Regardless of how things end up over the next year for the 2023 recruiting class, it will be difficult to top the story of Collins Acheampong. The versatile athlete from Fairmont Prep in Anaheim, California has not played football in two years, and he has only played one season of football in his life.
The 6-foot-7 recruit came the United States from Ghana at the beginning of his high school career with the hope of becoming a high-level basketball player. His coaches urged him to take up football in the fall after he arrived to get him acclimated with being part of a team as a freshman, and eventually he grew to enjoy the sport.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Fairmont Prep was forced to shut down its football program leaving Acheampong to focus on just one sport. However, his natural abilities and unique size have him on the radar for college programs across the West.
He has a passion for football, and right now his future is likely going to be on the gridiron.
“Every single game and every single practice I had to learn something new,” he said. “I went into practice like, ‘Today I have to learn something new.’ The next day I have to learn something new. Every day I’m learning something different helping me become better and get me to where I am right now.
“Staying in the country for the last two years, even though I haven’t played football, I got to watch football. Understand the game, watch people at my position and learn their techniques and how they move. So, I think that also helped me a lot.”
Acheampong has no immediate family in the US, so he lives with a host family that has helped him maneuver what is becoming a hectic process. UCLA first jumped in with an offer in late January and since that time it has been a bit of a whirlwind.
LSU offered him Wednesday following recent offers from Oregon, USC and Cal over the last few weeks. His recruitment is picking up as coaches continue to show great belief in his potential on the football field.
“It’s kind of shocking to begin with, but then it’s like I’ve been putting in the work behind the scenes, so I was ready for it,” he said.
Acheampong is viewed as somewhat of a blank slate by college coaches. He naturally gravitated toward being a pass rusher because of his length, but some programs view him at other positions on the field. He is still figuring out where he fits best, and that is why he will spend the offseason working on his game as much as possible. He took part in the Under Armour NEXT camp last weekend in Southern California, and he plans to focus primarily on football this spring and summer. It will be a necessity for him to find a strong comfort level with the game, since he will not be moving schools to play football this fall.
Academics are important to Acheampong, and his high school is strong in that area. Because of that, he wants to remain at Fairmont Prep where there are no plans to bring the football program back this year. So far, he has relied heavily on his natural gifts and that has helped move make progress along the way.
“I’ll say my build and my frame, and how quickly I adjust to situations,” he said about what his best attributes are right now as a football player. “I think that’s what has carried me along. For the most part, I’ll say, I still have a long way to go in terms of my football skills and my techniques. I just come out here with my intuition and my speed and just try to get around everybody.”
Acheampong has visited UCLA and USC already and is expected to make the trip to Washington this weekend for a visit. Oregon is one school that is new to the picture after offering last week, but the versatile prospect is intrigued by his opportunity with the Ducks.
One reason is that Oregon’s coaches have a different plan for him than many of the other schools that are in pursuit.
