The 2012 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles were bad. After finishing the prior year with a 12-2 record, the 2012 version of the team was unable to win even a single game and finished the season 0-12. To find a bright spot on that team, you had to look very closely.
Despite being part of an atrocious defensive unit that gave up an average of 37.8 point per game, Collins was – at least at times – dominant in 2012. He led the Conference USA in tackles for loss (20.0) and forced fumbles (4), while finishing third in sacks (10.