Nico Collins Bio
Dominique Stephon “Nico” Collins (born March 19, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 223 pounds, Collins has developed into one of the league’s most productive perimeter targets. He earned Pro Bowl recognition following the 2024 season, cementing his place among the NFL’s emerging pass catchers.
Early Life and Background
Nico Collins was born and raised in Pinson, Alabama, the youngest of three children. His father, Don Collins, is a Michigan native who worked as a surgical tech, while his mother worked in human resources. Growing up in a sports-oriented household, Collins played AAU basketball in his youth before focusing on football.
Collins attended Clay-Chalkville High School in Clay, Alabama, where he starred as a wide receiver on the undefeated football team that won the 2014 Class 6A state championship. As a junior, he caught 60 passes for 1,103 yards and 16 touchdowns, and as a senior, he recorded 43 receptions for 865 yards and 9 touchdowns. In February 2017, Collins committed to play football at Michigan over offers from Georgia and Alabama. His paternal grandparents live near Buffalo, New York.
Path to American Football
Collins’s path to professional football began with a productive prep career at Clay-Chalkville, where his size and reliable hands set him apart. His early exposure to basketball helped develop his coordination and contested-catching ability, both of which translated to his football skill set. Recruiters quickly identified him as a high-upside receiver, leading to scholarship offers from several top college programs.
Choosing Michigan allowed Collins to follow his father’s home-state roots and join one of college football’s most respected receiver rooms. The Wolverines’ pro-style offense and history of producing NFL talent gave him an ideal setting to refine his route running and blocking. His strong senior film, combined with verified combine measurements, positioned him as a Day 2 prospect heading into the 2021 NFL draft.
Nico Collins Career
Early Career (2017–2020)
Collins enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2017 and made his first collegiate reception on a 12-yard pass against Rutgers on October 12 of that year. As a freshman, he appeared in two games and recorded three receptions for 27 yards. His sophomore season proved to be a breakout, as he earned the team’s Most Improved Offensive Player award after finishing with 38 receptions for 632 yards and six touchdowns, including four catches for 91 yards and two scores against Ohio State.
In 2019, Collins logged a career-best 165 receiving yards with three touchdowns against Indiana. Despite sharing targets with Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black, and Ronnie Bell, he finished second on the team in receiving yards that season, with 37 receptions for 729 yards and seven touchdowns. Opting out of the 2020 season, Collins declared for the 2021 NFL draft and was selected 89th overall by the Houston Texans in the third round.
Houston Texans Debut (2021–2022)
Collins signed with the Texans on May 12, 2021, and entered training camp as a starter alongside veterans Brandin Cooks and Chris Conley. He made his NFL debut in a Week 1 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, recording one reception for seven yards. A Week 2 shoulder injury placed him on injured reserve in September, but he returned in October to finish his rookie year with 33 receptions for 446 yards and one touchdown across 14 games.
Collins entered 2022 as the Texans’ No. 2 receiver behind Brandin Cooks and finished with 37 catches for 481 yards and two touchdowns in ten games. A foot injury sent him to season-ending injured reserve on December 23, briefly pausing his upward trajectory.
Breakout Season (2023)
The 2023 campaign marked Collins’s emergence as a frontline NFL receiver. In a Week 4 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he set new single-game career highs with seven receptions for 168 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He later topped those marks in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos with nine receptions for 191 yards and a score, and again in Week 18 against the Colts, when he caught all nine targets for a career-high 195 yards and a career-long 75-yard touchdown. That performance clinched a playoff berth for the Texans, their first since 2019. Collins finished the season with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking eighth in the league in receiving yards and tied for fourth in receptions of 20-plus yards. He added a receiving touchdown in the Wild Card Round victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Houston Texans Pro Bowl Era (2024–Present)
On May 29, 2024, Collins agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Texans worth up to $75 million, including $52 million guaranteed. He opened the season by leading the league with 567 receiving yards through five weeks before a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve in October. Returning in November, he posted eight receptions for 119 yards in a Week 13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and added two touchdowns in a Week 15 victory against the Miami Dolphins. He finished 2024 with 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. In the Wild Card Round, he delivered seven receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown in a 32–12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Collins combines 6-foot-4 height with smooth route running and strong hands, allowing him to win along the sideline and in contested-catch situations. He excels on intermediate and deep in-breaking routes, using his frame to shield defenders and attack the football at its highest point. His blocking in the run game and dependable releases against press coverage have made him a complete three-down receiver.
Notable Events and Milestones
Collins’s 75-yard touchdown against Indianapolis in Week 18 of the 2023 season stands among his signature plays, sealing the Texans’ return to the postseason. His first career Pro Bowl honor followed the 2024 campaign, validating a year that included his first 1,000-yard season. The May 2024 contract extension further cemented his long-term role as a centerpiece of Houston’s offense.
Nico Collins Career Wins
Across his professional career, Nico Collins has steadily built a résumé defined by explosive outings and playoff contributions. While his win totals reflect his role as a pass catcher rather than a quarterback, his impact on Houston’s victories since 2023 has been measurable in yards, touchdowns, and postseason appearances.
Houston Texans Highlights
Collins’s first NFL win came in his debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2021 season. He played a central role in the Texans’ Wild Card victories over the Cleveland Browns in January 2024 and the Los Angeles Chargers in January 2025. His most recent verified playoff win came against the Chargers, where he recorded seven receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Other Wins and Performances
During his senior year at Clay-Chalkville, Collins helped lead an undefeated squad to the 2014 Class 6A state championship in Alabama. In college, he posted one of Michigan’s most memorable performances of 2019 with 165 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Indiana.
Nico Collins Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Nico Collins is the youngest of three children and the son of Don Collins, a Michigan native who worked as a surgical tech. His mother worked in human resources while raising the family in Pinson, Alabama. His paternal grandparents live near Buffalo, New York, giving the family ties to both the Midwest and the Northeast.
Personal Life
Collins grew up in a sports-driven household in central Alabama before relocating to Michigan for college and later to Houston for his professional career. He maintains a public presence on social media, where fans follow his training updates and community work. He is the son of Don Collins and continues to honor his family’s support as a central part of his professional journey.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 season, Nico Collins remains the centerpiece of the Houston Texans’ passing attack following his three-year extension. He is scheduled to play out the second year of that deal, which runs through the 2027 season and is worth up to $75 million. The Texans will rely on his size and route precision to anchor an offense seeking a deeper postseason run.
After earning his second Pro Bowl nod, Collins carries momentum from a 2024 campaign in which he reached 1,000 receiving yards despite missing five games. His return from injured reserve midway through last season demonstrated durability, and the Texans’ investment signals continued confidence in his production. Expectations call for him to remain among the league’s top deep threats.
Houston’s playoff appearance in January 2025 extended Collins’s postseason résumé, and the franchise’s sustained success positions him for another high-volume year. With a young quarterback room and evolving offensive scheme, Collins’s veteran presence and contested-catch reliability will shape the Texans’ 2025 outlook.