A member of Kyle Whittingham’s staff has left for a professional rank in the NFL. According to reports, John Collins has left the Michigan Wolverines to join the NFL’s Detroit Lions staff. The Detroit Times posted about the development on X.

“BREAKING: Michigan’s Director of Player Personnel, John Collins, is leaving to become a scouting assistant for the Lions,” their June 27 post read. 

Collins was an integral part of the Wolverines’ recruiting department in the last two seasons. He had joined the program ahead of the 2024 season. It was former head coach Sherrone Moore’s first season coaching at Ann Arbor. 

With Collins on their side, the Wolverines found major success in their recruiting drive for the 2025 season. The program landed consensus No.1 quarterback Bryce Underwood and offensive lineman Andrew Babalola. 

The Wolverines also landed other players like Andrew Marsh, Jordan Young, Shamari Earls, and Nate Marshall. Before coming to Michigan, Collins had worked with the Georgia Bulldogs for two years. He had worked with the 2022 team, which won the national title. 

He then served as the recruiting analyst for the Bulldogs and put together a top recruiting class in 2024, as reported by Detroit Lions on Sports Illustrated. The article also gave reasons as to why hiring him was a good decision. 

“It's a wise move for the Lions, as Collins' time as a director of player personnel likely gives him insight on how colleges operate and as such allows him to evaluate talent effectively,” Christian Booher wrote. 

This hire comes after another significant one this year. 

What else is in the Detroit Lions' recruitment staff?

The Detroit Lions added Chris Grier as a personnel executive. He is the Miami Dolphins’ former general manager. According to SI, this move was made by the Lions’ general manager, Brad Holmes, who has experience with scouting. 

His career began with the Los Angeles Rams, and he worked his way up to the director of the department when the Lions hired him in 2021. Under him, the franchise has hit a recruiting jackpot.

They picked and developed high-caliber players like Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Kerby Joseph alongside Pro Bowl talents like Jahmyr Gibbs and Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions will return for their training camp in late-July.

What are your thoughts on this hire? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar