Class of 2018 – Signed LOI

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Colorado Recruiting Class of 2018 – Signed Letters of Intent

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Last one in … Three-star defensive back Hassan Hypolite has sent in his Letter of Intent (see bio, below)

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Quotable Quote: Even as CU coaches were wrapping up this year’s class, they were already looking ahead to next year.

“My dad (the late George MacIntyre) used to say recruiting was like shaving,” MacIntyre said. “If you don’t do it every day, it shows.”

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Mike MacIntyre Signing Day press conference:

From YouTube, courtesy of CUSportsNation.com:

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CU Recruiting Class of 2018 – by position

… Bold – Signed Letter of Intent …

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— Quarterback … Blake Stenstrom

— Running Back … Jarek Broussard … Deion Smith

— Wide Receiver … Daniel Arias … Dylan Thomas … Dimitri Stanley

— Tight end … Darrion Jones (JC)

— Offensive Line … Frank Fillip … Josh Jynes

— Defensive Line … Tava Finau … Israel Antwine … Mustafa Johnson (JC)

— Linebacker … Joshka Gustav … Clyde Moore … Davion Taylor (JC)

— Defensive Back … Delrick Abrams, Jr. (JC) … Aaron Maddox (JC) … Lavon “L.J.” Wallace … Hassan Hypolite … Ray Robinson

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CU Recruiting Class of 2018 – biographies

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Hasaan Hypolite – DB

CUBuffs.com biography of Hassan Hypolite

Just the facts … Committed October 6th … Hypolite is a 6’0″, 205-pound safety from Missouri City, Texas  Rivals bio 247Sports bio

What others say about Hypolite … Hypolite is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At 247Sports, Hypolite is listed as the No. 125 “athlete” in the nation. As a junior, Hypolite earned District 20-6A All-District First Team Defense honors.

2017 stats: 96 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 tackles, 2 fumble rec, 2 TD’s.

“We could be talking about Hypolite as a more high-profile prospect than he is at the moment if he would have embraced his future as a defensive back sooner,” Rivals.com state of Texas recruiting analyst Nick Krueger said. “The first time that I saw him he struck me as a safety playing wide receiver. I thought that his tape last fall looked good in his first full-time go at the position, but he didn’t participate in many events this offseason to try and show off his progress.

“I still think that he is one of the more athletic guys among players of his caliber and has a lot of upside.”

Hypolite had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, though most were from Group of Five conferences. The only other Power Five conference offer was from Texas Tech, though there were offers from Houston, Colorado State, East Carolina, New Mexico, and Southern Miss. Hypolite was also being recruited by schools like LSU and Oklahoma State, but did not have reported offers.

Here is a link to the Hudl.com highlights of Hypolite in action.

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Davion Taylor – LB

CUBuffs.com biography of Davion Taylor

… Junior College transfer … 

Just the facts … Committed to Colorado June 22nd – then de-committed in November … Taylor is a 6’2″, 215-pound linebacker from Magnolia, Mississippi, who was coming to Colorado by way of Coahoma Community College Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Taylor … Taylor is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. Last season, at Coahoma Community College, Taylor had 26 tackles (10 solo) in seven games. Taylor qualified for the NJCAA Championships with a time of 10.63-seconds in the 100-meter dash this spring. Taylor played safety at Magnolia high school, but played linebacker as a freshman, and was projected as an inside linebacker for Colorado.

Taylor had other offers from … only a handful of schools, like Mississippi, Middle Tennessee State and Southern Mississippi.

Here is a link to Taylor’s Hudl.com highlights.

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Aaron Maddox – S

CUBuffs.com biography of Aaron Maddox

… Junior College transfer …

Just the facts … Committed December 11th … Maddox is a 6’2″, 192-pound safety from North Augusta, South Carolina, by way Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others have to say about Maddox … Maddox is a rated as a three-star safety by Rivals, but is unrated by 247 Sports. Maddox was rated as a first-team all-state defensive back his senior year in high school (2016), and a freshman All-American at Pina Community College this fall.

Maddox was a full-qualifier out of high school, so he will be able to transfer as a true sophomore. He will be immediately eligible when he transfers in January, and will have four years to play three.

Maddox had other offers from … numerous Power-Five conference schools (which makes the lack of rating by 247 Sports all the more curious). Arizona State offered Maddox, as did Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, and North Carolina State. Maddox took official visits to Arkansas and North Carolina State before settling on the Buffs.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights

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Mustafa Johnson – DL

CUBuffs.com biography of Mustafa Johnson

… Junior College transfer … 

Just the facts … Committed December 20th … Johnson is a 6’2″, 285-pound defensive lineman from Modesto Community College, Modesto, California Rivals bio  247Sports bio

What others say about Johnson … Johnson is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At 247 Sports, Johnson is rated as the No. 21 junior college defensive tackle, and the No. 16 junior college prospect out of the state of California. Johnson earned first-team all-state and all-conference as a freshman.

A full qualifier, Johnson will have four years to play three at Colorado.

Johnson had other offers from … two other Power-Five conference schools, Kansas and Oregon State.

In his own words … “I can maintain my gap,” told 247 Sports. “I am very technical in accomplishing my job. I am also very explosive.”

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Joshka Gustav – LB

CUBuffs.com biography of Joshka Gustav

Just the facts … Committed March 24th … Gustav is a 6’3″, 220-pound outside linebacker/defensive end from San Bernardino, California  Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Gustav … Gustav is rated as a three-star strongside defensive end by both Rivals and 247Sports. Rivals had Gustav as the No. 84 overall player out of California from the Class of 2018 last spring, but he dropped out after the season. 247 Sports, meanwhile, has Gustav rated as the No. 83 outside linebacker in the nation, and the No. 130 overall player from California.

This past season, Gustav played outside linebacker (53 tackles, 34 solo, seven sacks), tight end (30 catches for 687 yards and 11 touchdowns), and interestingly enough, punt returner. At 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, Gustav isn’t your typical punt returner. He does have a punt return touchdown this season.

“Our team struggled with catching the ball as a punt returner, so they put me back there to fair catch it, but one time, I saw a lane and took off,” Gustav said. “But I’m pretty much back there to catch the ball for field position.”

As a junior Gustav had 78 tackles, four sacks and interceptions. On offense as a tight end, he caught 50 passes for 978 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Rivals analyst Adam Gorney on Gustav … “I saw Gustav at the Los Angeles Under Armour Camp and liked him a lot. I honestly don’t know which position is best for him, but I do know he’s a tremendous athlete with great size and a great frame. I can definitely buy him as an athletic outside linebacker who can play in space with the possibility of him bulking up even more and being more of a hybrid defensive end as well.

“I know a coach at his school really well and they rave about the kid, his mentality, work ethic and his athleticism, which I saw on display at the UA camp.”

Gustav had other offers from … Oregon State and UNLV, with interest from other schools, including Notre Dame, Washington, Nevada and Fresno State.

Here is a link to the Hudl.com highlights from Gustav’s junior year.

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Tava Finau – DE

CUBuffs.com biography of Tava Finau

Just the facts … Committed September 19th … Finau is a 6’4″, 255-pound defensive end from Sacramento, California  Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Finau … Finau is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports. Rivals has Finau as the No. 98 overall player out of the state of California. 247Sports has Finau rated as the No. 70 weakside defensive end in the nation, and the No. 127 player overall out of the state of California.

2017 stats: 43 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

Analysis from Rivals: “Finau is a versatile defensive lineman who has the ability to play outside but also the power and toughness to line up as a defensive tackle and be a difference-maker there. Either way, the Colorado commit can be a contributor along the defensive front. What I like most about Finau is his aggressiveness and his relentlessness to beat offensive linemen and cause havoc in the backfield”.

Finau had other offers from … multiple schools, including Washington State from the Pac-12 (Finau took an official visit to Washington State on November 17th, two months after committing to Colorado). Other schools who reportedly offered Finau included a good chunk of the Mountain West Conference: Boise State; San Diego State; Nevada; Hawai’i; Utah State; and Fresno State.

Here is a link to Finau’s Hudl.com highlights.

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Clyde Moore – LB

CUBuffs.com biography of Clyde Moore

Just the facts … Committed June 17th … Moore is a 6’2″, 225-pound linebacker from Newport Beach, California  Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Moore … Moore is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. At 247 Sports, Moore is rated as the No. 49 inside linebacker in the country, and the No. 111 overall player out of the state of California.

2017 statistics: 23 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 pass break ups (Moore had a season-ending injury just three games into his senior year. His recovery is reportedly going well).

2016 statistics: 67 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble

“Clyde is built with the fierce, violent and mental processing capability to excel in the run game,” Dan O’Shea, his coach at Corona Del Mar High School told BuffStampede.com last summer. “He just plays at a physical level beyond his peers. It is kind of ridiculous to be honest with you.”

Moore had other offers from … at least a half dozen other schools, including Arizona State from the Pac-12. Moore also had offers from schools like Boise State, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Utah State and San Jose State.

Here is a link to Moore’s highlights from Hudl.com.

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Dylan Thomas – WR

CUBuffs biography of Dylan Thomas

Just the facts … Committed July 23rd … Thomas is a 6’3″, 180-pound wide receiver from Santa Fe Springs, California Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Thomas … Thomas is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. Thomas is ranked as the No. 77 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals, and the No. 59 player overall out of the state of California.  At 247 Sports, Thomas comes in as the No. 106 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 69 player out of California.

2017 statistics: 25 receptions, 275 yards, 5 touchdowns

Analysis from Rivals Adam Gorney: “Thomas has all the attributes that makes me think he can be a special receiver in the Pac-12. He has length, speed off the line, and he’s great at beating defensive backs for 50/50 balls. I love his burst in the open field, and he’s surprisingly difficult to tackle in the secondary. I saw him a bunch this spring as well, and he has very good hands and can make difficult catches. My only concern is level of competition. He doesn’t play elite teams in southern California, so I wonder if he’d be as dominant in those settings, but still, he has a lot of qualities that make him one of the better receivers in the West.”

Evaluation by 247Sports … Thomas has good size and body control and makes plays down the field. He looks all of 6-2 and is very smooth with the ability to run past a defense and he’s strong after the catch as well. He shows good hands and concentration and has the ability to line up in the slot or out wide. He’s an advanced route runner, knows how to get open and has all the tools to be a very good player in college. 

Thomas had other offers from … over two dozen schools. From the Pac-12, Thomas had offers from Arizona State, Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, Utah, and Washington State.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

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Lavon “L.J.” Wallace – DB

CUBuffs.com biography of L.J. Wallace

Just the facts … Committed July 29th … Wallace is a 6’2″, 187-pound defensive back from Atwater, California  Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Wallace … Wallace is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. 247 Sports rates Wallace as the No. 107 safety prospect in the nation, and the No. 135 overall player out of California this year. Wallace, who is expected to play cornerback at Colorado, has played many positions in high school.

A two-way starter for Buhach Colony, Wallace accounted for 557 all-purpose yards and 41 tackles during his senior campaign. The Thunder went 7-3 in the regular season before losing to Del Campo in the first-round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs.

2017 statistics: 10 rushes, 91 yards, TD … 15 receptions, 231 yards, 3 touchdowns … 41 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection

2016 statistics: 4 rushes, 34 yards … 10 receptions, 124 yards, 2 touchdowns … 37 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, fumble recovery touchdown, punt return touchdown

Wallace had other offers from … a number of western schools, including Cal and Oregon from the Pac-12. A number of Mountain West schools, including Nevada, Fresno State, Utah State, Wyoming and Fresno State also offered.

In his own words … “I didn’t really get the ball thrown my way as much as I thought I was going to. I didn’t really get tested, so it was kind of disappointing. But it was also kind of a compliment at the same time”, Wallace told 247Sports.com.

The 6-foot-2.5, 195-pound Wallace is classified as a safety prospect but he hopes to play cornerback for the Buffaloes. “I kind of want to be a true cornerback,” he said. “Colorado might move me to safety, or just move me around the field to see where I fit in, but I believe I’ll be going in as a corner.”

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights.

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Daniel Arias – WR

CUBuffs.com biography of Daniel Arias

Just the facts … Committed July 3rd … Arias is a 6’4″, 190-pound wide receiver from Mill Creek, Washington  Rivals bio 247 Sports

What others say about Arias … Arias is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. Rivals rates Arias as the No. 4 player out of Washington, and the No. 96 wide receiver in the nation. At 247 Sports, Arias is considered to be the No. 115 wide receiver in the country, and No. 7 player out of Washington state.

2017 Statistics … Arias hauled in roughly 60 passes for 900 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, earning him first-team all-league and all-area honors. He was also a second-team all-league selection as a defensive back.

2016 Statistics … Arias caught 49 passes for 1,030 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. Arias further showcased his speed while qualifying for three events at this spring’s Class 4A state track and field meet, placing second in the 400 meters and also reaching state in the 100 and 200 meters.

“When you’re a high school coach you don’t get kids like Daniel very often. He’s tall, he’s long, he’s fast, explosive vertical jumps,” said Joel Vincent, Arias’ high school coach. “He eats up ground on defensive backs. Before they know it he’s on top of them. It’s just fun, he’s a fun kid to coach.”

Arias has been a part of the Jackson program for four years, lacing up for the varsity squad since his sophomore season. While the physical tools have always been present, Vincent has seen Arias develop in the mental side of the game.

“Playing wide receiver is almost an art form. He’s become an excellent route runner. I wouldn’t say he was an excellent route runner as a 10th-grader,” Vincent continued. “He’s learned the art of route running. He’s learned to site read and know what kinds of coverages he’s seeing and where those vulnerable places and holes are in those kinds of coverage.”

Arias had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, including Power Five conference schools Utah, Oregon State and Michigan State (though not from in-state Pac-12 schools Washington State and Washington). Multiple Mountain West schools, including Boise State, Colorado State and Air Force had extended offers, as well as a number of Ivy League schools (so qualifying academically is apparently not an issue). Before committing to Colorado, Arias had his final six as being Colorado, Boise State, UConn, San Diego State, Oregon State and Utah.

In his own words … “I want a coach that’s going to believe in me the way the coaches at (Jackson) have believed in me ever since I was a freshman,” Arias told the Everett (Washington) Herald. “I saw that in (coach Darrin Chiaverini).

“The players were just treating me like I was already on the team, and I really liked that. I already felt like I was part of a family … and that’s what stood out to me.”

Here is a link to the Hudl.com highlights of Arias in action

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Darrion Jones – TE

CUBuffs.com biography of Darrion Jones

… Junior College transfer …

Just the facts … Committed December 11th … Jones is a 6’6″, 250-pound tight end from Wilmington, California, by way of Los Angeles Harbor Community College  Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Jones … Jones is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals. This past fall, his sophomore year at Los Angeles Harbor Community College, Jones (in eight games) had 41 receptions for 795 yards and five touchdowns.

Jones had other offers from … a few other schools, including North Carolina State, Kansas, San Diego State, UNLV, and Hawai’i.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

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Delrick Abrams, Jr. – CB

CUBuffs.com biography of Delrick Abrams, Jr.

… Junior College transfer … 

Just the facts … Committed July 14th … Abrams is a 6’3″, 180-pound cornerback coming to Colorado from Independence Community College in Kansas. Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Abrams … Abrams is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. At 247 Sports, Abrams is rated as the No.9  junior college cornerback in the nation, and the No. 73 junior college prospect overall.

2017 statistics: 28 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 4 break ups

2016 statistics: 30 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions

Abrams will graduate in December and he will have three years to play two following the 2017 football season.

Analysis from Rivals analyst Rob Cassidy:  “He’s a guy that you can move around the secondary and put in the nickel position, if need be. I think Colorado will like him. I think he’s a guy that can plug some holes right away, but I don’t think he’ll come in and be the star of your secondary. I don’t think the Buffs need that. I think they need a complementary piece, and they’re getting that in Abrams. They’re going to like him a lot in Boulder.”

Abrams had other offers from … an impressive list of Power Five conference schools, including UCLA, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

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Dimitri Stanley – WR

CUBuffs.com biography of Dimitri Stanley

Just the facts … Committed July 15th … Stanley is a 6’0″, 175-pound athlete from Cherry Creek high school in Denver Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Stanley … Stanley is considered to be a three-star wide receiver by Rivals and 247 Sports, but was bumped up to a four-star prospect after the season at 247 Sports. Rivals has Stanley as the No. 3 prospect out of the state of Colorado, while 247 Sports has Stanley as the No. 3 player in Colorado, and the No. 35 “athlete” in the nation.

2017 statistics: 81 receptions, 1192 yards, 20 touchdowns

2016 statistics: 65 receptions, 970 yards, 13 touchdowns … 8 rushes, 87 yards, 2 touchdowns

Stanley is the son of former Buff Walter Stanley, who was drafted into the NFL in 1985, and played for five different teams over a seven year career. Stanley set a school record (not broken until Nelson Spruce came along) with 222 receiving yards (on only five catches), as the Buffs took down Texas Tech, 45-27, in the 1981 season opener.

Analysis from Rivals Adam Gorney: “Stanley is a really well-rounded wide receiver, who has a lot of speed to stretch the field. He has the physical ability to fight for the ball and win a lot of those 50/50 matchups. He’s especially potent on back-shoulder throws because defensive backs have to give the benefit of the doubt and not let him beat them deep. He’s excellent catching the ball in a crowd, making the tough grab when a cornerback is draped all over him, and then in open space, he gets to top-end speed quickly.”

Stanley had other offers from … over a dozen schools, including Pac-12 members Arizona State, California and Utah. Other Power-Five conference offers came from schools like Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville and Nebraska. Before announcing his decision on Denver local television, Stanley had narrowed his choice down to CU, CSU, Arizona State, Cal and Nebraska.

Here is a link to Stanley’s senior Hudl.com highlights.

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Blake Stenstrom – QB

CUBuffs.com biography of Blake Stenstrom

Just the facts … Committed December 17th … Stenstrom is a 6’3″, 202-pound quarterback from Valor Christian high in Highlands Ranch, Colorado  Rivals bio 247Sports bio

What others say about Stenstrom … Stenstrom is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. Rivals has Stenstrom as the No. 4 player out of Colorado from the Class of 2018, and the No. 26 pro-style quarterback in the nation. At 247Sports, Stenstrom is listed as the No. 4 overall player in Colorado, the No. 30 pro quarterback prospect in the nation, and the No. 762 overall prospect in the country.

2017 statistics: 75-of-121, 832 yards, 6 touchdowns, 5 INT … 53 carries, 327 yards, three touchdowns

Stenstrom accounted for 1,159 yards of offense and nine touchdowns this past fall. He was one of 25 quarterbacks nationally invited to the Elite 11 Finals last summer and he has been selected to play in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Jacksonville in mid-January.

2016 statistics: 49-of-74, 500 yards, 7 touchdowns

Blake is the son of Steve Stenstrom, who had a record setting collegiate career at Stanford and played in the NFL for seven seasons, including four year stint with the Chicago Bears.

Stenstrom had other offers from … no stated teams. Washington, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Duke, Purdue, Stanford and Nebraska were some of the other programs that showed early interest in him, but Stenstrom was a very early commit for Colorado (December 17th last year), and shut down his recruitment.

In his own words … Despite not being a full-time starter at the high school level, Stenstrom believes he will arrive in Boulder well-prepared.

“I was working with (former NFL quarterback and current quarterback trainer) Jordan Palmer the other weekend in Orange County and we were going over the top five Pac-12 defenses: what everybody’s responsibility was, how to recognize the coverage, what type of tweaks they might add to try to confuse you,” Stenstrom told 247 Sports. “And once I sign with Colorado, I can get the playbook and get my workouts from the strength coach. I am going to keep studying and working hard so I am ready to go play college football.”

Here is a link to Stenstrom’s Hudl.com highlights.

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Ray Robinson – DB

CUBuffs.com biography of Ray Robinson

Just the facts … Committed October 23rd … Robinson is a 6’2″, 205-pound defensive back from Highlands Ranch, Colorado Rivals bio Scout bio 247Sports bio

What others have to say about Robinson … Robinson is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports. Rivals has Robinson as the No. 2 prospect out of the state of Colorado. At 247Sports, Robinson is rated as the No. 3 prospect out of the state of Colorado, the No. 59 safety in the country.

According to MaxPreps, Robinson, through the first seven games of 2016 (his junior season), has 39 tackles (24 solo) on defense. As a running back, Robinson has five carries for 38 yards, as well as 20 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns.

Robinson had other offers from … Air Force, Brown and Colorado State, with reported interest from Northwestern, Oregon State and Washington.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights of Robinson in action.

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Israel Antwine – DL

CUBuffs.com biography of Israel Antwine

Just the facts … Committed December 20th … Antwine is a 6’3″, 286-pound defensive lineman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Rivals bio  247Sports bio

What others say about Antwine … Antwine is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. Rivals considers Antwine to be the No. 52 defensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 12 overall player out of the state of Oklahoma, while 247 Sports has Antwine as the No. 55 defensive tackle in the country, and the No. 14 overall player out of Oklahoma.

Antwine had other offers from … numerous Power-Five conference schools. An Oklahoma State commit since October, Antwine had offers from most of the Big 12 conference schools, including Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU and Iowa State. He also had offers from Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi (Antwine was an Ole Miss commit last summer, before switching to Oklahoma State in October).

In his own words … “I was just thinking about what’s best for me and what’s the best decision for my future,” Antwine told the Oklahoman. “I saw a chance to play early as a freshman and to spend more time at defensive end which is my favorite position.”

Antwine’s father, Dwayne, said they understood turning from Oklahoma State wouldn’t be the popular decision but one he felt was best for his son’s future.

“Based on his interests and goals we felt like the University of Colorado would be the best for him,” Antwine said. “We have a lot of family that are associated with Oklahoma State so it was a very difficult decision.”

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Joshua Jynes – OL

CUBuffs.com bio of Joshua Jynes

Just the facts … Committed April 18th … Jynes is a 6’3″, 310-pound offensive lineman from DeSoto high school in Texas  Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Jynes … Jynes is rated as a three-star offensive guard by Rivals and 247Sports.  247Sports has Jynes listed as the No. 32 offensive center in the nation, and the No. 249 player overall out of the state of Texas.

Rivals.com Texas analyst Nick Krueger on Jynes: “When Jynes is at his best, he’s getting in front of guys to get a solid push-and-seal block. He’s not the biggest or quickest player, but he’s a sturdy guy on the inside that will get things moving the right way across the line of scrimmage. DeSoto interior offensive lineman have a reputation as road-graders for the rushing attack, and Jynes is going to be a big part of that tradition this year. He saw a lot of time at center last season, so he’s capable of playing there, but I think right now he’s stronger as a guard where he doesn’t have to worry about snapping. Either way, he’s a stout player that should help get those tough yards on the ground.” 

247 Sports evaluation: Jynes is one of those offensive lineman who just gets the job done play in and play out. He controls the line of scrimmage, is not easy to move, and uses his hands well. Playing center, he matched up well with some of the more talented interior defensive linemen in one of the state of Texas’ top districts and on a playoff run that pitted him against high-level D1 caliber opponents. He is not a flashy player, but that is what you can come to love about his game, he plays consistent or even-keeled and does not make a lot of mistakes. Dependable. Smart.

Jynes had other offers from … only a handful of schools, with West Virginia and Rice being the most prominent. Other offers were from schools like Texas-San Antonio and Jackson State. The commitment from Jynes does continue the pipeline from talent-rich DeSoto high in Texas, the same school which gave CU wide receivers K.D. Nixon and Laviska Shenault from the Class of 2017.

In his own words … “After praying about it and talking with my parents and my coaches I have decided to commit to the University of Colorado,” Jynes announced on Twitter.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights from his junior season.

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Jarek Broussard – RB

CUBuffs.com biography of Jarek Broussard

Just the facts … Committed June 23rd … Broussard is a 5’9″, 165-pound all-purpose back from Bishop high school in Dallas, Texas Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Broussard … Broussard is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. At 247 Sports, Broussard is listed as an athlete, and the No. 82 in the nation at that. He is also rated as the No. 153 overall player out of Texas this year.

Broussard played all over the field for Bishop Lynch H.S. and totaled 2,478 total yards and 23 touchdowns his junior season alone. He has played as outside receiver, in the slot, in the backfield as a running back, and racked up many yards in the return game.

2017 statistics: While helping Bishop Lynch to 12 wins this past season, Broussard rushed for 761 yards, had 379 yards receiving, 282 yards returning punts and 192 yards returning kicks … an average of 13.9 yards per touch.

2016 statistics: 77 rushes, 842 yards, 13 touchdowns … 44 receptions, 830 yards, 9 touchdowns … 1 kickoff return touchdown.

From Rivals recruiting analyst Nick Krueger: “Broussard is not a very big guy, but he’s as elusive a player as you’ll find with the ball in his hands. My favorite memory of him – and video clip I often use of him in tweets – was during last season’s state championship win over Bishop Dunne, and he cut a jet sweep back across the grain with Damion Daniels and Calvin Avery both bearing down on him. He simply cut and took off right between them without a second thought. That vision and quickness is going to make him a slippery offensive weapon wherever he lines up.”

Broussard had other offers from … a number of schools, including TCU, Houston, and Illinois. Other offers came from schools like Colorado State, Arkansas State and New Mexico State.

In his own words … “I’ll be all over the field: Running back, slot (receiver), special teams,” he said. “Lil’ Broussard will be everywhere.”

Here is a link to Broussard’s Hudl.com highlights

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Frank Fillip – OL

CUBuffs.com biography of Frank Fillip

Just the facts … Committed June 9th … Fillip is 6’7″, 275-pound offensive lineman from Clear Lake high school in Houston, Texas Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Fillip … Filip is rated as a three-star offensive tackle by Rivals and 247 Sports, and was a second-team all-district performer as a junior. After three straight losing seasons, the Falcons went 8-4 this year, qualifying for the state playoffs.

According to 247 Sports, Fillip is the No. 131 offensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 220 overall player out of the state of Texas.  When Fillip committed, offensive line coach Klayton Adams posted on Twitter, “The Buffs just got Bigger, Stronger and more PHYSICAL,” with the addition of Fillip.

Fillip had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, including Baylor, Houston, and Oregon State. Academics will not be an issue for Fillip, who also carried offers from Harvard and Yale. Filip was thought to be likely to stay in the state of Texas with his commitment, but changed his mind after taking an unofficial visit to Boulder June 7th.

Here is a link to Fillip’s senior year highlights from Hudl.com.

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Deion Smith – RB

CUBuffs.com biography of Deion Smith

Just the facts … Committed June 24th … Smith is a 6’0″, 180-pound running back from Second Baptist high school in Houston, Texas Rivals bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Smith … Smith is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. Rivals lists Smith as the No. 19 all-purpose back in the country, Meanwhile, at 247 Sports, Smith is listed as the No. 42 running back in the country, and the No.112 overall player out of the state of Texas.

2017 statistics: 81 rushes, 783 yards, 6 touchdowns … 9 receptions, 140 yards, one touchdown

2016 statistics: 122 rushes, 1,223 yards, 19 touchdowns … 22 receptions, 494 yards, 5 touchdowns … 1 interception returned for touchdown

From Rivals recruiting analyst Nick Krueger: “I really like Deion Smith as a rising all-purpose back prospect here in Texas. I think he has great size, good instincts as a receiver, and is a mismatch maker out of the backfield. He’s not the burst-iest runner, but just naturally has finds the daylight and gets to it. At the beginning of the spring, it sounded like he was very interested in Northwestern, regardless of who else offered, and he recently picked up an offer from Notre Dame, so for Colorado to win his commitment is an encouraging side for the staff’s ability to continue closing on Texas kids”.

Smith had other offers from … multiple Power-Five conference schools, including Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, TCU and Vanderbilt. Among his several dozen other suitors were UCLA and Utah from the Pac-12.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights 

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