconsin who just finished torching the state’s record books.
It’s easy to get them confused. High-profile name. Elite athleticism. But for football scouts, the focus is squarely on the backfield weapon from the Midwest.
The Running Back Everyone Is Actually Tracking
If you’re scouting christian collins football recruiting updates for 2026 or the recently graduated class, you’re looking at a kid who was the MaxPreps State Player of the Year in Wisconsin. We aren't talking about a "project" player here. This Collins is the fifth-leading rusher in the history of Wisconsin high school football.
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That is a heavy title.
He put up over 3,000 career rushing yards. In his senior campaign alone, he touched the rock 229 times for 2,008 yards. That’s an average of 8.8 yards every time he leaned forward. He isn't just fast; he’s efficient.
Scouts loved his 5-foot-10, 195-pound frame because he runs with a low center of gravity that makes him a nightmare to arm-tackle. He ended up signing with the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). While the big-name Power Four schools were sniffing around, UNI locked him down, securing a player who arguably had the production of a high-end FBS starter.
- Career Rushing Yards: 3,174
- Total Touchdowns: 48 rushing
- Senior Stats: 223.1 yards per game
- Longest Run: 97 yards (Yeah, he has "gone-for-six" speed)
Why the Recruiting Wires Get Crossed
The "other" Christian Collins—the five-star basketball forward from St. John Bosco—is a 2026 recruit. Because he plays at Bosco, a school that is essentially a factory for NFL talent, people constantly search for his football profile.
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He doesn't have one.
At least, not a serious one. Could a 6-foot-8 guy with a 7-foot wingspan play tight end? Probably. But he is a projected NBA lottery pick. He’s currently weighing offers from USC, UCLA, and Illinois. He recently hit a 35-point, 16-rebound game that basically ended any conversation about him putting on pads.
If you see "Christian Collins" trending on recruiting boards right now, it’s 99% likely about the basketball reset. But for the football purists, the real story is how Northern Iowa managed to steal a kid like the Wisconsin-based Collins away from bigger programs.
What Scouts Say About the Football Prospect
When you watch the tape on the Notre Dame Academy star, you see a kid who understands leverage. He isn't just a track guy playing football. He’s a football player with track speed.
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One scout from Prep Redzone noted that his vision in the "A-gap" is what sets him apart. He doesn't panic when the initial hole closes. He has this twitchy, lateral bounce that allows him to reset his feet and find the cutback lane before the linebackers can scrape over.
His recruitment stayed somewhat quiet because he played in Wisconsin's Division 3. Some recruiters have a bias against smaller divisions. They wonder if the stats are "inflated." But 2,000 yards in a season is 2,000 yards regardless of who is across from you.
Actionable Steps for Tracking This Name
If you are a fan or a recruiter trying to keep these two separate, here is how you stay sane:
- Check the Height: If the profile says 6'8", you are looking at the basketball player at St. John Bosco (Class of 2026).
- Check the Region: If the news is coming out of Green Bay or the Missouri Valley Conference, it’s the running back.
- Follow the Commitment: Football-Christian is already at UNI. Basketball-Christian is currently "uncommitted" after backing away from the Kentucky hype in December 2025.
Keep an eye on the transfer portal in a year or two. If the UNI version of Collins continues his 8-yard-per-carry trend at the collegiate level, the big programs that missed him in high school will likely come knocking with NIL deals in hand.
For now, the christian collins football recruiting saga has reached its first major conclusion with his arrival at Northern Iowa. He’s a name to circle for Saturday afternoons if you like watching explosive, old-school rushing attacks.