Colorado Recruiting Class of 2011

Brad Cotner – C

Just the facts … Committed June 16th … Cotner is a center from Thousand Oaks, California, coming to Boulder by way of Ventura Community College. Cotner is 6’4″, 290-pounds. Rivals bio You Tube video highlights

What others say about Cotner … From cubuffs.com: Cotner earned second-team All-Ventura County and first-team All-Marmonte League honors at center as a senior, helping to lead Westlake to the Division Northern 3 CIF Championship.  In starting all 14 games, he did not allow a quarterback sack or get flagged for any penalties, and allowed his man to pressure the QB on just two occasions.  Westlake was an offensive juggernaut, averaging 408 yards of offense (218 rushing) and outscoring the opponent 580-219, including nine games with 40-plus points; the team boasted a 2,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver, the latter being fellow CU recruit Nelson Spruce.  As a junior playing right tackle, he earned honorable mention All-League accolades, allowing just two sacks and three pressures with just one penalty.  His biggest high school moment came in the CIF title game, when Westlake scored with under two minutes remaining to defeat Moorpark, 14-10; he helped his Warrior team rush for 151 yards and amass 371 yards of total offense in the win.  WHS was 14-0 his senior year (also the Marmonte League champs) and 7-5 his junior season under coach Jim Benkert.  He started all 26 games on the varsity between his junior and senior years, as he played on the junior varsity, on both the offensive and defensive lines, as a freshman and sophomore.  He also played basketball on the junior varsity team as a freshman.

Ventura College head coach Steve Mooshagian liked what he had in Cotner. “Brad is a great kid, hard worker and talented,”, Mooshagian told BuffStampede.com. “He put on 40-pounds since high school when he was around 245-250 pounds. Now he is 285-pounds. I would have loved to have him play for us this fall but the offer was too good to pass up. If he stayed he would have had offers from USC, UCLA, Arizona and Washington, as they all liked what they saw in spring drills. He will be a great addition for Colorado. One of my best friends is [CU special teams coordinator and tight ends coach] J.D. Brookhart so I am glad to see the Buffs get a good one.”

Cotner had offers from … no one, apparently. Cotner was a part of the recruiting Class of 2010. Cotner enrolled in Ventura Community College, and red-shirted. He did not play last season, gaining 40 pounds this past year. Cotner was academically eligible to sign with a school in 2010, and remained academically eligible in his one year at Ventura. Cotner gray-shirted at Ventura, and will still have five years to play four at Colorado.

“All three of these players had unique situations and were still available to sign anywhere, and it was our good fortune to get them,” Colorado head coach Jon Embree said in a released statement, referring to Cotner, D.D. Goodson and Austin Vincent (bios below). “I am happy they are part of the program; we didn’t hand out scholarships to fill out the class, I believe each one of these guys has a great future as a Buff.”

D.D. Goodson – RB/WR/KR

Just the facts …. Committed May 27th … Goodson is a running back/wide receiver/kick returner from Lamar Consolidated high school in Rosenberg, Texas. Goodson is 5’8″, 165-pounds, and runs a 4.4 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio 

What others say about Goodson …   Goodson was not rated by either Rivals or Scout. Goodson was All-District as a senior, earning the honor of “Utility MVP”. “D.D. was a four-year letterman here,” Goodson’s high school coach, Ronald Patton, told Adam at BuffStampede.com. “He is very elusive. He is a good football player no matter what position you put him at: running back, receiver, corner, or safety. He did whatever we asked him to do. He was a receiver to start the year at slot, and he caught several balls and did a lot of good things for us there. We put him in the backfied the last four games of the season at running back and at quarterback in the Wildcat package, and he just made plays. He is one of those kids who is going to make plays when he is on the field. He has a high football IQ, so he understands defenses he is going against. And as far as his abilities leadership-wise, he is one of those kids that leads by example. There are not going to be many people that outwork him.”

Here’s what Scout.com had to say about Goodson: “Small wide receiver, weighs only 155 pounds, he does a good job of getting open on short routes and using his speed to make some yards. His team likes to use him on quick out routes and let him create something. Lack of size will be an issue for higher level schools. Solid on catching the ball, he needs to work more on catching with his hands and not his body.”

Goodson had other offers from … no one we know of, though Rice was reportedly interested. Goodson was planning on to join Texas-San Antonio as preferred walk-on before Colorado offered … Goodson is an honor society member, so it was not academics which kept Goodson from being signed this past February. “(Goodson) is a little shorter in stature,” said Ronald Patton. “I believe that deterred most of the bigger schools, but he is one of those kids that it is in the mold of the Rodgers brothers (Jacquizz and James, who both played for Lamar Consolidated before going on to become stars at Oregon State). He has a real strong lower body, and just has that desire to succeed.” The Buffs may have lucked into Vincent, as running backs coach Eric Bieniemy was in Texas this week, but not to look at Vincent. “Coach Bienieny came in just looking at this year’s class, and we got to talking,” said Patton. “And I told him that I have got a kid that got overlooked. D.D. had some smaller schools asking him to come in, but unfortunately the bigger schools that he wanted to go to didn’t pan out. Coach Bieniemy watched his film and really liked what he saw, so hopefully it works out for both of them.”

In his own words … “I (am) pretty excited because somebody actually took a chance on me and gave me an opportunity,” Goodson told BuffStampede.com. “Once I visited Colorado, I knew I wanted to be there. And when they offered, it was probably the best (moment) of my life. I am taking it as a big opportunity for me to do something with my life and hopefully succeed.” When asked about his size (5’7″, 170-pounds) which is seen by many as the reason why Goodson did not receive more offers of a scholarship, Goodson responded, “I have always looked at my height as a positive. I am hard to find.” His goals at Colorado? “I am going to work hard to prove that I deserve my spot on the team at Colorado”.

Austin Vincent – WR

Just the facts … Committed May 20th … Vincent is a wide receiver from DeSoto high school in Texas. Vincent is 6’1″, 176-pounds, and runs a 4.6 in the 40. Vincent was originally a commit to Iowa, but was not qualified by the NCAA when most members of the Class of 2011 signed their letters of intent back in February. Iowa took other players instead of Vincent, freeing up Vincent to sign with Colorado when he did become qualified. Rivals bio   Scout bio  YouTube video highlights

What others say about Vincent … Vincent is considered to be a three-star wide receiver prospect by Scout, which had him rated as the No. 141 wide receiver out of the recrutiing Class of 2011. Rivals had Vincent listed as a two-star prospect. A Scout.com evaluator had this to say about Vincent: “He is over six foot but is not very thick. He does a great job of getting open and beating the coverage. Tends to catch the ball too close to the body, but he holds onto the ball. His lack of size does not let him bounce off of tackles. He does not have a lot of speed, he gets extra yards by not hesitating once he catches the ball. Seems to get up for big plays around the end zone.”

In November, Vincent broke his fibula, ending his high school career eight games into his senior season. Vincent had surgery on his leg in November, with eight screws and a plate inserted. Before his injury, Vincent had 16 catches for 327 yards and six touchdowns. His 20.7 yards per catch average was one of the best in the state of Texas in 2010. Vincent may not have received as much attention as he deserved in 2010, as he committed to Iowa last June.

Vincent had other offers from … many schools. Before his commitment to Iowa, Vincent had offers from a number of other BCS programs, including Kansas and Iowa State from the Big 12, as well as Arizona and Utah from the Pac-12. Vincent was not able to sign a letter of intent with Iowa in February, as he had not yet qualified. Vincent was scheduled to take the ACT in November, but suffered a broken fibula the night before the test. A night in the hospital forced him to miss the test, keeping him from being a February qualifier. “I have a 3.1 core GPA, but I need an 800 or 820 on my SAT,” Vincent told HawkeyeReport.com on February 1st. “All I can do is pray that my SAT score is good enough to get into school. I have the grades. I maintained an A/B average in the classroom, but didn’t make the score.”

By the time Vincent did qualify (in March), Iowa had moved on. “We communicated with Iowa initially when we found out his (SAT) score, and told them that he was re-taking the test, and we got the results back March 11th,” Vincent’s father, Graylind Vincent, told BuffStampede.com. “Apparently, Iowa did not want to wait. They didn’t think he was going to qualify.”

With Iowa out of the picture (the Hawkeyes wanted Vincent to enroll at Iowa Western or another local junior college, until they could free up roster space for him in two years), Vincent started looking around for other options. Kansas, UTEP, Colorado State and Oklahoma State were amongst those schools still showing an interest in a late addition to their 2011 recruiting classes. Colorado wide receiver coach Bobby Kennedy, fresh from his eight years as the recruiting coordinator for Texas, knew about Vincent, and Vincent knew and liked Kennedy. After taking an official visit to Boulder this past week, Vincent committed to the Buffs. ‘The atmosphere at Colorado is really nice, and the coaching staff is great,” Vincent told BuffStampede.com on May 20th. “I did research on Colorado and looked at the roster and their depth chart and their coaching staff. They don’t have many receivers … They are expecting me to compete. I just have to do my thing.”

In his own words … “My best attributes are my speed and my route running,” said Vincent. “Blocking is another thing I do well on the football field … I know I need to improve my hand-eye coordination, my ball catching, and that is another reason I am going to be coming back to Colorado this summer, to workout with the quarterbacks.”

“I know I am not redshirting. Colorado told me that,” Vincent told BuffStampede.com. “I have a real, real, real good opportunity to get quality playing time as a freshman. They already know I am coming up there to be a playmaker and do my thing.” As to what he needs to work on when he arrives in Boulder: “Size is the biggest thing I need to improve on to be successful in college. I need to get in the weight room. I am always going to be fast, and I have good route running skills. I just need to get bigger. That would be icing on the cake.”

Logan Gray – WR/KR

Just the facts … Committed April 11th, and was accepted into the Colorado Education graduate program in late May … Gray is a wide receiver/kick returner originally from Columbia, Missouri, who is transferring for his senior season after playing at the University of Georgia. Gray will have one season to play as a Buffalo. Gray is 6’2″, 185-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Gray … Gray was a four-star dual-threat quarterback recruit in the Class of 2007.  Gray lost out on the starting quarterback position while at Georgia, first to Matthew Stafford, then to Joe Cox. Gray played on special teams in 2008 and 2009, ultimately switching to the wide receiver position last season. As a junior in 2010, Gray had nine catches for 105 yards and one touchdown (coming in the opener against Louisiana-Lafayette). Gray was useful to the Bulldogs at wide receiver only while future NFL star A.J. Green sat out a four-game suspension. Once Green returned to the playing field, Gray returned to the bench – eight of Gray’s nine catches came in the first four games of the 2010 season.

Gray had other offers from … In 2007, Gray, considered the No. 10 quarterback in the nation by Rivals, Gray had offers from Auburn, Cal, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Texas A&M, as well as the hometown Missouri Tigers. On track to graduate this May, Gray had the opportunity to transfer without incurring a one-year wait normally required of a transfer. “I will graduate in May from UGA with my degree in Speech Communication,” said Gray in February. “I plan on playing my last year of football while pursuing my Master’s degree at another school, most likely close to home, where my family can attend all of my games. I would like to thank Coach Richt for giving me the opportunity to be a Bulldog the last four years, and sticking beside me throughout the whole experience. I would also like to thank my teammates for everything.”

In his own words … “I really want to try to help Colorado be successful, first and foremost,” Gray said when asked what his goals are for his senior season. “I really like the new coaching staff a lot. I like [wide receivers] coach [Bobby] Kennedy, who will obviously be my position coach. I am excited about what they are doing. I think they are heading in the right direction.

“As far as myself, I really want to be a big contributor in a number of different ways, on offense and on special teams. I want to show everybody that I can make plays and hopefully that will help out some of the other guys as well. Being a senior, I hope I can step into a leadership role. I know it will be different coming into a new team, but I am excited about it.”

Mark Brundage – P

Just the facts … Committed May 17th … Brundage is a punter originally from Cherokee Trail high in Aurora, Colorado, who is tranferring for his senior season after playing for the Rice University. Brundage will have one season to play as a Buffalo. Brundage is 6’1″, 180-pounds.

What others say about Brundage … Brundage was a two-star kicker recruit in the Class of 2007. Brundage was a second-team All-State selection in his senior season in high school, averaging 41.7 yards per kick. He also earned All-State honors in soccer, and was the valedictorian of his class. After red-shirting as a walk-on with Rice in 2007, Brundage saw limited duties in 2008, then averaged 44.2 yards on 26 punts while filing in for Ray Guy candidate Kyle Martens in 2009. Last season, Brundage played behind Martens in 2010, when Martens was a Ray Guy award semi-finalist.

Brundage is graduating this spring, and, like Logan Gray, below, has a year of eligibility remaining, and can transfer without sitting out a year. Brundage is being brought in to challenge incumbent Zach Grossnickle, who struggled last season and again this spring. “Having someone to compete against just makes everyone better,” said Colorado head coach Jon Embree.

The only other competitor for the punting job this fall will be walk-on Darragh O’Neil, who participated in spring drills, but, as a walk-on, will not be in fall camp and will not join the team until school starts. Colorado also has a freshman kicker recruit from the Class of 2011, Will Oliver, but Oliver is expected to compete for the place-kicking duties with sophomore Justin Castor.

Tyler McCulloch – WR/TE

Just the facts … Committed February 14th … McCulloch is a wide receiver from Albuquerque, New Mexico. McCulloch is 6’5, 200-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio McCulloch video highlights – receiving, blocking and tackling

What others say about McCulloch … McCulloch is unrated by either Rivals or Scout. Despite playing only half of his senior season due to a lacerated liver and spleen suffered mid-season, McCulloch was still named first-team all-state and all-district at wide receiver and defensive back. “I caught 40 or so balls for 570 yards and nine touchdowns,” McCulloch told BuffStampede.com. “I also started on defense. I played safety before the injury, and cornerback after I came back.” McCulloch was rated by NewMexicoPreps.com as the 14th-best player out of New Mexico this fall, and the third-best wide receiver. McCulloch, who has a 3.9 GPA, was also an All-District Academic honoree his junior and senior seasons. “We’re excited to have him as part of the program, and he is a great addition for us,” said Jon Embree in a press release. “Tyler has a great combination of athleticism and size, plus he’s an exceptional student.”

McCulloch had other offers from … nobody. And I mean nobody. Not a single Division 1-A scholarship offer. Neither Rivals nor Scout even list any offers for McCulloch from any 1-AA schools. True, McCulloch was injured in his senior season, but was still named first-team all-state. Even home-state New Mexico (1-11) and New Mexico State (2-10) took a pass (and, by the way, New Mexico did sign two wide receivers and a tight end this recruiting cycle; New Mexico State took three receivers, including two junior college transfers). Ratings, rankings, and stars are by their nature subjective, which is why I always look to the “other offers” as an objective measure of a player’s worth. Colorado coaches must either believe McCulloch can play as a true freshman (unlikely, as he needs time to fill out his 6’5″ frame), or that McCulloch will be worth taking up a scholarship for the next five years, in place of a “four-star” wideout which could have been recruited for the 2012 Class. “I feel incredible right now, especially since I feel snubbed by New Mexico and New Mexico State”, said McCulloch. I didn’t get an offer from either one of them,” said McCulloch. “I grew up a Lobo fan. But now it feels great that Colorado recognizes my talent, and is giving me a chance.”

UPDATE: There may be an explanation as to why McCulloch did not receive an offer from New Mexico or New Mexico State. Posted under Comment No. 57 to “Recruiting Update”, Cmac writes: “FYI: in NM there is a “Lottery” funded college scholarship for NM residents. Students maintain 2.5 GPA at in-state college, and their tuition is paid for. THAT is why NM athletes don’t “sign” with local schools. Their programs usually encourage players to “walk on” thereby preserving scholarships for “out of state” kids… Stinks but true.” That would potentially account for the lack of offers from the in-state schools. Now, as for the rest of the nation …

In his own words … “I am big and physical, and (the CU coaches) like that even when I’m not catching the ball, I am running good routes, and I am blocking good,” said McCulloch. “I love the atmosphere of the school; the CU campus is beautiful. The facilities are great, and I really like what the new coaches are preaching. They are trying to bring back some of the strong traditions that Colorado, should have, the traditions that they did have when they were a powerhouse back in the 90’s. It is great to be a part of their first recruiting class.”

Stephan Nembot – DE

Just the facts … Committed February 2nd … Nembot is a defensive end from Van Nuys, California. Nembot is 6’7″, 270-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio 

What others say about Nembot …   Nembot is considered to be a three-star defensive end prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals considers Nembot to be the 51st-best defensive end in the country, while Scout rates Nembot as the 70th-best defensive end. A Scout evaluation says Nembot “might be the most intriguing prospect in the West.” Nembot came to the United States from Cameroon, looking to play basketball, but quickly turned to football. Still, Nembot has only played football competitively for one year, so there is a great deal of raw talent for the Colorado coaching staff to mold. Nembot’s “size and upside are off the charts”.

Nembot had other offers from … at least eight of the Pac-12 schools, including USC, UCLA, Stanford, Arizona State, and both Washington schools. Nembot originally gave his verbal commitment to Washington State, but made it clear that he wanted to take other visits. Nembot gave his commitment to Washington on January 21st, but then took an official visit to Colorado on January 28th. Nembot had a great visit, making his choice harder. “I really like that the coaches are winners,” Nembot said after his visit. “I really liked the coaches, Coach Embree especially, and the people in town were really nice … The campus was also really cool.”

In his own words … Nembot was torn between Colorado and Washington. “It wasn’t easy at all. I spent many stressful days,” Nembot told BuffStampede.com. Nembot turned to his father in Cameroon for guidance. “He thought this school would be the best chance for me. I like the people there, and I had a very nice visit … Folsom Field is huge. I like the coaches – those are the people that will be with me for the next five years … Before I even got there, thousands of fans made comments about me and welcomed me. These people don’t even know me.”

Malcolm Creer – RB

Just the facts … Committed February 2nd … Creer is a running back from Pacific Palisades, California. Creer is 5’11”, 200-pounds, and runs a 4.52 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio YouTube video

What others say about Creer … Creer is considered to be a three-star running back prospect by Rivals; a two-star prospect by Scout. Scout does rate Creer as its 122nd-best running back in the nation (and the No. 8 running back out of California).  Creer was named first-team All-CIF as a running back his senior season, and was named to the All-Western League team twice, earning first-team honors as a senior and second-team as a junior. Creer played both ways in high school, rushing for 1,270 yards and 19 touchdowns on only 120 carries, and also had a 108-yard interception return for a score. “I will play whatever position a coach asks me to play, but I am most comfortable at running back, and that is what I am being recruited to play in college,” said Creer. “Malcolm has good vision. He is a very tough running back,” Perry Jones, Creer’s high school coach, told BuffStampede.com. “He can make really good moves in the open field.” Creer was named to the All-Western League twice, earning first-team honors as a senior and second-team as a junior. Both seasons, Creer was his team’s most valuable player. Creer also played basketball for four years in high school, the final three years on varsity.

Creer had other offers from … several schools, but did not receive an offer from Washington until the night before signing day. “I talked it over with my Mom, and I am going to stay committed to Colorado.” Nebraska was interested in Creer, and wanted him to come out for a visit, but did not offer a scholarship. Then, when Colorado offered, Creer cancelled his trip to Lincoln, and he was glad he did. “I really like the vibe out there,” said Creer. “I liked how even though football is big out there, education comes first.”

In his own words … “I am an intense runner,” said Creer. “I like making big plays for my team, and I am willing to outwork anyone to help my team get the win.”

Paulay Asiata – OL

Just the facts … Committed February 2nd … Asiata is an offensive lineman from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Asiata is 6’5″, 285-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio YouTube video  

What others say about Asiata … Asiata is considered to be a four-star prospect by Scout; a three-star prospect by Rivals. Scout considers Asiata to be the 21st-best offensive guard prospect in the nation, and is considered, along with fellow Buff commits Juda Parker and K.T. Tuumalo, to be amongst the top five players coming out of Hawai’i this recruiting season. Asiata earned All-American honors from PrepStar and SuperPrep, which ranked him as the No. 24 offensive lineman in the country. ESPN, meanwhile, rated Asiata as the 2nd-best player coming out of Hawai’i, and the No. 58 offensive guard in the country. As a senior, Asiata anchored an offensive line that helped produce 411.4 yards of offense and 40.8 points per game. St. Louis scored 30 or more points in 11 of 12 games en route to an 11-1 record and a state championship.

Asiata had other offers from … at least four other Pac-12 schools, including Arizona, UCLA, Oregon State, and, most notably, Washington. Asiata was a commit to the Huskies on January 24th, but then de-committed two days before signing day. “My trip to Colorado was good,” the soft-spoken Asiata told BuffStampede.com. “The campus was good. It was all good. It was very similar to my trip to Washington.”

In his own words … “I am real agresseive,” said Asiata. “Whoever is lined up against me is going to get hit, and hit hard.” There is football in Asiata’s bloodlines which give credence to his words. Asiata’ s brother, Johan, played his rookie season in 2010 as an offensive lineman with the Chicago Bears. His cousin, Matt Asiata, completed his career at Utah as a running back last fall.

Juda Parker – DE

Just the facts … Committed January 31st … Parker is a defensive end prospect from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Parker is 6’2″, 245-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio  You Tube video   

What others say about Parker … Parker is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Parker is rated by Scout to be the 36th-best defensive end prospect in the nation; while Rivals rates Parker as the 28th-best defensive end in the country. Parker is considered to be the 2nd-best overall prospect in the state of Hawai’i, joining linebacker K.T. Tuumalo as one of the top five players from Hawai’i this year who have committed to Colorado. Parker was a surprise star at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, earning praise during the practice sessions, then being credited with six tackles and a blocked field goal during the game.  Of Parker, a Rivals scout noted that Parker “Has great lower body structure, is technically sound, and plays hard every snap.”

Parker had other offers from … numerous schools. Parker committed to Tennessee last summer, but then the Volunteers cooled on the recruitment.  “Schools were kind of hesitant to talk to me because they thought I was still committed (to Tennessee),” Parker said in December. Parker then re-opened his recruitment during the holidays. Parker had offers from Hawai’i, Baylor, Oregon State, New Mexico State and Wyoming. He took official visits to Hawai’i, Oregon State, and Colorado. “I took my official visit to Colorado on January 21st and just fell in love,” Parker told BuffStampede.com. “I just knew from everything they wanted to do with the program, it just made them standout from all the other schools that were recruiting me.”

In his own words … “They told me that I wasn’t a ‘want’, that they needed me,” Parker told SuperPrep.com about his Colorado coaches. “I am exactly the type of player that they need to go forward … They want me to come in and help them win the Pac-12. They also want to bring back a national title.” Where will Parker fit in on the roster? “I will be a defensive end primarily, but with the package they are going to run at Colorado, I can do different things like drop back and go into coverage or blitz from the linebacker position,” Parker told BuffStampede.com. “So I am going to have a lot of versatility when I go up there to Boulder.”

Will Harlos – LB/SS

Just the facts … Committed January 31st … Harlos is a linebacker prospect from Somerset, Texas. Harlos is 6’4, 195-pounds, and runs a 4.54 in the 40 yard dash. He is already a full academic qualifier.  Rivals bio   Scout bio  ESPN video

What others say about Harlos … Scout considers Harlos to be a three-star prospect, while Rivals has him listed with two stars. Scout.com rates Harlos as the No. 117 outside linebacker in the nation. ESPN ranked Harlos as the No. 13 outside linebacker in the state. While at Somerset high, Harlos was a unanimous selection as his district’s defensive player-of-the-year, and was a first-team All-San Antonio selection. In 2010, Harlos recorded 157 tackles, 18 sacks, and four interceptions. Along with quarterback (and now Buff teammate) Stevie Dorman, Harlos helped lead Somerset to a 10-3 record. Scout.com evaluated Harlos as having great size for a safety, but that he may still bulk up and later play linebacker. “Great on the run defense, he attacks aggressively and takes good angles to get to the ball carrier,” said Scout. “Packs a wallop when he hits the opponent and does a good job of hitting through the ball carrier.” Perceived weaknesses were speed (even though Harlos runs a 4.54 in the 40), and tackling technique. Harlos also played baseball, basketball, and ran track. He earned All-District honors in basketball and was the most valuable player on the track team for two seasons, competing in the high jump, long jump, 100-meters, 400-meters, and all of the relay teams. His 10.47 time in the 100-meters was the fastest time in the state this past season.

Harlos had other offers from … primarily Wake Forest.  Harlos had been a verbal commit to the Demon Deacons since March 10th. He also had offers from SMU and Arkansas, but most schools backed off after Harlos committed last spring. “I am still committed to Wake Forest, definitely,” Harlos said just three days before changing his commitment to Colorado. “They put a lot of time and effort into me and they convinced me and they showed me that I was their guy. My family grew close to their coaches.” Which was why, certainly, it was hard for Harlos to have to call the Wake Forest coaches and tell them that he had changed his mind.

In his own words … “I’m not afraid to hit. I actually enjoy hitting,” Harlos told BuffStampede.com. “I guess my speed is also what always put me ahead of other people at the high school level. I have a love, a passion for the game. I am a hard worker … Pretty much every college that recruited me talked about having me start out at safety and having me play there until I get heavy enough to play outside linebacker.”  As to his commitment to Colorado, Harlos told BuffStampede.com, “I feel like I went with my gut feeling and it is done. I am not going to have any regrets with it. I am going to show up to Colorado and I am going to play my heart out. I am going to give it everything I’ve got. I am going to work harder than I’ve ever worked before and I am going to put everything into it.”

Will Harlos see time as a freshman? “Coach Brookhart said that he sees me starting on special teams and maybe working for a spot at safety my freshman year and just fitting in with the program,” Harlos said. “And sophomore year he sees me starting on both of those and by my junior year, they want me to gain enough weight and keep my speed, and they see me playing outside linebacker. He says I have a really good chance of playing as a freshman. So he is really excited that I am going to join the program.”

Kyle Washington – CB

Just the facts … Committed January 30th … Washington is a cornerback prospect from Florence, Arizona. Washington is 6’1″, 197-pounds, and runs a 4.46 in the 40 yard dash. Washington reportedly has a 3.0 GPA. Rivals bio  Scout bio    YouTube video 

What others say about Washington …  Both Rivals and Scout rate Washington as a two-star prospect. Washington earned first-team All-Arizona honors as a wide receiver, though Colorado recruited Washington to play cornerback. Washington’s high school team finished the 2010 season with a 11-2 record, advancing to the state semi-finals. Washington ran for 788 yards and 11 touchdowns, and had another 663 yards receiving and another ten touchdowns. On defense, Washington had 29 total tackles. four forced fumbles, and three interceptions. As a return man, Washington was equally impressive, returning three punts and one kickoff for touchdowns (Washington also told BuffaloSportsNews.net that he had three other punt returns for touchdowns called back by penalties). That’s a total of 25 touchdowns …

Washington had other offers from … Hawai’i, New Mexico State, Air Force, Utah State, and North Dakota State. Everyone other than New Mexico State recruited Washington as a cornerback, while the Aggies of New Mexico State saw Washington as a running back prospect.

In his own words … “A lot of colleges like that I am versatile, and I feel like that will give me more of a chance to get on the field somehow,” Washington told BuffStampede.com. “Say I go to a school that wants me to play corner. If it doesn’t work out at corner, or there are a lot of players at that position, I can go help out at receiver. I can help out the team more because I do a lot of different things well.” While Washington is interested in both sides of the ball, he is willing to commit to the defense. “I don’t mind. I just want to get on the field,” Washington told BuffaloSportsNews.net. “I like to hit. I like the defensive side of the ball as well as the offense. When I get to camp, I’m going to try to get into the mix on offense a little bit and see what I can do, but if they want me to play defense, I’ll play defense.”

About his commitment to Colorado, Washington told SuperPrep.com, “I felt comfortable. The opportunity to play at such a high level of football in the Pac-12 was intriguing.” Washington then echoed what other recruits have said about CU and its new coaching staff. “The guys here are really cool. They have several former NFL coaches on staff, which means they know what it takes to get there,” said Washington. “The facilities and campus were very nice, and Colorado has great tradition.”

Will Oliver – K

Just the facts … Committed January 25th … Oliver is a kicker prospect from North Hollywood, California. Oliver is 5’10, 190-pounds, and is an honor roll student (3.2 GPA) who will have no difficulty qualifying academically. Rivals bio  Scout bio  Will Oliver’s own website, complete with multiple videos

What others say about Oliver …  Chris Sailer is a kicking guru who runs camps for top high school kicking prospects. Sailer ranks Oliver as the 12th-best kicker in the nation this year. “We have trained Will for many years so we’ve seen him grow,” Sailer told BuffStampede.com. “He put himself in a position to be ranked high in the nation because he is extremely accurate and he is very good mentally. He kicks his best when the pressure is on. He has always done so in camps and in games.  He has got a great mental strength when it comes to kicking field-goals and I expect that to translate to the next level, being able to handle the pressure of playing in the Pac-10.” Oliver’s main attribute, at least at first blush, is his ability to generate touchbacks on kickoffs – 85% of the time this past season (In case you were wondering – and I knew you were – last season, Aric Goodman had 52 kickoffs: 40 were returned; 12 went for touchbacks (23%). Justin Castor had five kickoffs; all were returned). In field goal accuracy, however, Oliver remains an unknown. He kicked six of nine this past season, with a long of only 42 yards. Oliver’s website does state that he had field goals of 50 and 51 yards in his junior season, and his website has a video of him hitting five consecutive 60-yard field goals … in warmups.

Oliver had other offers from … Fresno State. That’s apparently it. Granted, kickers are not always offered scholarships at the outset (Aric Goodman famously, or infamously, was awarded his scholarship after kicking the winning field goal in overtime against West Virginia. Goodman then … well, you know the story). According to Chris Sailer, Oliver had “countless” other FBS schools which were interested in having Oliver enroll as a preferred walk-on. “Fresno State would have been a good fit, but it wasn’t the same conference of football,” said Sailer. “So when Colorado came along, he did his research on them, and found out that it is an even better fit for him.”

In his own words … “I live for pressure. It’s one of the biggest reasons I (play football)”, Oliver told the Los Angeles Times this past summer. ‘I’m super cool under pressure. I hit the best balls under pressure.” Oliver is also good at time management, earning letters in football, soccer, and lacrosse in his sophomore and junior seasons (and likely his senior season as well). He was the most valuable player on his lacrosse team last year, plays the viola, participates in a peer support program, and was elected to the Student Athletic Advisory Council. “I just keep going, because the more I do, the more energy I get,” said Oliver.

Rashad Hall – RB – (Did not qualify, enrolled in junior college)

Just the facts …. Committed January 23rd … Hall is a running back prospect from the Oak Ridge Military Academy, Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Hall is 6’0″, 195-pounds, and has run a 4.34 in the 40 yard dash. Rivals bio  Scout bio YouTube video  

What others say about Hall … Rashad Hall is considered to be a two-star prospect by both Scout and Rivals. This past season, Hall rushed for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns for Oak Ridge. “I still haven’t figured out why Rivals.com has Rashad as a two-star prospect, because he is a four-star prospect,” Oak Ridge head coach Otis Yelverton told BuffStampede.com. “I have been doing this long enough to know what a four-star recruit looks like. I have sent five kids to Cal, three to Oregon, one to Washington State, one to Arizona State, one to Penn State … Rashad is a special talent … With Rashad, it’s all about speed. That is his greatest attribute. He can fly. He is a natural running back with good vision. If Rashad gets those shoulders turned north and south, there are not too many people who are going to be able to catch him.” Hall is considered to be the No. 67 running back prospect in the country by ESPN, he is the No. 5 running back out of high school in North Carolina, and the No. 1 ranked running back prospect listing his hometown in Virginia. Hall also ran track in high school, competing in the 100-, 200-, and 300- meter dashes, as well as the 4×100-meter relay team.

Hall had other offers from … Cal, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon. Which is a pretty impressive list, considering that Hall is considered just a two-star prospect. Hall started his high school career at Jefferson Forest high in Forest, Virginia, so the move to Oak Ridge may have had to do with getting his grades up. According to the Oak Ridge coach, Otis Yelverton, Oak Ridge Military Academy is a college prep school which has a 99 percent college acceptance rate for its graduates since 1991. If academic eligibility was once a concern, it should not be any longer. If there are other reasons why Hall was not afforded more attention during the recruiting process, they have yet to surface.

In his own words … Well, I haven’t seen any, at least not yet. It appears that Hall’s cousin, Jermaine Clark, does the talking for the duo from North Carolina (see, below).

Jermaine Clark – Ath

Just the facts … Committed January 23rd … Clark is an athlete from Oak Ridge Military Academy, Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Clark is 6’2″, 200-pounds, and runs a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Clark … Jermaine Clark is considered to be a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout (though Scout, despite Clark’s commitment, continued to list him as “Jermane” Clark).   ESPN listed Clark as the No. 10 outside linebacker out of the state of North Carolina in 2010. “Jermaine is a very versatile player, very good athlete,” said Oak Ridge head coach Otis Yelverton. “He played running back, receiver, a little linebacker and a little safety for us. He is a good, smart player.” As to Clark’s transfer from R.J. Reynolds high in Winston Salem, North Carolina, Yelverton said, “Basically the reason he came to Oak Ridge is to get recruited. His high school coach didn’t do a very good job of putting out his film and promoting him. He is finally getting the attention he deserves.”

Clark had other offers from … Wyoming, Utah, Washington State, Memphis, and Nevada. Clark took an official visit to Washington State on January 7th. Different schools recruited Clark for different positions, but it appears that Colorado has recruited Clark to play on the defensive side of the ball. “They are looking at me on the defensive side of the ball, as an outside linebacker or free safety,” Clark told BuffStampede.com., adding, “I could also get a look at running back.” While at R.J. Reynolds as a junior, he was named a first-team All-conference as a defensive lineman, racking up 110 tackles, including 22 tackles for loss and 12 sacks, while at the same time totaling 1,243 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns on offfense.

In his own words … “I was just comfortable being out there in Colorado,” Clark said of his official visit. “The coaching staff, being that it is a new coaching staff, makes me feel like I will have a good opportunity to compete early for a position. Rashad is going to be on the offensive side of the ball, and they are looking at me on the defensive side of the ball, so it will work out well for both of us … Knowing Rashad is coming with me, it won’t be like I am a stranger to the University. I’ll have someone out there that I’ll know.”

Gregory Henderson – CB/KR

Just the facts … Committed January 22nd … Henderson is a cornerback prospect from Norco, California. Henderson is 5’10”, 180-pounds, and has been timed at 4.49 in the 40 yard dash. Rivals bio  Scout bio  YouTube video highlights

What others say about Henderson … Gregory Henderson is considered to be a two-star prospect by both Scout and Rivals. This past season, Henderson had seven interceptions, and returned two punts for touchdowns. Brandon Huffman, the West recruiting coordinator for Scout.com, reported that Henderson is “a smidge undersized, but he’s got a good nose for the ball, plays the ball well, and will come up and hit you. He’s good in run support, and strong in pass defense. Good, smooth backpedal and sees the field well.” Henderson was first team All-CIF and All-league, with 65 tackles (46 solo), two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in addition to his seven interceptions. CaliHighSports ranked Henderson as the 8th-best cornerback prospect in the state this past year. ESPN ranked Henderson as the No. 10 cornerback in California, and the No. 122 corner nationwide. Henderson also ran track in high school, participating in the 100-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay team in both his junior and senior seasons. Henderson was first-team all-league in the 100-meters.

Henderson had other offers from … New Mexico and Air Force (which means Henderson, with a GPA over 3.5, is probably not an academic risk), and had interest from Washington. Henderson did not hear from Colorado coaches until five days before his commitment. His journey from an unknown to a verbal was a quick one:  On Monday, January 17th, Henderson heard from Colorado offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and defensive coordinator Greg Brown. On Tuesday, he received a scholarship offer. On Thursday, Henderson had an in-home visit with Bieniemy. On Friday he was on a plane to Boulder, and by Saturday was a Buff.

In his own words … “I felt at home and had a good vibe with the players and the coaches,” Henderson told BuffStampede.com. “The coaches are great, and have a lot of experience, both at the college level and the NFL, so they know what it takes to bring a program back to the top. I am glad to be a part of the Buffalo family, and I can’t wait to join the team.”

K.T. Tuumalo – LB

Just the facts … Committed January 18th … Tuumalo is a linebacker prospect from Honolulu, Hawai’i. He is 6’2, 210-pounds, and runs a 4.65 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio  YouTube video highlights – complete with John Facenda voice over!

What others say about Tuumalo … K.T. Tuumalo is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals (only two stars by Scout). Tuumalo is considered to be the 5th-best prospect overall from the state of Hawai’i this year by Rivals, but only the 120th-best linebacker prospect overall by Scout. “K.T. has exceptional speed, what coaches call ‘burst’, so he is able to have great pursuit,” Tuumalo’s high school coach, Kale Ane told BuffStampede.com. “He works really well in space, and I think the game has changed enough that you need players that can run and be sure tacklers. He does all those things well.”

Tuumalo had other offers from … Oregon State and Arizona from the Pac-12, as well as offers from Arkansas, Hawai’i, San Diego State, Wyoming, and, most notably, Boise State. Tuumalo committed to Boise State the day after Christmas, and, until this past week, was a solid commit for the Broncos. Tuumalo had an in-home visit with Boise State head coach Chris Petersen (“I felt real comfortable with him”), and told BroncoCountry.com on January 9th that he was going to be coming to Boise State. “I won’t be taking that visit,” Tuumalo said of his scheduled trip to Boulder. “I’m 100% committed to Boise State.” As to Tuumalo’s change of heart, his head coach, Kale Ane, attributed it to Tuumalo wanting to “please everybody”. “You have to make a choice, and I think that is hard for him by nature, he is such a nice kid. I think that part, having to say ‘no’, is stressful.”

In his own words … “I would say a lot of colleges recruited me because of my speed (4.65 in the 40), and just being able to run and tackle guys,” Tuumalo told BuffStampede.com after committing to Colorado. “I would be less of a power linebacker for right now, and more of a speed and quickness kind of guy.” As to what – or who – changed his mind about Colorado, Tuumalo said that the Buffs’ linebacker coach, Brian Cabral, played a significant role. “He has been there and done that, and he is a really good coach and a really good guy,” Tuumalo said. “I went on my trip out there, and I really like the area, the people over there. It is really a nice place. The school, the education they offer, is really good.”

Woodson Greer – LB

Just the facts … Committed January 17th … Greer is a linebacker prospect from Gardena California. He is 6’4″, 225-pounds, and has a 2.65 GPA. Rivals bio  Scout bio  YouTube video highlights

What others say about Greer …  Woodson Greer is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Greer is considered by Scout to be the 48th-best outside linebacker prospect in the nation. “Greer has ideal size for an outside linebacker, and is a force in the pass rush,” said CaliHighSports.com. “He has a great speed rush, and can really beat his man around the edge, and has a penchant for contact you can’t teach. Greer is a guy who could come in and contribute right away for the Buffaloes.” A PrepStar All-Region and SuperPrep All-Far West team member, with SuperPrep rating him as the 65th-best player in the region (and the No. 10 linebacker). Greer earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Western Division honors as a senior, and was also named first-team All-Mission League and first-team All-South Bay.

Greer had other offers from … Arizona State, San Diego State, Michigan, and San Jose State. Greer took an official visit in December to Arizona State, and to San Jose State the weekend before his trip to Boulder. The interest arose slowly, as his numbers as a senior (69 tackles, 41 solo) were not all that impressive. Overall, though, his team did well, as Junipero Serra went 13-1 in his sophomore season; 15-0 in his junior year; and 14-1 in his senior year (losing only in the state championship game).

In his own words … “I expected Colorado to be a pretty nice school with an alright coaching staff when I left for the trip last Friday,” Greer told BuffStampede.com after he committed in mid-January. “But they really blew me away. The school is gorgeous. Colorado is really nice.” Feeling better? Wait, there’s more. “The thing that set them apart for me was the coaching staff. A lot of coaches there went to Colorado, and most of them also went on to play in the NFL. So their knowledge of the University, the NFL, and what NFL coaches expect was far more superior than any other college that was looking at me.”

What will Greer bring to Boulder? I have a good knowledge of the game,” said Greer. “From Pop Warner up through high school, I had really good coaches. I have had a lot of coaches that played college ball, a couple that went on to the NFL, so that good coaching has helped me learn how to play the game the right way.”

Sherrard Harrington – CB

Just the facts … Committed January 15th … Harrington is a cornerback prospect from Washington D.C. He is 6’1, 168-pounds, and runs a 4.4 in the 40. Harrington has a 3.12 GPA, and graduated high school in December, but due to the length of time it took for Harrington to make a choice of schools, he did not enroll at Colorado for the spring semester. Rivals bio Scout  bio   YouTube video highlights

What others say about Harrington … Sherrard Harrington is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, though was unrated by Scout until he committed to Colorado. That made him worthy of two stars. Harrington was a SuperPrep All-Midatlantic team member, as the publication rated Harrington as the No. 36 player in the region, the 7th-best cornerback, and the 11th-best player overall from the Washington D.C. area. As a senior, Harrington was in on 55 tackles, including five for loss and two sacks. Harrington ran two of his three interceptions back for scores, and had 13 pass break-ups.

Harrington had other offers from … Most notably, Iowa. For most of January, it appeared that Harrington had narrowed his choices down to Iowa and Colorado, even though Harrington had other offers from like Duke, Tulsa, and Marshall. Harrington had been scheduled to take an official visit to Iowa City the weekend before coming to Boulder, but that was called off, leading to speculation that Colorado was the front-runner for Harrington’s services. “That’s false,” Harrington told HawkeyeInsider.com when asked if he was no longer interested in Iowa. “I bounced my Iowa City visit back because it just works out better (for his schedule) … It wasn’t because of lost interest on my part or theirs. It’s more of a timing issue.”

That all apparently changed during Harrington’s visit to Boulder. “I committed to Colorado coach Embree, and he was very excited,” Harrington told BuffStampede.com after telling coaches at the Saturday morning breakfast for the players. “He said that in every recruiting  meeting they had, he told all the coaches, ‘We need to get him here now’ “.

In his own words … “I am a playmaker,” said Harrington, who helped lead his team to a third straight D.C. public championships (with Woodson going 10-3, 9-4, and 10-3 in Harrington’s three seasons). “When I pick off the ball, I become a kick returner after that. I had three interceptions this year, and I ran two of them back. Last year, I had four interceptions, and I ran three of them back. So, if I get an interception, there is a good chance that I am going to run it back.”

Stevie Dorman – QB

Just the facts … Committed January 14th … Dorman is a quarterback prospect from Somerset, Texas. He is 6’4, 215-pounds, and runs a 4.8 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio  YouTube video highlights (#2 of 4)

What others say about Dorman … Here’s where it gets interesting. Dorman, despite being in the top ten in Texas high school history in most passing categories (more on that later), was not rated by either Scout or Rivals. Dorman’s coach at Somerset High was his grandfather, Sonny Detmer (who is, of course, also the father of Ty and Koy Detmer). Detmer told the Denver Post that the reason Dorman does not have a rating because he, Detmer, does not give out information to the rating services. “I’d rather have 10,000 yards than four stars anyday,” said Detmer. For it’s part, Scout.com evaluated Dorman this way: “A polished recruit who looks the part of an NFL quarterback … Does a good job on play fake, also drawing the defensive backs in … Great upside, he could start for quite a few teams as a freshman if needed”. Dorman was rated as the 77th-best quarterback in the country by Scout.com, while ESPN rated Dorman the 108th-best quarterback in the nation.

The numbers alone seem to back up the assesements of Scout’s scout and Sonny Detmer. In 2010, Dorman threw for 3,291 yards and 40 touchdowns in leading Somerset to a 10-3 record. In his three seasons as a starting quarterback, Dorman put up some gaudy numbers. He finished his career with 94 touchdown passes, good enough for sixth on the all-time list in Texas prep history (and two more than what Chase Daniel, who went on to star for Missouri, posted). Dorman had 9,352 career passing yards, fifth on the all-time list (and just eight yards ahead of one Colt McCoy). Dorman’s 597 completions also put him in fifth place on the all-time Texas prep list, just ahead of McCoy and uncle Koy Detmer.

Dorman had other offers from … no one? Neither recruiting services notes any other offers being made to Dorman. Smaller schools, like UNLV and North Texas reportedly had interest, but there is nothing about any offers from any BCS conference schools other than Colorado. When Colorado head coach said earlier this month that he was looking at a couple of “under the radar” quarterbacks to sign, he wasn’t kidding. Dorman and Brent Burnette (see below) are far below the two quarterbacks the Buffs had earlier commitments from, Nick Sherry and Brock Berglund, but we are going to give Embree and his coaches the benefit of the doubt on this one.

In his own words … “I had a blast during my senior season,” Dorman told BuffStampede.com last week. “We went to the quarterfinals for the first time in school history … Somerset had never gone that far before, and I became the all-time leading passer for the San Antonio area.” As to his strengths, “I think my strongest point … is that I knew the offense really, really well”, said the three-year starter. “I often called audibles.” Dorman also played golf and ran track for four years at Somerset, to go with three years playing baseball.

Dorman is excited about becoming a Buff. “I like coach Embree and coach Bieniemy, and I felt like the West Coast offense there would be the best fit,” said Dorman. “From what I’ve heard, I hear the two offenses (what he ran at Somerset, and what the Buffs will run in Boulder) is almost an exact match. I just have to get the terminology down and I should be fine.”

Brent Burnette – QB (Junior College transfer; already enrolled)

Just the facts … Committed January 6th … Burnette is a quarterback originally from Tennessee, who comes to Colorado after stops at Middle Tennessee and Arizona Western Junior College. He is 6’3″,  215-pounds, and has graduated in December with a 3.86 GPA. Burnette has two years to play two years, and is enrolled for spring classes. Rivals bio   Scout bio  YouTube video highlights

What others say about Burnette … At Maryville High in Tennessee, Burnette was 60-0 as a starter and won four state championships between 2004-07.  As a senior, Burnette completed 70% of his passes for 3,521 yards, 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. A member of the 2008 recruiting class, Burnette was considered, in spite of all of the statistics and accolades, to be only a two-star prospect. The only 1-A offers Burnette received were from Buffalo and Middle Tennessee State, and Burnette ultimately signed with the home state Blue Raiders. While at Middle Tennessee, Burnette red-shirted his first season, then saw action as a red-shirt freshman in 2009. For the season, though, Burnette threw only 25 passes, completing 13 for 160 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Burnette left Middle Tennessee after the 2009 season, transferring to Arizona Western for the 2010 campaign. This past season, the Matadors were the Western States Conference champions, and made it to the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas bowl game, falling to Blinn College in the title game. In the big game, though, Burnette was on the sidelines. Burnette was the starter early in the season, but suffered a rib injury eight games into the season. His stats for Arizona Western: 56% completion rate; 1,219 yards passing; 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. Even after Burnette was healthy again, however, he did not reclaim his starting position, as Boomer Green took over the helm, leading Arizona Western to the C.H.A.M.P.S. Hot Bowl berth. Matador head coach Tom Minnick was quoted before the title game that Green had earned the starting job, even though Burnette was healthy. Blinn head coach Brad Franchione was quoted as saying tha Green presented a greater problem for his team than Burnette, as Green was more mobile.

Burnette had other offers from … As noted, Burnette did have offers out of high school from Middle Tennessee State and Buffalo, and did take an official visit to Virginia, but was not extended an offer of a scholarship. Reportedly, Burnette was being recruited this December by, as Rivals.com put it, “numerous colleges in the Big East, Mountain West, and Western Athletic Conferences.”

In his own words … “After talking to all the coaches at Colorado, especially (head) coach Embree and (offensive coordinator) Eric Bieniemy, I was really impressed,” Burnette told BuffStampede.com. Is Burnette worried about coming to a school, which, as of his commitment, had yet to name a quarterbacks coach? “I spoke with Coach Bieniemy numerous times, and I am very comfortable with what he wants to do offensively … They are going to implement a pro-style offense, and that is exactly the type of offense I want to play in.”

Nelson Spruce – WR

Just the facts … Committed December 18th … Spruce is a wide receiver prospect from Westlake High school in Westlake Village, California. He is 6’2″, 195 pounds, and runs a 4.5 in the 40. Spruce has a 3.8 GPA. Rivals bio   Scout bio  YouTube video highlights

What others say about Spruce … Nelson Spruce is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Spruce is the 94th-best wide receiver prospect in the nation, according to Scout.com. In his senior year, Spruce had 73 receptions for 1,292 yards and 18 touchdowns. A two-way starter, Spruce was named his league’s Defensive back-of-the-year, with 31 tackles and three interceptions.

Spruce had other offers from … at least a dozen schools, including Washington State, Hawai’i, Air Force, Colorado State, and Northwestern. Spruce will take his official visit to Colorado January 14th. He had discussed taking an official visit to Hawai’i before he announced his commitment, but it is unclear as to whether Spruce will still take that visit. Spruce’s head coach, Jim Benkert, speculated that Spruce did not receive more BCS offers because Spruce played baseball this past summer, instead of going to summer camps. “He has been a three-year starter for us,” Benkert told BuffStampede.com. “He played safety, corner, inside and outside receiver … he returned punts, kicks, never left the field … We played 14 games this year, and he probably played past halftime in four games. So his numbers, not only are they impressive, but considering he didn’t play in the second half in probably ten of those games, that tells you how dynamic a player he is.”

In his own words … “I’ve been talking to Coach Embree a lot, and he seems like he has the program going in the right direction,” Spruce told Rivals.com when he committed, “so I wanted to be a part of it.” Being able to return to California to play also played a role. “That’s one of the many things that attracted me,” said Spruce. “I’ll be able to come back to California, so that was a big part of it.” Spruce has yet to make his official visit, but it looking forward to seeing Boulder on January 14th. “I just want to get a feel for how the players are and how the atmosphere of the school is,” said Spruce. “I have heard a lot of great things about Boulder, so I am sure that it will go well.”

Marc Mustoe – OT

Just the facts … Committed December 11th … Mustoe is an offensive line prospect from Arvada West High school in Arvada, Colorado. He is 6’7″, 273 pounds, and runs a 5.3 in the 40. Mustoe has a 3.8 GPA, and was twice named Academic All-Colorado. Rivals bio  Scout bio  YouTube video highlights (2009)

What others say about Mustoe … Marc Mustoe is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Mustoe is ranked as the 5th-best overall prospect in the state of Colorado by Scout. Mustoe is ranked as the 51st-best offensive lineman in the nation by Rivals and the No. 5 player from Colorado, while Scout had Mustoe as the 32nd-best offensive tackle best offensive tackle in the country. Mustoe was a SuperPrep All-American and All-Midlands team member, as the publication ranked him as the No. 32 in the region, the No. 3 offensive lineman, and the No. 2 player out of the state of Colorado. PrepStar named Mustoe to its All-Region team, and the Denver Post named Mustoe to its All-Colorado team

Mustoe had other offers from … at least five other Pac-12 schools, including Cal, Arizona, UCLA, Arizona State, and Utah. Mustoe also had offers from Louisville, Notre Dame, and Kansas State. Mustoe was an early commit to UCLA (June 23rd), but changed his commitment after Jon Embree was hired as the new head coach at Colorado.

In his own words … “I visited UCLA (on June 22nd), and got a chance to see the campus for the first time and it was awesome. I committed (that night),” said Mustoe last summer. “I told Coach (Bob) Palcic and Coach (Rick) Neuheisal, and they were pretty fired up … I was leaning to leaving Colorado, and going someplace out-of-state for school”. After meeting with Jon Embree, however, Mustoe changed his mind, and his commitment. Mustoe told PrepColorado.com that the “program at Colorado is looking up”, and that he wanted to be a part of it. Mustoe was particularly impressed with Embree. “He bleeds Colorado. He went to Cherry Creek, played at Colorado, was a coach at Colorado, and now he is the head coach … Coach Embree has a vision of making the program what it once was.”

Alex Kelley – C

Just the Facts … Committed October 4th … Kelley is an offensive line prospect from Vista High school in Vista, California. He is 6’3″, and weighs 295 pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio YouTube video highlights

What others say about Kelley … Alex Kelley is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Kelley is listed as the 22nd-best center prospect in the nation by Scout.com, and the No. 2 center in the west. Kelley was a SuperPrep All-Far West team member, the 98th-best player in the region, and the 15th-best offensive lineman. Kelley was a two-time all-league player for the Vista offensive line, and is also an all-league wrestler. Kelley helped Vista to a 12-1 record and a CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship. In the title game, the Panthers gained 313 yards rushing. In his senior year, Kelley totaled 108 pancake blocks.

Kelley had other offers from … Boise State, Minnesota, San Jose State, Nevada, San Diego State and New Mexico State. Kelley also had interest from Iowa State, USC, Kansas and UCLA. Kelley took only one official visit, to Colorado for the Georgia game, and committed that weekend.

In his own words … Kelley committed to Colorado when Dan Hawkins was still head coach. Though Kelley had ties to Colorado (his father, Karry, played along the CU offensive line from 1976-79), the change in regimes gave Kelley pause. “(Interim head coach Brian) Cabral said they still want me 100 percent, and I am still one of their main guys,” Kelley told BuffStampede.com on December 10th. “I am still taking a wait-and-see approach. I still haven’t decided where I am going from here.” After hearing from new head coach Jon Embree, though, Kelley stayed with the Buffs. “I didn’t know who Colorado was going to hire, and I was worried they might not get the right person,” said Kelley. “But now I have gotten a chance to talk to coach Embree for a good amount of time, I know I am going to Colorado now … They said I would fit in perfectly with their offense since I absolutely love to run block. They said they are going to do lots and lots of running and that got me excited.”

Brady Daigh – LB

Just the Facts … Committed July 19th … Daigh is a linebacker from Mullen High school in Denver, Colorado. Daigh is 6’2″, 230 pounds, and runs a 4.7 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio   YouTube video highlights

What others say about Daigh … Brady Daigh is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. In the Rivals.com final rankings of Colorado prep players, Daigh moved up from a No. 10 preseason ranking to a No. 3 final ranking based upon a strong senior season. In 2010, while helping Mullen to a third-straight 5A state championship, Daigh recorded 141 tackles and five sacks, adding two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Daigh is considered the 33rd-best at his position in the nation by Rivals; the 32nd-best in the nation by Scout. Daigh was a PrepStar All-Region selection and SuperPrep All-Midlands selection, with SuperPrep ranking Daigh as the No. 58 player in the region and the No. 6 linebacker on the list.

Daigh had other offers from … Colorado State, Wyoming and North Dakota all offered Daigh, who also had interest from Kansas State, Arizona State, Cal, Baylor, Nebraska, TCU, and Utah. Daigh would likely have received offers from several of these other schools had he not committed to Colorado so early (July 19th). This is particularly true as Daigh was the leader of a defense, which, in 28 games over his junior and senior seasons, Mullen posted 12 shutouts and had 11 other games in which the opponent scored seven points or less. Overall, Mullen went 40-2 in Daigh’s three years at linebacker, capping his career with three-straight state 5A state championships and a 33-game winning streak.

In his own words … Daigh never waivered from his early commitment, even after Dan Hawkins was fired in November. “I could kind of see it coming, but I like (Hawkins) as a coach,” Daigh told BuffStampede.com in November. “The program is going in a different direction, and I am fully committed to them. I’m solidly behind them.” After Jon Embree was hired, Daigh met with him in December. “I liked him a lot,” said Daigh of Embree. “Coach Embree said they want to run an aggressive defense, attack the offense, and make the offense react to them, which I like … They didn’t really mention specifics, but said they will be playing 4-3 mostly. It is what I am used to, so I am excited to play in that type of defense.”

Alex Lewis – OT (2010 Grey Shirt)

Just the facts … Committed January 31, 2010 – grey-shirted this past fall, will enroll at Colorado in January, and will still have five years to play four. Lewis is an offensive tackle prospect from Mountain Pointe High school in Phoenix, Arizona. Lewis is 6’4″, 255 pounds, and runs a 5.29 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio  

What others say about Lewis … Alex Lewis was considered a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout last February. Lewis was considered to be the 84th-best offensive tackle prospect in the nation by Scout.com. Lewis was a 1st-team all-state selection his senior year. His father, Bill Lewis, played for Nebraska and was in the NFL for eight seasons.

Lewis had other offers from … Air Force, Michigan State, and UNLV. Lewis took official visits to Michigan State and UNLV before taking his final visit to Colorado the weekend before signing day.

In his own words … “Going out to CU, I didn’t think I was going to commit,” said Lewis two days before signing day. “But I loved my trip there. When we were touring the facilities and then sat down with their coaches, after that I decided to commit.” Even last February, Lewis intended to grey-shirt. “Grey-shirting is a great idea because I am only 17,” Lewis told BuffStampede.com last February. “My dad and I figured it would give me an extra year and a half to grow, mature into my body. I think it will be great.” When Jon Embree was hired in December, there was a question as to whether Lewis’ scholarship offer would be honored (the scholarship offer to fellow grey-shirt Donnie Duncan was withdrawn). However, Lewis got the good word the Sunday after Embree was hired. “I know Coach Embree is a busy man, so it was great that he took the time out to talk to me,” Lewis told BuffStampede.com on December 13th. I am anxious to meet him in person … I also talked to the new offensive line coach (Steve Marshall). He sounded like a great coach, real enthusiastic. So I am very excited.”

Lewis will be the first new Buff to come to Boulder. “I will be leaving for Colorado on January 7th or 8th, and I guess my first meeting with the team will be that Sunday, the 9th,” said Lewis, who said he grew an inch-and-a-half (to 6’6 1/2″) and gained 23 pounds (to 288). “I am going to compete. The word ‘can’t’ is not in my vocabulary.”

Tags: Alex Kelley, Alex Lewis, Austin Vincent, Brady Daigh, Brent Burnette, D.D. Goodson, Gregory Henderson, Jermaine Clark, Juda Parker, K.T. Tuumalo, Kyle Washington, Logan Gray, Malcolm Creer, Marc Mustoe, Mark Brundage, Nelson Spruce, Paulay Asiata, Rashad Hall, Sherrard Harrington, Stephan Nembot, Stevie Dorman, Tyler McCulloch, Will Harlos, Will Oliver, Woodson Greer
This post, about the Recruiting game, from the 2011 Season, is filed under Article.
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