LSU won't lose any steam without its 'Diesel.'

Sporting News, The, July 13, 1998 by Tom Dienhart, Mike Huguenin

Our minds raced with exciting possibilities when thoughts drifted to watching the troika of tailbacks at LSU this fall.

There is Kevin Faulk a bona-fide star and Rondell Mealey, a rising talent But Cecil "The Diesel" Collins is the man a 5-10, 212-pound package of power sprinkled with a burst of speed for good measure. Those three, combined with senior quarterback Herb Tyler, formed the best offensive backfield in the nation. That is until Collins was arrested on charges of unauthorized entry and battery and was lacked off the team

Don't count out die Tigers, however. LSU, ranked No. 8 by The Sporting News, is still the favorite to win the SEC West and face Florida in the SEC title game December 5 in Atlanta Games at Auburn, Florida, Mississippi and Notre Dame loom as the biggest obstacles to securing a spot in the Bowl Championship Series.

Nine starters are back on offense. The backfield still ranks among the nation's elite with Faulk and Mealey, a junior who emerged in the Independence Bowl by running 34 times for a bowl-record 222 yards in a victory over Notre Dame. Don't forget about senior Kendall Cleveland and redshirt freshman LaVar Johnson. Incoming freshmen josh Reed and Damien James (if he doesn't play cornerback) may be other possibilities. All the tailbacks will benefit from the power blocking of sophomore fullback Tommy Bank. The defense also looks good, with eight starters returning. Coordinator Lou Tepper is installing a 3-4 scheme after an unconventional 4-2-5 set was employed in 1997 to mask a linebacking corps that lacked depth.

Had Faulk not surprised many by opting to return for his senior season, things would have been a little stickier this summer in Baton Rouge. And just dunk, many Bayou Bengals' fans wished Faulk--and not Word Alan Faneca--had declared early for the NFL draft. After all. Faulks presence would have meant fewer carries for Collins. Now, replica Faulk No. 3 jerseys will be hot items at Tiger Stadium on Saturday nights this fall, as he will be gunning for his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and a place in LSU annals alongside Billy Cannon, Charles Alexander Dalton Hilliard and Harvey Williams. With 3,278 career yards, Faulk needs 773 in 1998 to pass Hilliard as the school's all-time rushing leader.

Depending on the outcome of his legal problems. Collins eventually could transfer to a Division I-AA school and play immediately, with two years of eligibility. Another option is transferring to a I-A. school which would mom sitting am a season. Or, he could declare for the 1999 NFL draft. But it's had to believe teams would take a chance on him given the problems of Lawrence Phillips At least Phillips played 27 games and rushed 449 times for 2,777 yards in three seasons at Nebraska before being the No. 6 pick in the 1996 draft and subsequently breaking the hearts of the Rams and Dolphins. Collins' career insist be gauged on four games, 72 carries and 596 yards.

With Collins gone, the nation's top backfield now will play in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State has the best tailback in the West in JR Redmond, as well as a terrific fullback in Jeff Paulk and a capable reserve tailback in Marion Farlow Quarterback Ryan Kealy (page 56) is coming off a redshirt freshman season that has people recalling the Jake Plummer era.

It's too bad the Collins era was so short. After 1996 as an non-qualifier coming out of Leesville (La.) High, Collins quickly trampled his way into the nation's conscience. It took him three games to prove he was worth the wart. There was the 173-yard debut against Mississippi State, the 232-yard effort against Auburn and the 179 yards vs. Akron, Collins was on top of the world and the SEC rushing heap, having run 69 times for 583 yards. His per-game rushing average of 194.3 yards ranked second in the nation after the Tigers' first four games. He was on a roll, until he broke his leg in the second quarter of a game at Vanderbilt. Collins' potentially sensational season was finished.

Gollins con forget about joining the ranks of past LSU greats. He is however, LSU's all-time leader in unfulfilled potential.

Associate editor Tom Dienhart and assistant managing editor Mike Huguenin cover college football for The Sporting News. E-mail them at colfb@sportingnew.com