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Recruiting Prospects – Class of 2015
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August 18th
Colorado commit Alex Kinney named to preseason All-American team
NationalHSFootball.com has posted its preseason All-American teams. A Colorado recruit, punter/kicker Alex Kinney, has been named to the team. As to Kinney, who will be coming to Boulder from Rocky Mountain high in Ft. Collins, NationalHSFootball.com had this to say:
“Kinney may be the best combination punter and kicker in the country. He has tremendous power behind his kicks and staying in Colorado with the thin air will only aid in his stock growth moving forward”.
The full list of preseason All-Americans can be found here. The list includes a number of undeclared players, but, of those who have declared, only three are heading to the Pac-12, Kinney, running back Taj Griffin (Oregon) and tight end Aliz’e Jones (UCLA).
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July 21st
Recruits have interesting perspectives on recruiting issues
ESPN.com has taken the novel approach of asking recruiting questions of … recruits.
The full article associated with the survey can be found here (and is well worth your time).
The results of the survey can be found below:
ESPN.com conducted a survey with the top 300 2015 football recruits. Here’s a sample of some of their thoughts on many issues facing recruits and college athletes.
| Topic | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Should players be allowed to unionize? | 60% | 40% |
| Should players receive a stipend? | 86.4% | 13.6% |
| For an early signing period? | 58% | 42% |
| Should scholarship offers have expiration dates? | 8.7% | 91.3% |
| Should there be noncommittable offers? | 11.7% | 88.3% |
| Is student body diversity a factor in decisions? | 28.4% | 71.6% |
| Would you play with a concussion? | 61% | 39% |
| Does social media affect decisions? | 18.8% | 81.3% |
We asked top recruits which representative from a school recruiting them was the most influential. Here are the results. Percentages represent percent of responses when asked to rank each 1-5.
| Person | Rank (percentage) |
|---|---|
| Pos. coach | 1 (45.5%) |
| Head coach | 2 (37%) |
| Current players | 3 (31.7%) |
| Other prospects | 4 (31%) |
| Area recruiter | 5 (30.7%) |
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June 24th
Oregon picks up a commitment from top-rated wide receiver
From ESPN … Oregon dipped into the state of Missouri to land one of the nation’s best receivers and the state’s top-ranked player.
ESPN 300 receiver Alex Ofodile verbally committed to the Ducks and became the program’s ninth overall commitment of the 2015 class. Ofodile, ranked No. 42 overall in the ESPN 300, chose Oregon over offers from Missouri, Penn State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and a host of other programs.
Ofodile joins California three-star recruit Jake Breeland as receiver commits for Oregon. He is the highest-ranked commit for the Ducks, a team that includes its top-five 2015 pledges all on the offensive side of the ball. Oregon is not currently ranked in ESPN RecruitingNation’s top 25 classes.
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Arizona State picks up in-state offensive lineman
An offensive lineman coveted by Colorado has opted to stay in state.
Cade Cote (Rivals bio), a three-star offensive line prospect from Gilbert, Arizona, has given his verbal commitment to Arizona State. Cote, ranked by Rivals to be the No. 7 prospect out of the state of Arizona this cycle, had told BuffStampede.com earlier this month that he had reduced his significant offer list to five schools – Oregon, Arizona State, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon State.
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June 18th
ESPN Top 300 recruits listed
ESPN has posted its top 300 prospects from the Class of 2015. The entire list can be found here.
Of those who have given their verbal commitments, the following 16 are so far coming to the Pac-12:
No. 19 – Quarterback Josh Rosen – Bellflower, CA …. UCLA
No. 21 – Offensive tackle Chuma Edoga – Powder Springs, GA …. USC
No. 42 – Wide receiver Alex Ofodile – Columbia, Missouri – Oregon
No. 44 – Tight end Alize Jones – Las Vegas, NV …. UCLA
No. 84 – Quarterback Jake Browning – Folsom, CA …. Washington
No. 88 – Running back Taj Griffin – Powder Springs, GA …. Oregon
No. 93 – Quarterback Ricky Town – Ventura, CA …. USC
No. 94 – Offensive tackle Kennan Walker – Scottsdale, AZ …. Arizona
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No. 117 – Defensive tackle Jacob Daniel – Fresno, CA …. USC
No. 126 – Quarterback Brady White – Newhall, CA …. Arizona State
No. 142 – Defensive tackle Thomas Toki – Mountain View, CA …. Washington State
No. 198 – Offensive guard Zach Okun – Newbury Park, CA …. Oregon
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No. 260 – Running back Austin Joyner – Marysville, WA …. Washington State
No. 271 – Safety Arrington Farrar – College Park, GA …. Stanford
No. 287 – Center Brian Chaffin – Charlotte, NC … Stanford
No. 290 – Offensive guard Tevita Halalilo – Moreno Valley, CA …. UCLA
No. 299 – Linebacker Cameron Smith – Granite Bay, CA …. USC
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Running total … USC – 4; UCLA – 3; Oregon – 3; Stanford – 2; Washington State – 2; Arizona State – 1; Arizona – 1; Washington – 1 … California; Colorado; Oregon State; and Utah – 0.
… Two high school players from the state of Colorado are on the top 300 list … Cornerback Eric Lee from Highlands Ranch, who has already committed to Nebraska, in at No. 140, and offensive guard Tim Lynott from Regis (Aurora), in at No. 274. Lynott is being heavily recruited by most of the Pac-12, including Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington State.
… Worthy of note … Quarterback Blake Barnett, from Corona, California, made his decision this week. Barnett, No. 56 on the ESPN top 300 list, was heavily recruited by Oregon, but the Ducks turned out to be Barnett’s second choice, as Barnett gave his verbal commitment to Alabama.
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June 13th
Buffs down to No. 79 nationally …
Arizona and Oregon were the only Pac-12 teams to pick up recruits this week. Arizona picked up a pair, including the Wildcats’ second junior college running back of the spring, as Arizona looks to find a proper replacement for the departed Ka’Deem Carey. Oregon, meanwhile, picked up a three-star defensive back who had offers from over half of the teams in the Pac-12 conference.
Those at the bottom half of the conference continued to drop, with Utah, Cal, Washington, Stanford, Colorado and Oregon State all dropping between four and ten spots as other teams across the nation began to pick up recruits
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The Pac-12 team rankings to June 13th, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 14 – USC … down four spots … eight recruits – one five-star; six four-star; one three-star
No. 26 – UCLA .. down two spots … six recruits – one five-star; three four-star; two three-star
No. 33- Arizona State … down three spots … seven recruits – one four-star; five three-star
No. 35 – Arizona … up two spots … ten recruits – one four star; six three-star (picked up two commitments this past week. Kendall Williams is a three-star running back from Butte Community College in Oroville, California. Williams had only one other offer – from Georgia State, and becomes the second junior college running back to sign on in hopes of replacing Ka’Deem Carey … Samuel Morrison, meanwhile, is a two-star cornerback from Washington D.C. Morrison, despite being only a two-star prospect, had offers from a number of schools, including Virginia, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Rutgers and Washington State.
No. 39 – Washington State … down one spot … six recruits – three four-star; three three-star
No. 43 – Oregon … same spot as last week … five recruits – three four-star; one three-star (did not move up, despite picking up a three-star recruit in Jihree Stewart, a cornerback from Corona, California. Stewart is considered the 67th-best player out of the state of California this year, and had offers from Colorado, Arizona State, Oregon State, Utah, Washington, Washington State and Wisconsin).
No. 44 – Utah … down ten spots … eight recruits – one four-star; five three-stars
No. 65 – California … down eight spots … four recruits – four three-star
No. 69 – Washington … down seven spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 70 – Stanford … down five spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 79 – Colorado … down four spots … three recruits – three three-star
No. 81 – Oregon State – down five spots – three recruits – two three-star
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June 6th
Buffs down to No. 75 nationally …
Colorado, along with other schools in the bottom half of the Pac-12 rankings, fell this past week as other schools across the nation picked up commitments. The Buffs fell five spots, from 70th to 75th nationally, still 11th in the Pac-12 standings (CU is 72nd this week in the Scout rankings). Other Pac-12 conference rivals, including Oregon, Cal, Washington, Stanford and Oregon State, also fell four or five spots from the May 30th list.
Two Pac-12 schools picked up commitments this week, with both Arizona State and Arizona receiving commitments from three-star wide receivers. The Arizona State commit, from Louisiana, was not on CU’s radar, but Arizona’s new commit, Jamie Nunley, has to be considered a loss. Nunley was at CU’s spring game this spring, and, along with some Ivy League schools, had Colorado amongst his favorites.
The Pac-12 team rankings to June 6th, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 10 – USC … down one spot … eight recruits – one five-star; six four-star; one three-star
No. 24 – UCLA .. down one spot … six recruits – one five-star; three four-star; two three-star
No. 30 – Arizona State … up one spot … seven recruits – one four-star; five three-star (picked up a commitment from three-star wide receiver Alfred Smith from Destrehan, Louisiana. Smith, considered by Rivals to be the No. 80 wide receiver in the nation, had offers from numerous schools, including Nebraska, Utah, and Florida).
No. 34 – Utah … down one spot … eight recruits – one four-star; five three-stars
No. 37 – Arizona … up three spots … eight recruits – one four star; five three-star (picked up a commitment from three-star wide receiver Jamie Nunley from Murrieta, California. Nunley was a loss for the Buffs, as Colorado had offered Nunley and was a top contender. Nunley attended the CU spring game this past April).
No. 38 – Washington State … down three spots … six recruits – three four-star; two three-star
No. 43 – Oregon … down four spots … four recruits – three four-star; one three-star
No. 57 – California … down five spots … four recruits – four three-star
No. 62 – Washington … down five spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 65 – Stanford … down five spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 75 – Colorado … down five spots … three recruits – three three-star
No. 76 – Oregon State – down three spots – three recruits – two three-star
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May 30th
Colorado back into the 70’s in the national rankings … despite picking up a three-star player
The good news … Colorado picked up a three-star prospect this past week, with Isaiah Holland signing on to become a Buff.
The bad news … Colorado doesn’t get any “credit” for the pickup. Holland is a member of the Class of 2014, so his signing won’t impact the Buffs’ rankings, either with the already finalized rankings for the Class of 2014, or with the incoming Class of 2015. All the more reason, really, to not get to amped up about overall rankings (recall that Paul Richardson, a four-star recruit from the Recruiting Class of 2010, did not become a Buff until August of that year, long after the recruiting rankings had been posted … and forgotten).
Still, recruiting is the mother’s milk of college football success, so we do pay attention. This week, Colorado, with its three verbal commitments, fell another three spots, down to No. 70 in the Rivals rankings (No. 69 at Scout).
The only upward movement this week in the national rankings came from Utah and Arizona, with two minor recruits giving their commitments (see below). The biggest news in the Pac-12 this week is the fact that Oregon did not pick up a commitment from the highest-ranked dual quarterback threat in the nation, Kyler Murray, who opted to go with Texas A&M instead of Oregon.
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The Pac-12 team rankings to May 30th, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 9 – USC … down one spot … eight recruits – one five-star; six four-star; one three-star
No. 23 – UCLA .. same as last week … six recruits – one five-star; three four-star; two three-star
No. 31 – Arizona State … down one spot … six recruits – one four-star; four three-star
No. 33 – Utah … up five spots … eight recruits – one four-star; five three-stars (picked up a commit from three-star wide receiver Justice Murphy from Vancouver, Washington. Murphy had offers from Wyoming and three Big Sky Conference schools).
No. 35 – Washington State … down one spot … five recruits – three four-star; two three-star
No. 39 – Oregon … same spot as last week … four recruits – three four-star; one three-star
No. 40 – Arizona … up two spots … seven recruits – one four star; four three-star (picked up a commit from two-star junior college safety Paul Magloire from Yuma, Arizona. Magloire’s other offers were from Buffalo and James Madison).
No. 52 – California … down two spots … four recruits – four three-star
No. 57 – Washington … down three spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 60 – Stanford … down four spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 70 – Colorado … down three spots … three recruits – three three-star
No. 73 – Oregon State – down four spots – three recruits – two three-star
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May 24th
CBS Poll: Majority of college coaches want an earlier Signing Day
From CBSSports.com … Coaches want an early signing period. Oh, how they do (Save Stanford’s David Shaw and a few others).
In fact, an informal CBSSports.com poll of 25 coaches this week revealed 19 unequivocally want to shift from the current early February setup to August or December. Five are either indifferent or can learn to accept it. Kentucky’s Mark Stoops is against the notion because of how it could change the recruiting calendar.
Will coaches get what they want? That depends on the Conference Commissioners Association, which has agreed to evaluate the matter and has a meeting in mid-June. At least one proposal — the ACC’s recommendation for a Aug. 1 signing day — will be on the table.
No doubt this topic will echo through conference meetings taking place this week, including the SEC’s meetings in Destin starting Tuesday.
The American Football Coaches Association will not recommend an early signing date to the CCA, AFCA president Grant Teaff said. The AFCA last presented a December date three years ago and the plan was shot down. Most of his FBS coaches still want December, Teaff said.
UCF coach George O’Leary knows what he’s bringing up at the American meetings next week — his disdain for a February signing day. The last few seasons, O’Leary has noticed players more than ever making their minds up on a college preference before playing a senior-season down.
“What are we doing? We’re spending thousands of dollars to fly and rent a car for a kid that’s already verballed,” said O’Leary, who advocates a December signing period built around junior college signees for a seamless transition. “The recruiting calendar changed and we never adjusted. It’s like making a reservation at a hotel.”
Of the coaches that gave a date preference to CBS, nine want December and four want August.
Basically, a player wouldn’t have to sign early but they could. One argument for December is to let most high school players finish their prep eligibility.
Any change could be slow to develop because of the NCAA’s current legislative overhaul.
New governance — built around the power five conferences having autonomy over certain legislative matters — will likely be given the green light in August. Detailed changes might not be rolled out until the NCAA Convention in January. The CCA could decide to vote “yes” on an early signing period now or postpone until after the new NCAA model has clarity.
“I think within the next year there needs to be consensus within football of what’s desired and move accordingly,” said Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, chairman of the NCAA Division-I football recruiting subcommittee. “Within our league, there continues to be interest exploring an early signing period. It would be closely aligned with the junior college signing date in December. Would it be the exact same date or preceding or following? All of that could be discussed.”
Is there enough support for the commissioners to pass? Hocutt says he doesn’t know, but after his talks with Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby on the topic, “they would be interested in hearing what they want to do with it” if a proposal becomes ready.
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May 23rd
Colorado loses one spot in latest rankings
Colorado did not pick up a commitment again this past week, holding at three prospects. With no new commitments, Colorado dropped one spot, down to No. 67 nationally according to Rivals (60th according to Scout).
USC continued to make its move, with its first full class in four years coming next February. The Trojans moved into the top ten nationally, with the No. 9 Class, with the addition of a four-star linebacker. USC’s cross-town rival, UCLA, lost ground as the Bruins lost a three-star recruit this past week. UCLA remains the second highest-ranked team in the Pac-12, though, at No. 23 nationally.
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The Pac-12 team rankings to May 23rd, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 8 – USC … up five spots … eight recruits – one five-star; six four-star; one three-star (picked up a four-star linebacker, Cameron Smith, from Granite Bay, California – CU had offered);
No. 23 – UCLA … down eight spots … seven recruits – one five-star; three four-star; two three-star (UCLA lost a three-star recruit this week)
No. 30 – Arizona State … down one spot … six recruits – one four-star; four three-star
No. 34 – Washington State … up four spots … five recruits – three four-star; two three-star (moved up four spots with a former unrated player was given a three-star rating)
No. 38 – Utah … down four spots … seven recruits – one four-star; four three-stars
No. 39 – Oregon … down four spots … four recruits – three four-star; one three-star
No. 42 – Arizona … down two spots … six recruits – one four star; four three-star (picked up an unrated junior college running back, Dami Ayoola, this week.
No. 50 – California … up one spot … four recruits – four three-star
No. 54 – Washington … down four spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 56 – Stanford … down three spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 67 – Colorado … down one spot … three recruits – three three-star
No. 69 – Oregon State – remained at the same spot – three recruits – two three-star
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May 16th
Colorado down to 66th in latest rankings
Colorado did not pick up a commitment this past week, holding at three. With no new commitments, Colorado dropped four spots, down to No. 66 nationally.
In an otherwise quiet week (eight of the 12 teams in the conference either stayed at the same position as last week, or moved one spot up or down), USC was the big winner. The Trojans picked up commitments from a four-star defensive end, Jacob Daniel, and a three-star defensive tackle, Noah Jefferson (Colorado had offered Daniel, but not Jefferson). With the big week, USC passed cross-town rival UCLA for top spot in the Pac-12 conference rankings, moving into the No.13 spot nationally (UCLA is No. 15 this week).
On the downside, Arizona lost a three-star recruit, and lost eight spots in the national pecking order, falling from No. 32 to No. 40. The loss also dropped the Wildcats from No. 4 in the Pac-12 pecking order down to No. 7.
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The Pac-12 team rankings to May 16th, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 13 – USC … up 13 spots … seven recruits – one five-star; four four-star; two three-star (picked up a four-star defensive end and a three-star defensive tackle this week)
No. 15 – UCLA … down one spot … seven recruits – one five-star; three four-star; three three-star
No. 29 – Arizona State … stayed at the same spot … six recruits – one four-star; four three-star
No. 34 – Utah … down one spot … seven recruits – one four-star; four three-stars
No. 35 – Oregon … down one one spot … four recruits – three four-star; one three-star
No. 38 – Washington State … stayed at the same spot … five recruits – three four-star; one three-star
No. 40 – Arizona … down eight spots … five recruits – one four star; four three-star (lost a three-star de-commit this week)
No. 50 – Washington … stayed at the same spot … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 51 – California … up one spot … four recruits – four three-star
No. 53 – Stanford … stayed at the same spot … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 62 – Colorado … down four spots … three recruits – three three-star
No. 69 – Oregon State – down three spots – three recruits – two three-star
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May 9th
Colorado down to 62nd in latest rankings
Colorado did not pick up a commitment this past week, holding at three. With no new commitments, Colorado dropped six spots, down to No. 62 nationally.
The biggest move of the week was by Arizona State, which picked up a four star recruit in quarterback Brady White from Newhall, California. White, considered by Rivals to be the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the nation, had offers from two dozen schools around the nation, including Nebraska, Oregon, and Arizona.
Utah also moved up significantly, but largely due to some of its recruits receiving rankings for the first time.
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The Pac-12 team rankings to May 9th, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 14 – UCLA … down four spots … seven recruits – one five-star; three four-star; three three-star
No. 24 – USC … down two spots … five recruits – one five-star; three four-star; one three-star
No. 29 – Arizona State … up 16 spots … six recruits – one four-star; four three-star (picked up a four-star quarterback this week)
No. 32 – Arizona … down four spots … six recruits – one four star; five three-star
No. 33 – Utah … up eighteen spots … seven recruits – one four-star; four three-stars (picked up a three-star wide receiver and a kicker this week)
No. 34 – Oregon … up one spot … three recruits – two four-star; one three-star
No. 38 – Washington State … down two spots … five recruits – three four-star; one three-star
No. 50 – Washington … down nine spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 51 – California … up two spots … four recruits – four three-star
No. 52 – Stanford … down three spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 62 – Colorado … down six spots … three recruits – three three-star
No. 66 – Oregon State – previously unranked – three recruits – two three-star
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May 4th
CU recruit Dillon Middlemiss given a three-star rating
The CU Recruiting Class of 2015 received a boost this weekend, even though the Buffs did not pick up any new recruits.
Dillon Middlemiss, previously unrated by Rivals, is now considered to be a three-star prospect (Rivals bio).
With the change in status for Middlemiss, all three of CU’s 2015 recruits now have three star ratings.
May 2nd
After a quiet week, Colorado drops to No. 56 in national rankings
Colorado did not pick up a commitment this past week, holding at three. With little movement around , Colorado dropped two spots, to No. 56 nationally, No. 56 in the Pac-12
Other schools in the Pac-12 were largely quiet as well, with Arizona and UCLA making the biggest moves. Arizona picked up commitments from two offensive linemen (one four-star; one three-star), while UCLA moved back into the top ten nationally with a commitment from a four-star wide receiver. Utah and California jumped Colorado this week, not by receiving any commitments, but by having two of their previously unranked commitments given three-star ratings.
The Pac-12 team rankings to May 2nd, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 10 – UCLA … up three spots … seven recruits – one five-star; three four-star; three three-star (picked up a four-star wide receiver this week)
No. 22 – USC … down one spot … four recruits – one five-star; three four-star
No. 28 – Arizona … up 14 spots … six recruits – one four star, four three-star (picked up a four-star offensive lineman and a three-star offensive lineman this week)
No. 35 – Oregon … up five spots … three recruits – two four-star; one three-star
No. 36 – Washington State … down four spots … three recruits – three four-stars
No. 41 – Washington … down two spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 45 – Arizona State … down three spots … five recruits – three three-star
No. 49 – Stanford … down four spots … three recruits – one four-star; one three-star
No. 51 – Utah … up ten spots … seven recruits – two three-star (moved up when one unrated recruit was given three stars this week)
No. 53 – California … up thirteen spots … two recruits – two three-star (moved up when one unrated recruit was given three stars this week)
No. 56 – Colorado … down two spots … three recruits – two three-star
Unranked – Oregon State – no recruits
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April 25th
Colorado up ten spots in national rankings thanks to commitment from T.J. Fehoko
Last week, Colorado was ranked 64th in the nation in the chase for the Recruiting Class of 2015.
A week later, with three-star defensive end T.J. Fehoko in the fold, the Buffs are up ten spots in the Rivals rankings, up to a tie with Arizona for the No. 54 spot. Colorado is tied for 8th in the Pac-12, according to Rivals, ahead of Utah, Cal, and Oregon State.
Other schools in the Pac-12 were also busy this past week, with Washington State, Oregon and Colorado making the biggest moves. Overall, the conference picked up seven verbal commitments this past week, with four four-star recruits, three three-star recruits, and one unrated recruit committing to play in the conference starting in 2015.
The Pac-12 team rankings to April 25th, along with the team’s change in rankings from last week (Rivals rankings):
No. 13 – UCLA … down three spots … six recruits – one five-star; two four-star; three three-star
No. 21 – USC … up three spots … four recruits – one five-star; three four-star (picked up a four-star offensive lineman this week)
No. 32 – Washington State … up 22 spots … three recruits – three four-stars (picked up a four-star running back and a four-star quarterback this week)
No. 39 – Washington … down four spots … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 40 – Oregon … up 14 spots … three recruits – two four-star (picked up a four-star running back this week)
No. 42 – Arizona State … up one spot … five recruits – three three-star (picked up a three-star athlete this week)
No. 45 – Stanford … down five spots … three recruits – one four-star; one three-star
No. 54 – Arizona … down two spots … four recruits – two three-star
No. 54 – Colorado … up ten spots … three recruits – two three-star (picked up a three-star defensive end this week)
No. 61 – Utah … down one spot … seven recruits – one three-star
No. 66 – California … previously unranked … two recruits – one three-star (picked up a three-star wide receiver this week)
Unranked – Oregon State – no recruits
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April 18th
Colorado 64th in the early rankings for the Class of 2015
Colorado has two verbal commitments from the Recruiting Class of 2015: three-star linebacker N.J. Falo, from Sacramento, California; and unrated offensive lineman Dillon Middlemiss, from Westminster, Colorado.
The two recruits have Colorado ranked 64th in the nation in the team rankings for the Class of 2015. The Buffs are 10th in the Pac-12, which is actually worse than it sounds, as the only teams CU is ranked above are Oregon State and California … teams which have no recruits to date.
Not surprisingly, the SEC has the most teams in the top ten in the national rankings in the race to sign talent next February. Alabama (No. 1); Texas A&M (No. 3); Tennessee (No. 5); LSU (No. 6); and South Carolina (No. 9) make up half of the top ten nationally. The highest rated Pac-12 team so far is UCLA, in at No. 10 with six recruits already in the fold.
UCLA’s Jim Mora may be trying to get a good jump on the Class of 2015, as this will be the first Class in which cross-town rival USC can start rebuilding its roster. The Trojans will be back up to full strength in 2015, and will likely sign a blockbuster Class next February.
The Pac-12 team rankings to date (Rivals rankings):
No. 10. – UCLA … six recruits – one five-star; two four-star; three three-star
No. 24 – USC … three recruits – one five-star; two four-star
No. 35 – Washington … three recruits – one four-star; two three-star
No. 40 – Stanford – three recruits – one four-star; one three-star
No. 43 – Arizona State – four recruits – two three-star
No. 52 – Arizona – four recruits – two three-star
No. 54 – Oregon – two recruits – one four-star
No. 54 – Washington State – one recruit – one four-star
No. 60 – Utah – seven recruits – one three-star
No. 64 – Colorado – two recruits – one three-star
Unranked – Oregon State / California – no recruits
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While it is still very early in the game, this is a list for Buff fans to keep an eye on as the spring turns into summer. Last season, Colorado picked up its first two recruits (offensive lineman Isaac Miller and linebacker Grant Watanabe) in the month of May, with two more in June (quarterback Cade Apsay and linebacker Rick Gamboa) and two more in July (tight end Dylan Keeney and defensive back Evan White). Four others joined the Buffs in August, giving Colorado ten of its eventual 22 signees before the 2013 season even started. If Mike MacIntyre’s pattern holds, there will be news of new recruits throughout the summer, with Buff fans hoping that Colorado will once again be competitive for highly sought after high school talent.
This will be the third recruiting Class for Mike MacIntyre and his staff, yet it is really the first one by which the recovery of the program can be measured. MacIntyre’s first Class, the Class of 2013, was largely recruited by Jon Embree and his staff, with Mac and Co. having only a little over a month to have an impact. The second Class, signed this February, had about half of its players in the fold before the Buffs ever took a snap with Mike MacIntyre on the sidelines in Folsom Field.
The Recruiting Class of 2015, though, knows what it is getting from MacIntyre and the University of Colorado. They have seen the Buffs in action, and are familiar with the offensive and defensive schemes (not to mention the depth chart) they will be facing if they come to Boulder. And now these recruits also have more than just renderings when it comes to upgrades in facilities at the University of Colorado. They will be recruited to CU with holes in the ground and cranes in the air, with the promise of new facilities ready for them when they arrive for Fall Camp in August, 2015.
Coach MacIntyre has proven he can do more with less, taking a moribund San Jose State program from rags to riches in just three short years. The obstacles to success are greater, however, in competing in the Pac-12. For Colorado to become relevant on the national stage, it will take more than just good coaching. It will take good to great players.
The CU coaching staff gets a pass for the first two recruiting Classes in terms of star power. Mac & Co. were fighting against a strong current of negativity surrounding the program and the University’s commitment to facilities.
Now, however, with facilities improvements now a reality, its time for the CU program to take the next step.
It should be an interesting recruiting season …
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11 Replies to “Recruiting The Class of 2015”
Great article and video on Buff Recruit Aaron Haigler
http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-sp-haigler-notre-dame-tight-end-20140823-column.html
I think we’re doing pretty good… just some good recruits lately… Look at Texas A&M… they started winning and competing in the National title race with Johnny Football, not because of 4-5 stars… if you go back in their recruiting.. they started with majority 3 star players… and a lot of 3 stars became first rounders just lateley… It’s really up to coaching… can these guys coach them up or not.
we are going the wrong way in recruiting !!! come on coaches Boulder is a great place to go to school . I know its early but would be nice to see one once in awhile .
hope this changes and we start getting some good recruits ,I know its still early butman it just sucks to see the richer get richer and the other just get whats left. To get some 4 or 5 star guys would be great. Still hoping things get better .a winning season would be such s lift for all and recruiting would look up would be great.Go BUFFS
Hello sir,
Thank you for your nice posting.Buffs still have a lot to prove and haven’t had a winning season in years, but MacIntyre has had a great eye for under the radar talent, and is starting to build some depth.
Thanks………….
We have recruited so many three star atheletes that now we can get the “experts ” to change all of our one and two recruits to three star recruits just like Alamama can get their four stars changed to five stars.
The problem is if we recruit a four star player he gets moved down to three star.
Stuart, something to mention that you probably already know and that is the dark blue lettering on the black b/g is almost illegible on the voting section of the layout.
I’m not aware of what you are talking about.
Are you saying that the poll language is showing up as dark blue lettering? It should be white like the rest of the lettering on the page …
Stuart – love your analyses and read your blog religiously. Keep up the great work!
buffnaustin – would love to get 6 or 7 four-stars this cycle, but don’t see it happening yet. I think Fields was their only 4 star in the last cycle. Buffs still have a lot to prove and haven’t had a winning season in years, but MacIntyre has had a great eye for under the radar talent, and is starting to build some depth. I’m hopeful the Buffs will keep progressing, especially with new facilities, and if they catch some breaks and pull a couple of upsets, they have a chance at a bowl game.
I ‘m a dreamer Dave. I do like what I see but I want more. I’m just that way.
A bowl game this year will defdinitley help recuiting but dag nab it has been 8 long years.
I agree with the statement “It will take good to great players”
a 3 star and a not ranked player wont help us get over the hump. I think 6 to 7 — 4 star players will be needed this year.