Utes land Texas twins
Thursday was twice as nice for Utah football, as the program picked up a pair of commitments from Ball (Galveston, Texas) defensive backs Zyon McCollum and Tristin McCollum. The McCollum brothers were offered during Utah’s satellite camp in Houston last week, and didn’t take long to make their final decision, committing just days after the Utes extended the opportunity to play in Salt Lake City.
“When they did offer, I just started to do a lot of research on them,” said Tristin. “I saw the academic program. It had a lot of good things as well. Coach Scalley kept in touch with us and really built a relationship. It made me feel comfortable in a future at Utah. I started dreaming about wanting to commit and I just couldn’t hold it back anymore.”
Zyon echoed Tristin’s sentiments. “Coach Scalley, I really appreciated him. Other universities turned their head and looked for someone else, but he stuck with us. We went to their camp and showed out, and he promoted Utah. We grew to love Utah more and more.”
Zyon, who is 6-foot-1 inches, 175 pounds, is expected to play cornerback for the Utes. His big frame and speed is reminiscent of former Utah corners such as Sean Smith and Eric Rowe that have gone on to have success in the NFL.
The fact that cornerback is a big recruiting need for the Utes is not lost on McCollum. “They’re losing a lot of corners. Corner is my primary position. With my speed and size, I think I’m the perfect fit at corner position. I love going against tall receivers and keeping up with them,” Zyon said. “I’ve been working on good footwork and press coverage. My strengths are using my length in press to stop receivers from getting off the line and messing up their timing with the quarterback. I like using speed to play man as close as possible and stopping receivers from doing what they want to do. I’m working on a lot of man to man. We know Utah runs a lot of man, and I’m eager to get up and show what I can do.”
Tristin, who at 6-feet, 170 pounds is another big defensive back, can play both corner and safety at the next level, and it’s still yet to be determined where his final landing spot will be. “We talked about playing defensive back when I get there. I’m working a lot over the summer and if I get faster, I will play corner. But right now Coach Scalley wants to see me as a safety,” said Tristin.
According to Tristin, either spot is fine with him. “I love hitting. I’m not afraid of any contact,” he said. “I have a long wingspan and I use my arms to my advantage, whether I’m in press coverage or stripping a ball. I love playing press coverage. It’s my favorite thing to do. I enjoy man to man. I’m fast enough that I’m able to catch up if I make any mistakes. It’s fun getting out there and guarding tall and athletic receivers.”
The McCollum’s decision to commit was especially sweet, since they’ll be able to continue their football careers together. “It feels amazing. Ever since we were little kids we had a big dream of going big and now we’re continuing that dream. It’s nice to see we can continue and play in the Pac-12. Hopefully I can be on the field with my brother at the same time, so we can look at each other and see how far we came,” said Tristin.
“As twins, we aren’t separated a lot and we didn’t expect to be separated at the collegiate level. We’ve been playing on the same team forever, and it will continue into college. It’s like home’s coming with me,” said Zyon.
The opportunity to play in the pass-happy Pac-12 is not lost on either McCollum brother. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” said Zyon. “Watching teams like Oregon, Stanford and USC on TV, I never thought I’d play against those teams. I’m so blessed for the opportunity.”
Tristin agrees. “That’s got me really excited. I can’t wait to see the competition,” he said.
Although Utah and Sam Houston State were the only schools that have offered the McCollums thus far, both brothers have been talking extensively with coaches from schools such as Texas Tech, Tulane, Texas A&M, Texas, and others. That said, if more offers arrive, it may not do much to sway them. “I’m solid for Utah,” said Zyon. “I want to be a Ute. It’s like a relationship. You can’t cheat on your girl, so I’m staying loyal.”