The hotly-contested recruitment of standout defensive end Alfred Collins is about to heat up. Collins, out of Bastrop Cedar Creek, took in the Texas Longhorns’ season opener on Saturday night, and this weekend he’ll take his first of five official visits when he heads to Norman to check out the Oklahoma Sooners.

The 6-6, 284-pound Collins was a regular visitor to the Forty Acres over the summer and he said he enjoyed his time on the Texas campus again on Saturday night in watching the Longhorns defeat Louisiana Tech. He also liked what he saw from the Texas team on the field.

“It was good. I see all the hard work they put in is paying off. They looked big, fast,” Collins said.

A four-star prospect, Collins visited Texas for two camps over the summer and also took part in the Heat Wave pool party the Texas staff hosted. Those trips enabled him to get a lot of time with the Texas coaches, so Saturday night’s visit was more about simply taking in some college football.

“I said what’s up to (the coaches), but really didn’t get a chance to talk to them much. It was more just me watching the game, not really about recruiting,” Collins said.

Up next will be his Oklahoma visit and then Collins will take his Texas A&M official visit the weekend of October 11. He’s hoping to schedule his Texas visit for sometime in October as well. This weekend’s visit to Oklahoma will be the second time Collins has been on campus. He’ll be joined by his mother and father on the visit.

“I just want to get to meet the players, build a better bond with the players, see how I like it up there,” Collins said.

Despite him repeatedly saying he was going to take the recruiting process slowly, rumors continue to swirl that Collins could make a decision in the near future. He shot that notion down again this week.

“I’m taking my time. I have no idea where that stuff is coming from,” Collins said.

Collins and his Cedar Creek teammates started the season on a high note last weekend, winning their opener 47-0. Collins said he notched 3 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries despite the opponent trying to avoid his side of the field. He also caught a 2-point conversion.

“It felt good to see us come out with a victory. All the hard work we put in prior to the game paid off,” Collins said. “I felt like I played well. I have to work for every single tackle because they run away from me. It’s frustrating at times, but at the same time they respect who I am.”