Arkansas Recruit Alex Collins Officially Signs Letter of Intent

Running back Alex Collins has finally signed his letter of intent to play football at the University of Arkansas. He made it official on Thursday afternoon (h/t Sporting News).

Collins, the fifth-best running back in this year's class and a 4-star prospect (per 247Sports' composite rankings), was expected to sign with Arkansas on Wednesday (national signing day) when all the other elite recruits made their college choices. 

However, there was an issue with Collins' mother, Andrea McDonald. Since Collins is under the age of 21 and the letter of intent is a legally binding agreement, he needs a parent or legal guardian to sign.

McDonald reportedly walked out of Collins' high school before signing the letter of intent because she wants her son to play football at the University of Miami, which is not far from his hometown of Plantation, Fla. 

As Dave Hyde of the Florida Sun-Sentinel tweeted, Collins got around the mother situation by having his father sign the letter of intent. 

Johnny Collins, Alex's older brother, told Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald that the news of Alex going to Arkansas was a surprise to their family. 

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I know she (Alex's mother) preferred him to go to UM. Alex had said he was going to the U, and then all of a sudden he changes his mind. We found out he was going to Arkansas on TV.

"

Johnny also said that he was "as confused as everyone else" about what happened with Alex's letter of intent and his mother. You can understand why she would feel reluctant to let her child go to a school in a different state.

But all of the drama is in the rear-view mirror now, as Collins has made his decision official. New Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema has the centerpiece player around which he can build this offense. 

After a brutal 2012 season that saw the Razorbacks go 4-8 (2-6 in the SEC) and fire first-year head coach John L. Smith, who took over for Bobby Petrino, this program didn't need anymore drama.

Arkansas ended up getting more than it bargained for in this dilemma, but Collins is still on his way to Fayetteville.