Stoppin’ By for a Visit

Stoppin’ By for a Visit

January 20th

Free stories from Rivals and Scout on recent visitors Terran Hasselbach and Eddy Lopez

BuffStampede.com has posted a free story about CU defensive end commit Terran Hasselbach. The full story can be found here.

Excerpts … It was a rough road to achieving his dream, literally and figuratively. A car accident, which nearly took his life, and a shoulder injury kept defensive end Terran Hasselbach sidelined for the first thee years of his prep career at Aurora (Colo.) Regis Jesuit.

Perseverance mixed with a great support system and a burning desire to prove doubters wrong helped keep the son of former Denver Broncos defensive end Harald Hasselbach from giving up on his dream. And that dream, of playing college football at Colorado, did not become a reality until earlier this month.

… “Colorado has been a school I have dreamed of going to since I was younger but I didn’t think it was going to be an option,” said Hasselbach. “I talked to [Buffs head] coach [Mike] MacIntyre early in the process but I didn’t have an offer. So I went to Western Michigan and was pretty sold on that. I actually turned down Wyoming and some other closer schools. And then CU came into the picture and I couldn’t turn them down.

“Obviously CU is close to home, and that is big, but they play in the Pac-12 and that is an even bigger deal to me. It is a really good school to go to even if I wasn’t playing football. When I committed to Coach Mac and [wide receivers] coach [Troy] Walters, they were excited and it was a pretty cool feeling.”

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BuffPlayBook.com, meanwhile, has posted a free story about CU defensive line commit Eddy Lopez. The full story can be found here.

Excerpts … Lopez took his official visit to Colorado this past weekend and it’s easy to see why he has opted to be a Buff.

“It was amazing,” Lopez told BuffPlayBook.com. “It’s the best experience I have ever had when it comes to a college campus.”

Lopez really connected to the CU coaching staff, it’s the coaching staffs relationships with its current team members that really impressed the Lone Star native.

“When I met my future teammates and saw exactly how close they are with all of the coaches, that impressed me,” Lopez said. “It’s truly like a very close family, there are great guys on the team and they really love their coaches. They definitely made me feel really welcomed this past weekend.”

… “When we went to the basketball game Saturday, it was amazing on how many fans came up to Coach MacIntyre and everyone told him how proud they were he was CU’s Football Coach, that was impressive,” Lopez said. “I really like him a lot. You can tell he is a great guy, a tremendous coach and will do great things here.”

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January 19th

Weekend at CU mostly for current commits … with one notable exception

Colorado hosted a number of recruits for their official visits this weekend, but most were already known CU verbal commits.

The one player visiting this weekend who is not a Colorado commit is wide receiver Shay Fields, currently a commit to USC.

SHAY FIELDS – WR

Just the facts … Committed to USC on October 24th … Fields is a 5’10”, 170-pound wide receiver from Bellflower, California. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Fields … Fields is considered to be a four-star prospect by Rivals, and a three-star prospect by Scout. Rivals rates Fields as the No. 41 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 35 player out of California this season overall. Scout lists Fields as the No. 74 wide receiver in the nation.

Status … Fields committed to the former coaching staff at USC, but isn’t fully committed to the new staff under former Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian. As a result, Fields is on the road. After visiting Colorado this weekend, Fields plans on visiting Cal next weekend, and then perhaps Texas Christian the final weekend before Signing Day (February 5th).

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Here are the bios of those CU commits who were in Boulder this weekend (more details on each player, including videos, under Recruiting – CU Class of 2014):

TERRAN HASSELBACH – DE

Just the facts … Committed January 10th … Hasselbach is a 6’2″, 230-pound athlete from Regis Jesuit high in Aurora, Colorado. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Hasselbach … Hasselbach is considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a two-star prospect. Rivals rates Hasselbach as the No. 18 player out of the state of Colorado this season.

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HAYDEN JONES – TE / DE

Just the facts … Committed December 12th … Jones is a 6’6″, 235-pound tight end prospect from Sacramento, California. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Jones … Jones is rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Scout previously rated Jones as the No. 98 tight end in the nation, but has since taken him out of its top 100.

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DONOVAN LEE – DB/WR

Just the facts … Committed December 12th … Lee is a 5’8″, 162-pound athlete from West Hills, California. Lee is the Chamiande high school teammate of linebacker Rick Gamboa (see bio, below), who committed to the Buffs back in June. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Lee … Lee is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. The thing is, Rivals has Lee rated as a three-star cornerback, the No. 80 player out of the state of California this season. Scout, meanwhile, has Lee as a three-star wide receiver, the No. 101 wide receiver nationally (Lee will likely be a cornerback / kick returner at Colorado).

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EDDY LOPEZ – DL

Just the facts … Committed August 5th … Lopez is a defensive line prospect from El Paso, Texas. Lopez is 6’3″, 289-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Lopez … Lopez is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, and a two-star prospect by Scout.

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RICK GAMBOA – LB

Just the facts … Committed June 29th … Gamboa is a linebacker prospect from West Hills, California. Gamboa is 6’0″, 217-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Gamboa … Gamboa is considered to be a three-star linebacker by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals rates Gamboa as the No. 97 overall player out of the state of California this season, while Rivals rates Gamboa as the No. 44 middle linebacker in the nation.

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December 13th

Colorado hosting fewer visitors this weekend

The weather will be better for those prospects coming to check out Boulder this weekend (highs in low 50’s), but then again, there is no basketball game against Kansas to attend.

It will likely be quiet on the commitment front as well. The Buffs picked up only one new commitment from last weekend’s 16 visitors, and many on this weekend’s visit list have already made a verbal commitment.

Program note … More info on some of the visitors will be posted on Saturday … but if you are looking for marquee names from the batch of new prospects listed, think again … only two of the new names which are listed below have been rated by Rivals. One, Lee Walker, originally signed with Arizona last February, but failed to qualify academically. The other rated player? That would be the coaches’ son, Jay MacIntyre, whose only other scholarship offer is from the Montana Grizzlies.

As a reminder … Bios for all of the current CU verbal commits, including the two new commits from Thursday, CB/WR/RB/KR Donovan Lee and TE/DE Hayden Jones, can be located here.

Visitors for the weekend of December 13th – 15th …

LEE WALKER – ATH

Just the facts … Walker is a 6’0″, 160-pound athlete from San Diego. Walker signed a Letter of Intent with Arizona last February, but did not qualify academically. Walker is now qualified. Rivals bio Scout bio

Walker has other offers from … As noted, Walker signed with Arizona last February. As a member of the Class of 2013, his only other offer besides that from Arizona was from UTEP.

You Tube highlights from Walker’s (2012) senior season:

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JAY MACINTYRE – ATH

Just the facts … MacIntyre is 5’10”, 178-pound athlete from Monarch high in Louisville … and is the coach’s son. Rivals bio Scout bio

MacIntyre has other offers from … Montana. MacIntyre has interest from, and interest in, any number of schools, but only one other offer in football (he may decide to play basketball in college). MacIntyre is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, and is considered to be the No. 10 prospect out of the state of Colorado this season.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights from MacIntyre’s senior season

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JOHN TURNER – OT

Just the facts … Turner is 6’4″, 270-pound offensive line prospect from Los Angeles. Rivals bio Scout bio

Turner has other offers from … Washington. Turner took an unofficial visit to Seattle, but that was before head coach Steve Sarkisian bolted for USC.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights of Turner’s senior season

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JAMARKESE WILLIAMS – ATH

Just the facts … Williams is a 6’3″, 175-pound athlete from Temple, Texas. Rivals bio Scout bio (not in database)

Williams has other offers from … no one – and that includes Colorado at this point. The only other team looking at Williams is Texas State.

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JOSH KAISER – OT

Just the facts … Kaiser is a 6’5″, 265-pound offensive line prospect from Mission Viejo, California. Rivals bio Scout bio (not in database)

Kaiser has other offers from … no one – and that includes Colorado at this point.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights from Kaiser’s senior season

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MICHAEL MATHEWES – DE

Just the facts … Mathewes is a 6’5″, 235-pound defensive line prospect from Mission Viejo, California. Rivals bio Scout bio (not in database)

Mathewes has other offers from … Army. Mathewes has interest in other Pac-12 schools, including Washington and Stanford, but right now his only scholarship offers are from Colorado and Army.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights from Mathewes’ senior season.

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RAHSHEAD JOHNSON – WR

Status … Not coming … Uncommitted. Was a Washington commit until head coach Steve Sarkisian left the Huskies to coach the USC Trojans. Decided to sit home waiting for the phone to ring rather than come to Boulder …

Just the facts … Johnson is a 5’11”, 175-pound wide receiver prospect from Long Beach, California. Johnson reportedly runs a 4.5 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Johnson … Johnson is considered to be a four-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals rates Johnson as the No. 21 wide receiver prospect in the nation, the No. 13 player overall out of the state of California this season, and the No. 141 overall player in the nation. Scout lists Johnson as the No. 23 wide receiver nationally.

Johnson has other offers from … Just about everybody. Both Washington schools have offered, as have both Arizona schools, along with Oregon State and Utah from the Pac-12. Other schools who have offered include Nebraska, Syracuse, and Wisconsin. Notably, however, there are no offers – at least not yet – from UCLA or USC. Johnson wanted to play for Sarkisian at Washington, and, if USC offers, Johnson will likely become a Trojan. In the meantime, Washington State and passing guru Mike Leach remains Johnson’s first choice, with the wideout expected to take an official visit to Nebraska in January.

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GLEN IHENACHO – DB

Status … Committed … but to Oregon. Ihenacho was scheduled to visit last weekend, but postponed after his high school team, Sierra, was upset in the state playoffs by Chaminade, 38-35. Sierra had defeated Chaminade (yes, the same Chaminade which is the home of two CU commits, linebacker Rick Gamboa and cornerback Donovan Lee) by 36 points earlier in the season.

Just the facts … Ihenacho is a 5’11”, 180-pound defensive back from Gardena, California. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others have to say about Ihenacho … Ihenacho is rated as a three-star defensive back by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals has Ihenacho as the No. 55 safety in the country, and the No. 82 player overall out of the state of California this cycle. Scout has Ihenacho rated as the No. 33 safety in the country.

Ihenacho has other offers from … you name it. He took an official visit to Oregon in November, and committed to the Ducks that weekend. Ihenacho, if for some reason he sours on playing in Eugene, has offers from both Arizona schools, both Washington schools, UCLA, Utah, Cal, and Oregon State from the Pac-12. While he has ten Pac-12 offers, the one he is waiting on is USC. Ihenacho was cool on Lane Kiffin, but has renewed interest in the Trojans since former Washington coach Steve Sarkisian moved to Los Angeles. Look for Ihenacho to either stay with the Ducks, or switch his commitment to USC.

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CADE APSAY – QB

Status … A solid verbal to Colorado. Apsay has no other official visits planned.

Just the facts … Committed June 18th … Apsay is a quarterback prospect from Canyon Country, California. Apsay is 6’2″, 176-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Apsay … Apsay is considered to be a three-star quarterback by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals rates Apsay as the No. 75 player out of the state of California this season, and the No. 25 pro-style quarterback nationally. Scout has Apsay listed as the No. 66 quarterback nationally. MaxPreps.com rates Apsay as the No. 52 player out of California this cycle, and the No. 432 player nationally.

This past season, for the 8-3 Canyon Cowboys, Apsay threw for 3,103 yards, with 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He completed 207 of his 321 passes, a .645 completion percentage. Apsay also ran the ball 110 times for 413 yards and four more touchdowns.

As a junior, Apsay threw for 3,333 yards, with 39 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions on 206-of-346 passing. He also ran for 341 yards and 15 touchdowns. In being voted as the Foothills Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Apsay set a number of school records, including: Passing Yards Single-Game Record = 415 yards; Passing TD Single-Game Record = 5; Passing TD Single-Season = 39; Passing Completions Single-Season = 206; Passing Yards Single-Season = 3,333; and Passing Yards per Game Single-Season = 277.

Apsay had other offers from … Arizona, New Mexico, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington. Apsay did have interest from a number of other schools, including Oregon State, UCLA, Boise State and San Diego State.

In his own words … “There are reasons I swayed toward them: the coaches, the school itself, the education I would get, when I went to visit I really loved what I saw from the campus,” Apsay told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal when he committed in June. “I really believe coach MacIntyre and his staff can turn it around there. I’m really confident when I come I can make my mark on that turnaround … They really showed me who they are as coaches and people, especially coach Bernardi. He was straight up with me. We hit it off well.”

Is Apsay re-thinking his commitment, with CU starting a true freshman this fall? Not in the least. “I’m not concerned about that,” Apsay told BuffPlayBook.com in November. “If anything, it shows me that this coaching staff will play the best player on the team and not play someone who is a junior or senior. Sefo is a good quarterback, the competition next summer and fall camp will be great. I’m a competitor, and I’m not afraid of coming in and fighting for the job next fall. Whoever is the best quarterback will play.”

Apsay is apparently very excited about his future with Colorado. “I’m so excited it’s hard for me to explain and put into words,” Apsay said. “We got the chance to tailgate a little on Saturday (Apsay attended the CU game at UCLA on November 2nd), I couldn’t believe how many Colorado fans that were there. Everyone is so nice. Colorado is such an incredible and beautiful place, I know it’s where I belong”.

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JAISEN SANCHEZ – DB

Status … A solid verbal to Colorado. Sanchez has no other official visits planned.

Just the facts … Committed November 18th … Sanchez is a defensive back prospect from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Sanchez is 6’1″, 185-pounds.  Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Sanchez … Sanchez is considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a two-star prospect. Sanchez recorded 35 tackles, 14 pass break ups and three interceptions this season. He won league in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.6-seconds as a junior, and also clocked in at 11.41-seconds in the 100-meter dash during track season last spring.

Sanchez had other offers from … only Hawai’i amongst FBS schools, although UCLA, Oklahoma, Boise State and BYU also reportedly had shown interest. His only other reported offers were from Weber State, Portland State, and Southern Utah, all members of the Big Sky Conference.

In his own words … “I couldn’t picture myself playing anywhere else,” Sanchez told BuffPlaybook.com upon his commitment. “I really like what Coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff are doing at Colorado.”

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December 6th

Colorado hosting as many as 16 visitors this weekend

It’s going to be a busy couple of weekends for the Colorado coaching staff, as they try and win over recruits prior to the Christmas dead period. The “dead period”, a period when coaches cannot have contact with prospects, has been enlarged compared to previous years (this year it runs from December 16th to January 15th). This being the case, the next two weekends will be huge for Colorado … and other schools nationwide.

As many as 16 official and unofficial visitors are expected in Boulder this weekend. Some have already committed to Colorado, some have committed to other schools.

The weather will not be an ally for the Buffs this weekend, as below freezing temperatures and snow are in the forecast. Arguably, weather shouldn’t be a deciding factor for a recruit, but when you are competing with southern California and Arizona schools for 17- and 18-year olds, you can be sure that the potential of cold weather will be used against Colorado by other schools.

Still, with new facilities to show off – at least on paper – the CU coaching staff will be hard at work trying to sell a vision of a championship program in Boulder.

We should know by Sunday if any prospects have made a decision to become a Buff.

Program note … With so many visitors coming to Boulder, it will take some time to get all them posted. I wanted to get “Stoppin’ By for a Visit” up on the website, though, so bear with me. New names will be added throughout the day …

As a reminder … bios for all of the current CU verbal commits can be located here.

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Visitors for the weekend of December 6th – 8th …

ISAIAH HOLLAND – OT

Status … Uncommitted. Holland is the son of Darius Holland, a defensive tackle for the Buffs from 1991-94.

Just the facts … Isaiah Holland is a 6’4″, 300-pound offensive tackle from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others have to say about Holland … Holland is rated as a three-star offensive tackle prospect by Scout, but only a two-star prospect by Rivals. Scout has Holland rated as the No. 89 offensive tackle in the nation.

Holland has other offers from … at least three other Pac-12 schools: Oregon State; Arizona State; and Washington State, as well as other schools like Army, San Diego State, and Wyoming. WazzuWatch.com reported this week that Holland is planning a trip to Pullman.

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BOBBY KEENAN – OT (Junior college)

Status … Uncommitted. A junior college transfer, Keenan’s decision will likely come down to Colorado and Cal … and both of Keenan’s parents went to Cal.

Just the facts … Bobby Keenan is a 6’6″, 275-pound offensive tackle who played this season for American River Community College. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others have to say about Keenan … Keenan is considered a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout.

Keenan has other offers from … Cal and Oregon State from the Pac-12, as well as from Colorado State, San Diego State, and Weber State.

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GLEN IHENACHO – DB

Status … Committed … but to Oregon. Buff fans need not get their hopes up too high on this one …

Just the facts … Ihenacho is a 5’11”, 180-pound defensive back from Gardena, California. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others have to say about Ihenacho … Ihenacho is rated as a three-star defensive back by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals has Ihenacho as the No. 55 safety in the country, and the No. 82 player overall out of the state of California this cycle. Scout has Ihenacho rated as the No. 33 safety in the country.

Ihenacho has other offers from … you name it. He took an official visit to Oregon in November, and committed to the Ducks that weekend. Ihenacho, if for some reason he sours on playing in Eugene, has offers from both Arizona schools, both Washington schools, UCLA, Utah, Cal, and Oregon State from the Pac-12. While he has ten Pac-12 offers, the one he is waiting on is USC. Ihenacho was cool on Lane Kiffin, but has renewed interest in the Trojans since former Washington coach Steve Sarkisian moved to Los Angeles. Look for Ihenacho to either stay with the Ducks, or switch his commitment to USC.

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TREVOR KELLY – DT (Junior college)

Status … Uncommitted. A junior college transfer, Kelly will be looking to make a decision in the next few weeks. Kelly is one of four College of San Mateo junior college players being courted by Colorado (and may be the most coveted of the group).

Just the facts … Kelly is 6’2″, 305-pound prospect from the College of San Mateo … who can run a reported 4.4 in the 40. Kelly will graduate in December, and have three years to play two following the 2013 football season. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others have to say about Kelly … Kelly is rated as a three-star defensive tackle by Scout, but is unrated by Rivals. Kelly was named first-team all-conference this fall, and had 44 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked kick this past season. “Trevor just blew up this year,” San Mateo defensive coordinator Tim Tulloch told JCFootball.com. “Everyone is after him now. He had a great season for us. He’s strong and super-quick”.

Kelly has other offers from … numerous schools, including Florida, Illinois, California, and Fresno State. Kelly took an official visit to Illinois last weekend, and will be taking an official visit to Cal next weekend.

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DESHANE HINES – DB (Junior college)

Status … Uncommitted.  A junior college transfer, Hines will be looking to make a decision in the next few weeks. Hines is one of four College of San Mateo junior college players being courted by Colorado.

Just the facts … Hines is a 5’11”, 180-pound prospect from the College of San Mateo. Hines will graduate in December with three years to play two following the 2013 football season. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others have to say about Hines … Hines is rated as a two-star cornerback by Scout, but is unrated by Rivals. Hines notched 47 tackles and four interceptions to go along with seven passes defensed in 2013. Hines earned first-team all-conference honors this fall.

Hines has other offers from … San Jose State. Amongst Pac-12 schools, however, Hines has generated interest from both Arizona schools, Washington State, and Utah.

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KALEB HILL – LB

Status … Uncommitted. Not as highly rated as his brother, Kolin (see below), Kaleb doesn’t have as many offers. But, the brothers have stated that they want to play together, so Kaleb’s offer sheet is probably the most important to track.

Just the facts … Kaleb Hill is a 6’2″, 208-pound linebacker prospect from Clemens, Texas. He runs a reported 4.6 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio 

What others have to say about Hill … Hill is considered by Rivals to be a three-star prospect, but is unrated by Scout.

Hill has other offers from … most notably, Boise State. Hill has other offers from other schools like Nevada, Texas-San Antonio, and McNeese State, but Boise State was the highest rated. Scout has the Hill brothers as have official visits to Boise lined up for next weekend, but, with Boise State’s head coach Chris Petersen being hired by Washington, plans might change (for example, Rivals has Kolin Hill taking an official visit to Notre Dame next weekend) …

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KOLIN HILL – LB

Status … Uncommitted. If Texas offers, Hill might jump at the opportunity.

Just the facts … Kolin Hill is a 6’2″, 222-pound linebacker prospect from Clemons, Texas. He runs a reported 4.56 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others have to say about Hill … Hill is considered by Rivals to be a three-star prospect, but is unrated by Scout. Rivals rates Hill as the No. 19 inside linebacker prospect in the nation.

Hill has other offers from … Many other schools, most notably Notre Dame. Boise State and Nevada have also offered, as well as a number of Texas schools (UTEP, UTSA, Texas State amongst them). The University of Texas, though, has Hill’s attention. He went to Austin for an unofficial visit for the Texas Tech game, and came away very impressed, but without an offer … at least not yet.

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AHKELLO WITHERSPOON – DB (Junior College)

Status … Uncommitted. A true wild card. Witherspoon is so far off the radar that little is known about him other than that he had three interceptions in eight games this fall.

Just the facts … Witherspoon is a 6’3″, 180-pound cornerback prospect from Sacramento City Community College. Rivals bio

What others say about Witherspoon … Witherspoon is not rated by Rivals, and does not even show up in the Scout database.

Witherspoon has other offers from … no one of record. Witherspoon was a full qualifier out of high school last year, but garnered no offers, sending him to Sacramento City Community College.

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ELIJAH RODRIGUEZ – OL

Status … A “soft” verbal to Colorado. Rodriguez has not changed his status as a “solid” verbal to Colorado, but he has been talking – and listening – to LSU.

Just the facts … Committed August 23rd … Rodriguez is an offensive line prospect from Houston, Texas. Rodriguez is 6’6″, 280-pounds, and runs a 5.0 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Rodriguez … Rodriguez is considered Rivals to be a two-star prospect, but, after a great senior season, was bumped up to a three-star prospect by Scout.com. Scout rates Rodriguez as the No. 113 offensive tackle in the nation, up from No. 141 when he committed to Colorado. Rodriguez moved to right tackle for his senior season after playing on the left side of the line during his junior campaign. “(Rodriguez) is a pretty good athlete,” Cy-Creek coach Greg McCaig told the Houston Chronicle. “He’s also played on our basketball team for us, so he’s got really good feet. And that’s probably a more natural position for him.”

Rodriguez had offers from … about a dozen other schools,  including Arizona State, Illinois, and Kansas. Rodriguez also had offers from Houston, Fresno State, Nevada, Tulsa, New Mexico and UCF. As noted, though, LSU is still in the picture. Rodriguez took an unofficial visit to LSU for the Texas A&M game in November, and came away impressed … but without an offer.

“Right now, I’m just praying about it and trusting in God to help me make the right decision,” Rodriguez told TigerBait.com after visiting Baton Rouge. “Right now I’m committed to Colorado and I’m sticking with that commitment. It feels right and it’s a good fit, but I’m also considering LSU.

“I would love to go back and take an official if they invite me,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t really get to see that much other than the stadium and the locker room after the game. That would be great to take an official visit there.”

In his own words … In June, Rodriguez attended a camp in Pearland, Texas, which involved CU coaches. Rodriguez came away impressed. “I really enjoyed it out here,” Rodriguez told FoxSportsNext. “I came out here to see the Colorado coaches because they have offered me. I wanted to get to work with the offensive line coach. This was the first time I met the Colorado coaches in person and I got a lot of helpful pointers from the coaches on pass pro. Overall, it was a nice camp.”

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JASE FRANKE – DL

Status … A solid verbal to Colorado … but … Franke is planning on taking official visits to Boise State and Cal. Franke took in the CU game against UCLA in the Rose Bowl earlier this fall.

Just the facts … Committed August 12th … Franke is a defensive line prospect from Ventura, California. Franke is 6’4″, 255- pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Franke … Franke is considered by Scout to be a three-star prospect, and was considered by Rivals to be a three-star prospect last summer, but has since downgraded him to a two-star prospect. Scout has him listed as the No. 102 defensive end in the nation. Last season, his St. Bonaventure team went 11-2, and was ranked as the No. 14 team in the state of California. 247Sports.com gives Franke an 83 rating, with best attributes considered to be strength and “motor”, with weaknesses being athleticism and “hand quickness”. Brandon Huffman, for Scout.com, had this to say about Franke: “Jase has had a terrific spring, looking great at two different camps I saw him at and when I visited his school in the spring, before he had any offers, he was a guy who really caught my eye.  I think his best football is ahead of him, too”.

Franke had other offers from … Arizona, Miami (OH), and San Jose State. Arizona State, UCLA, Virginia, Penn State, Maryland and Boise State were showing interest. For a good part of the summer, it appeared that Arizona was the clear leader for Franke’s services. In fact, after visiting Tucson – and Arizona’s new facilities – in late July it appeared that Franke was going to be a Wildcat. “I might still get out to Colorado next month, just to observe and see what it’s like, but I’m not completely sure,” Franke told WildcatAuthority.com on July 30th. “I would like to be able to compare Arizona to another place, so the visit is a possibility”. Well, Franke did visit during the media day weekend, and committed to Colorado.

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CHRISTIAN SHAVER – DL

Status … Solid verbal to Colorado. Shaver does not have any other official visits planned.

Just the facts … Committed August 28th … Shaver is a defensive line prospect from Sandy, Utah. Shaver is 6’3″, 215-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Shaver … Shaver is considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a two-star prospect.

Shaver had other offers from … Utah and Hawai’i. Arizona State and Utah State were also interested, and reportedly had an offer to make an unofficial visit to USC for their home opener against Washington State on September 7th.

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ISAAC MILLER – OL

Status … Solid verbal to Colorado. Miller does not have any other official visits planned.

Just the facts … Committed May 24th … Miller is an offensive tackle prospect from Longmont, Colorado. Miller is 6’ 7″, 250-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio Hudl video highlights

What others say about Miller … Miller is rated as a three-star offensive lineman by both Scout and Rivals. Miller is rated by Rivals as the No. 8 prospect out of the state of Colorado this year, while Scout has Miller rated as the No. 95 offensive tackle in the nation. Other accolades: All Region First Team bocopreps.com … All State First Team 3A Denver Post … All State First Team 3A CHSCA, Academic All State … Number 15 rated overall junior by ColoradoPrepReport.com.

Miller has a 4.2 GPA, so qualifying should not be an issue. “I’m extremely excited for Isaac for a lot of reasons,” Raptors head coach Mike Apodaca told the Daily Camera. “One, he can concentrate now on his senior year, both academically and athletically. That’s a great thing when you have that out of the way. And I’m excited for Isaac to be close, to be honest.”

Miller had other offers from … Washington State, Wyoming, New Mexico State and Northern Colorado. Miller also took unofficial visits to Michigan State and Purdue this spring. Arizona State was also reportedly interested in Miller’s services. Miller was up in Boulder for Junior Day this spring, and received his first scholarship offer from the Buffs. “Every coach went out of their way to introduce themselves and tell you what they were about,” Miller told ColoradoPrepReport in March. “I appreciated that a lot.”

In his own words … “I’m pretty fired up about being a Buff,” Miller told BuffPlayBook.com. “I called Coach MacIntyre this morning, he was very excited to have me as a member of his football family.”

What did Coach MacIntyre say to Miller when he received the news? “He sounded very excited,” Miller said. “He asked me if both of my feet were in the Colorado boat. He doesn’t rush a commitment, but once you make a pledge he wants to make sure that I’m completely committed to him and his football program. I’m completely committed to being a Buff”.

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EVAN WHITE – DB

Status … Solid verbal to Colorado. White does not have any other official visits planned. He is a cousin of former CU defensive back J.J. Billingsley.

Just the facts … Committed July 7th … White is a defensive back prospect from Aurora (Cherokee Trail) Colorado. White is 6’3″, 190-pounds, and reportedly runs a 4.54 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about White … White is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, but a two-star prospect by Scout. Rivals rates White as the No. 7 prospect from the State of Colorado this season, while Scout has White as the No. 169 safety nationally.

As a junior, White had 88 tackles (46 solo), and seven interceptions. He also had 17 catches at wide receiver for 231 yards and two touchdowns. White was named first team all-league, conference and state. White clocked in at 11.3-seconds in the 100-meter dash, 22.25-seconds in the 200 and helped Cherokee Trail to a state championship in the 4×2-relay during track this spring.

White had other offers from … Colorado State and New Mexico State. Other schools reportedly showing an interest in White included Nebraska, UCLA, Washington, Boise State, Arizona State and Tulsa. Academics has been an issue for White, which may have had an impact on his offers. For his part, though, White does not seem qualification as an issue. “I am retaking classes”, White told ColoradoPrepReport.com in May. “By the end of the semester, they should be better grades”.

In his own words … “I have known for a while this is where I wanted to go,” White said. “It just feels right, I really like the coaches a lot and felt it was the best place for me.”

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DYLAN KEENEY – TE

Status … Solid verbal to Colorado. Keeney does not have any other official visits planned.

Just the facts … Committed July 1st … Keeney is a tight end prospect from Granite Bay, California. Keeney is 6’5″, 215-pounds, and runs a 4.6 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Keeney … Keeney is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Scout has Keeney rated as the No. 42 tight end in the nation, and the No. 9 tight end in the West. NorCalPreps.com had this to say about Keeney, who also plays linebacker: “Long, rangy and more athletic than many realize, Keeney checks in at around 6-foot-5 and a solid 210-pounds with no bad weight. His frame is going to allow him to get significantly better so if he stays on defense his future should be at outside linebacker. Keeney is very comfortable getting out in space and covering backs and tight ends, and that part of his game separates him from some other linebackers at his level. In fact, he almost looks like a safety with his ball skills and willingness to spread out and cover. Just don’t expect him to play in the secondary in college and you will be very impressed with that aspect of his game. His anticipation skills are impressive and he does a good job of even baiting quarterbacks to make throws that shouldn’t happen”.

Keeney had other offers from … A number of western schools, including Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, San Jose State, Sacramento State and Eastern Washington.

In his own words … “I have been thinking about it a lot lately,” Keeney told BuffPlayBook.com  in July. “I really felt comfortable at Colorado and with their coaching staff. They made me feel very much at home.” Keeney was very impressed with the Colorado campus and the surrounding area. “It’s great up there,” Keeney said. “I really like the stadium a lot, the campus is incredible and all the mountains surrounding the campus just adds to its beauty.”

According to Keeney, Colorado is recruiting him to play tight-end, he appears to have made a great relationship with tight-end/running back coach Klayton Adams. “Coach Adams is great,” Keeney said. “You can tell he is a great coach, it was great going to camp with him to see how he coaches. He is very easy to talk to about anything.”

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ZACH BROWN – LB

Status … Solid verbal to Colorado. Has indicated that he won’t be taking any other official visits.

Just the facts … Committed July 1st … Brown is a linebacker prospect from San Diego, California. Brown is 6’2, 235-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Brown … Brown is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Scout has Brown listed as the No. 39 middle linebacker in the nation. This past season, Brown averaged around ten tackles per game for a team which went 2-8. As a junior, Brown registered 68 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and registered five sacks. Like another CU recruit, Rick Gamboa, Brown was rated as one of the top five middle linebackers from the state of California this season. Scout had this to say about Brown: “Brown has an old school feel to his game and is a throwback in a low of ways. He’s very aggressive and plays with an edge. At 6-3, 235 pounds, he’s a load and packs a wallop but can still move. He had a very good showing at the recent SoCal NIKE Camp showing he can play fast and cover a ton of ground. As Brown continues to improve his overall athleticism, he projects as a prototype middle ‘backer in a 4-3 scheme and he should be very productive in college”.

Brown had other offers from … Colorado State, San Diego State, and Army. Other schools showing interest include: Arizona, Cal, Nevada, San Jose State, UCLA and Washington. Brown had originally planned to take other official visits, but has since cancelled them.

In his own words … “Their coaches really seem to know how to coach,” Brown told BuffPlayBook.com. “I camped with them on June 19th at one of their road camps. I was really impressed”.  Brown intends on studying aerospace engineering, which played right into CU’s hand. “It was too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially from an academic standpoint,” Brown said. “Colorado has one of the best aerospace engineering programs in the country, that’s what I plan on studying.”

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SAM BENNION – DL

Status … Solid verbal to Colorado (though after his Mormon mission, Bennion would be allowed to another school)

Just the facts … Committed August 14th … Bennion is a defensive line prospect from Logan, Utah. Bennion is 6’5″, 243-pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Bennion … Bennion is considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a two-star prospect.  Bennion was named honorable mention all-state and earned all-region and all-Valley honors after recording 52 tackles and 10 sacks as a junior.

Bennion had other offers from …  Utah, Weber State, and several Ivy League schools like Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth, so qualifying this commit is likely not going to be an issue. However, Bennion is a name which Buff fans are going to have to put away into their memory banks for a few years. Bennion is going to take a Mormon mission for two years after graduating high school. If this works out, Bennion could come back to Boulder as a strong, mature defensive lineman.

This post, about the Postseason game, from the 2013 Season, is filed under Article.
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