'Most Improved' LSU Tiger likely to replace Honey Badger

Corner Jalen Collins won the "Most Improved" award at LSU's spring practice. The redshirt freshman will get to show just how far he's come now that Tyrann Mathieu has been kicked off LSU's team.

By Larry Hartstein

Aug 10, 2012 at 2:01 pm ET • 1 min read

Corner Jalen Collins won the "Most Improved" award at LSU's spring practice. The redshirt freshman will get to show just how far he's come now that Tyrann Mathieu has been kicked off the team.

Collins (6-2, 195) is Mathieu's likely replacement opposite Tharold Simon. Collins is a four-star prospect who intercepted three passes and blocked two field goals as a high school senior in Olive Branch, Miss.

Teammates have called Collins one of the Tigers' most athletic players and say he could be special.

While Miles did not name Collins in his press conference, the coach did say wideout Odell Beckham would replace Mathieu at punt returner. Beckham returned nine punts for 77 yards (8.6 average) last season, and five kickoffs for 120 yards (24.0 average).

"Beckham is a very talented punt returner and I think we're good at kick returner too," Miles said.

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