PROVO — Not long after returning from his LDS Church mission, BYU wide receiver Austin Collie quickly realized the physical toll two years out of football had taken on his body.

When he joined his teammates on campus to run wind sprints back in January 2007, Collie finished last. During spring practices a year ago, he was out of shape and got frustrated with himself for dropping a few passes.

Despite that, and despite being hobbled by an ankle injury for much of the season, Collie ended up hauling in 56 receptions for 946 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore last fall.

While Collie produced impressive numbers, it wasn't until the Las Vegas Bowl that he started to feel like he did in 2004, when he was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year.

"The bowl game is probably when I stopped thinking and started playing," Collie explained. "That's when I started playing to my natural ability. There's still things I'm trying to get back. My speed isn't where I want it to be. But it's coming along."

Imagine what Collie might accomplish in 2008.

"Austin is a big-time weapon, and I think he's going to have a big year," said quarterback Max Hall.

Collie has given every indication that will be the case based on his performance this spring. He's come a long way in the past year.

"You can see a big-time difference," Hall said. "He's in shape, he's feeling good, he's more confident, he's more crisp on his routes, and he's catching everything I throw at him. So it's a big deal for me to have a receiver like that.

"The thing about Austin is, he's such a hard worker. He's strong in the weight room and he's always working on his routes. He's always calling me up to go throw. He's always wanting to get better. I love it, because that's how I am. I think that's why we're such good friends, because our personalities are alike.

"A year ago, he expected to come home from his mission and be right where he was when he left, which wasn't the case," Hall said. "It took some patience on his part and letting his body get back into shape. He's done all the right things. It's been a fun spring because we've had him and all of the other guys healthy and playing well."

After a year of hard work and patience, Collie is pleased with the progression he's made.

"A year ago, I felt a little slow, a little top-heavy. Everything seemed fast," he said. "I was thinking too much. I'm not thinking as much now. I'm just playing. Everything's coming together. My legs feel a lot better, I feel faster and quicker. I'm getting to know the offense a lot better."

BYU receivers coach Patrick Higgins likes the improvement he's seen from Collie.