Alex Collins is taking his time in deciding whether to return to the Arkansas football team for his senior season, and that's OK.
It is a huge decision for the running back who was named MVP of the Liberty Bowl.
As long as he doesn't sign with an agent, his options are open.
Apparently his NFL grade was not great, and coming back as the primary back for a second consecutive season might help his standing.
Or he can take a chance on the NFL Draft, hoping he gets selected by a team that values a running back who can get a first down on any down.
Collins isn't a burner, but he's got good speed. His strongest assets are that he runs with his eyes and can cut on a dime, both of which allow him to make the first, and sometimes second, tackler miss.
One thing is certain: If he comes back for his senior season, he will get more respect from the national media. His first two seasons, when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards, he shared the ball with Jonathan Williams.
Collins proved he's an every-down back after Williams was hurt before this season started.
It is a big decision, one he and his family shouldn't rush into. If he decides to go to the NFL early, there's a chance he won't have a news conference. He's a quiet guy who rarely seeks publicity.
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Watching Arkansas play Vanderbilt was fun.
Mike Anderson had his Razorbacks open the game by pressing and trapping, and it bothered the Commodores from start to finish as they had 26 turnovers -- 15 steals by the Hogs -- that resulted in 29 points.
Nine of 10 Razorbacks who played scored, and Anderson seamlessly substituted all night, although he mostly stuck with a smaller, quicker lineup.
The Hogs may still be tougher at home than on the road, but they will win road games when shooters Anthlon Bell and Dusty Hannahs are both on at the same time.
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Former Razorbacks basketball player Hunter Mickelson (Jonesboro Westside) mostly comes off the bench for the No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, but he started Monday night in the showdown with No. 2 Oklahoma.
The senior has played in all 14 games, averaging just more than 10 minutes a game. He has 19 field goals and 19 blocks, the latter of which leads the team. He also has 44 rebounds.
Kansas won 109-106 in triple overtime.
Mickelson transferred after his sophomore season and sat out a year.
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Notable about this year's Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductees was Ken Griffey Jr. became the first No. 1 draft pick to make the Hall of Fame. On the other end of the spectrum, Mike Piazza was the lowest drafted player ever to make the Hall of Fame, having been selected 1,390th in the 62nd round.
Griffey also was named on all but three ballots, giving him the highest percentage of votes ever at 99.3 percent. Wonder if those three voters just forgot about him.
Some wise folks after last year's Hall of Fame inductions took a look at the voting list, did a little research and found that more than 100 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America had not seen a game in more than 10 years. Those people were taken off the voting list.
Piazza, just the 17th catcher to make the Hall of Fame, received 19 fewer votes than a year ago, but he jumped from 69 percent to 83 percent. It takes 75 percent to get in the Hall of Fame.
Almost as notable was that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were still well below 50 percent on the ballots. Alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs still hangs heavily around their reputations. Each has six more years to hope voters forgive and forget.
Sports on 01/08/2016