He's a polished receiver, there's no doubt. He can change speeds, he does have good strides. He's got good, quick feet when he needs to and gets in and out of breaks well. – BC Lions coach Jeff Tedford, on Austin Collie
Austin Collie has been grabbing attention recently during training camp in Canada.
Now the former BYU and NFL wide receiver will have his chance to impress on the playing field when Collie and the BC Lions open their CFL preseason slate Friday night against the Calgary Stampeders.
First-year Lions head coach Jeff Tedford discussed Collie as one of the game's players to watch in a video posted on Twitter.
"I've never had any doubt about Austin, it's just a matter of him getting back into football shape," Tedford said. "He's a polished receiver, there's no doubt. He can change speeds, he does have good strides. He's got good, quick feet when he needs to and gets in and out of breaks well."
Collie signed with the team in late January after five seasons in the NFL. He wasn't on a roster during the 2014 season and hasn't played in a game since catching four passes for 57 yards for New England in the Patriots' 26-16 playoff loss to the Denver Broncos on Jan. 19, 2014.
"If the ball's anywhere in his range, he's going to catch it," Tedford said of Collie, who had 1,325 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns his first two years in the NFL before injuries played a major factor in his diminished role in the league.
Collie is listed as the Lions' backup at the "r" slotback spot heading into the matchup against the Stampeders. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. MDT and be streamed live on ESPN3.
Also on the Lions' roster is quarterback John Beck, another former Cougar, though the team's website doesn't list Beck on BC's expected quarterback rotation against Calgary. He missed significant training camp time, according to The Province, with "a form of viral hepatitis" and just arrived at camp this week.
Still, Beck is currently listed as the backup to starter Travis Lulay on the team's depth chart.
Several other players with Utah ties will kick off their CFL season this weekend as there are two more games on Saturday, including Montreal at Ottawa and Sasketchewan at Edmonton. The Eskimos-Roughriders matchup will be streamed live on ESPN3 at 8 p.m.
Here's the full list of Utah ties in the CFL:
BC Lions
John Beck, QB, BYU
Austin Collie, WR, BYU
Edmonton Eskimos
Paris Jackson, WR, Utah
John White, RB, Utah (he will miss the 2015 season with a ruptured achilles tendon)
Saskatchewan Roughriders
John Chick, DE, Utah State
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Chris Randle, DB, Utah State
Ottawa Redblacks
Jefferson Court, FB, Utah State
Connor Williams, DL, Utah State
Montreal Alouettes
Cody Hoffman, WR, BYU
Quinn Lawlor, OL, BYU
Email: bjudd@deseretdigital.com; Twitter: @brandonljudd