Alfred

Collins

Collins tore his patellar tendon during the 49ers’ first Australia practice last night. It’s an unfortunate break for the 2025 second-round pick, set to start Week 1 for the 49ers defensive line against the Rams. Collins’ biggest play last season was forcing a goal-line Kyren Williams fumble in Week 5. He will instead need knee surgery and begin a journey back from injury for 2027. The 49ers will reach into their defensive tackle depth and may activate Kevin Givens or Sebastian Valdez from the practice squad for Week 1 in Australia against the Rams.

Speaking to the media Saturday, 49ers general manager John Lynch said that Kittle, Alfred Collins, and Isaac Guerendo will be moved to the PUP list ahead of the start of camp but that he is “optimistic on all of them hitting the practice field sooner than later.” As a reminder, players can be moved from the PUP list at any point during camp, meaning the fact that they currently find themselves with that designation does not mean they will miss anything meaningful to their fantasy value in 2026.

The 49ers also listed LB Tatum Bethune (thigh), DL Alfred Collins (hip), DL Kalia Davis (ankle) and DL Keion White (groin) as questionable and are expected to place DL Mykel Williams (knee) on injured reserve. Williams’ expected injured reserve placement, after suffering a torn ACL, will make him the fourth San Francisco pass rusher to be moved there this season. Williams’ 19 quarterback pressures rank second on the team. 49ers LB Fred Warner was placed on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending dislocated ankle injury in Week 6, yet Warner still accounts for the team’s second-highest tackle total (39). Winters leads the way with 53. Rams QB Matthew Stafford should have comfortable pockets this weekend, and RB Kyren Williams could have fairly easy sledding on runs up the middle, 49ers’ questionable statuses pending.

DT Alfred Collins (sprained knee) also was hurt in Thursday’s latest injury game for the 49ers, though it’s not known if he’ll miss time. The 49ers have been as banged up as any team in the league besides the Ravens the last four weeks.

Collins signing is notable as the 2025 second-round picks have been in a stand-off from signing due to disputes over contract guarantees. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the 49ers signing their No. 43 overall pick “is expected to trigger multiple second-round signings.” Collins gets a four-year, $10.3 million deal that includes over $9 million guaranteed; 88 percent of his deal is guaranteed, a jump from last year’s No. 43 pick. Houston’s Jayden Higgins and Cleveland’s Carson Schwesinger signed fully-guaranteed deals that kept this year’s second-rounders in a holding pattern.

The 49ers continue to build the trenches back out, as Collins (6'6/322) is the second defensive lineman in as many picks. Returning DC Robert Saleh’s influence is already being felt. A former five-star recruit, Collins was used primarily as an early down plugger for his first four years on campus. Despite his mammoth size he lined up as a starter in the B-gap last year and thrived recording 27 stops, a microscopic 3% missed tackle rate and a pristine 87.2 defensive grade. The Second Team All-American graded out in the 79th percentile against true pass sets with a decent 6.9% pass rush win rate, so he has utility in both phases. Collins has a tantalizing combination of height/weight with 34 3/4th” arms and the raw strength that goes along with it. While his edge days are likely behind him, Collins still retains a jarring club/swim combo move that he wins with 24.1% of the time. Though he is now a massive 332 pounds, he still possesses advanced agility and quickness that made him an effective five tech. Being a taller player, he can get stuck on blocks when his pad level elevates and he sometimes lacks explosiveness off the snap. Collins has the raw-boned, well-proportioned frame that NFL organizations covet in a developmental IDL prospect.

Epenesa was one of the highest-recruited commits to the Hawkeyes back in 2017; ranking 30th overall and getting a five-star designation from Rivals. Collins isn’t a five-star player, but he was considered one of the top defensive ends, and Farrell and Gorney acknowledge they have similar skill sets. “Epenesa was a powerful end coming out of high school who could beat you inside or outside and had great balance,” writes Farrell. “Collins could have a similar career at Texas.” The Longhorns probably wouldn’t complain.

Collins (6'5/275) opting in with Texas is not only a real coup for the Longhorns on its face, it also has the added benefit of keeping the Bastrop, Texas, native out of Oklahoma’s clutches. The Sooners were in this race right down to the wire. Collins has position versatility along the defensive line and comes equipped with a huge motor. He has work to do in shoring up a number of technical fronts, but the talent and upside, here, is on the money. The 247Sports composite board ranks Collins as the No. 62 overall prospect in the 2020 class.

Collins (6'5/275) is down to OU, Baylor, Texas and Alabama. Spiegelman notes that in addition to the Sooners, the Bears likewise are trending in the right direction, here. The Bastrop, Texas, native tentatively plans on taking unofficial visits to all four of his finalists in January. Rivals ranks Collins as the No. 150 overall prospect in the 2020 class.

Collins (6'5/275) is a key recruit for Texas, as the program has lost multiple verbal pledges this fall including DE Prince Umanmielen. The four-star defensive end from Bastrop, Texas is also said to be considering Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, so at this point it appears safe to assume that he’ll be playing his college football in either the Big 12 or SEC. LSU is the only school in the list that Collins has yet to visit, with Texas A&M and Texas hosting him in mid-October.