Stoppin’ by for a Visit

Stoppin’ By for a Visit

Weekend of January 25th – 27th

No official visitors this weekend?

There are no prospects listed on the recruiting websites as taking official visits to Boulder this weekend.

But that might not actually be the case.

Adam at BuffStampede.com is reporting that there very well maybe visitors this weekend, but the reason that they are not being reported is that these are recruits who are currently commits to other FBS schools, and “they are have been trying to keep that under wraps”.

Who might the Buffs be looking to flip?

How about linebacker Victor Egu, a three-star prospect from Concord, California? Egu (Rivals bio) has been a Cal commit since November, but has stayed in touch with other teams, and may be even more likely to flip now that Cal has stolen linebacker Johnny Ragin III from BYU. (Update … Egu did de-commit from Cal, choosing instead to go with … Yale).

Another might be defensive end Timothy Coleman. A two-star defensive end prospect from Aurora, Coleman has been a CSU commit since December 9th (Rivals bio).

Coleman may be on the Buffs’ radar because Marcus Loud is no longer an option. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Loud was a Missouri commit before becoming a CU commit, before switching back to Missouri. Buff coaches did an in-home visit with Loud this week, and the reports are that Loud is sticking with Missouri.

Others?

According to ESPN … The Buffaloes will need defensive linemen to disrupt plays before they can get started. Currently, the Buffaloes have only one defensive lineman committed in defensive end Markeis Reed (Napa, Calif./Vintage). Three-star defensive tackle DeOnte Reynolds (Pinole, Calif./Pinole Valley) is still on the board (Rivals bio), as is defensive end Fred Melifonwu (San Diego/Abraham Lincoln) (Rivals bio). Reynolds has the size at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, and Melifonwu, at 6-5 and 215 pounds, is quick and agile. They could be the right kind of players in a Pac-12 defense.

Stay tuned …

January 21st

Buffs happy with the bodies in hand?

After a busy weekend with 14 official visitors, the Dal Ward Center may be a quiet place over the final two weekends before Signing Day.

Colorado has used up less than half of its NCAA allotted official visits for the year, but has only one official visitor, running back Ryan Moeller from Rifle, presently scheduled over the next two weekends (and Moeller might be a preferred walk-on candidate. He currently does not have a scholarship offer from CU. To date, only CSU-Pueblo and Colorado Mesa have offered Moeller).

Does that mean that the CU coaching staff is content that it will fill up its Class of 2013 with those who visited this past weekend?

It’s possible.

With the addition of Ryan Severson, the Colorado Class of 2013 stands at 14 players. With few – if any – transfers coming this spring, a small senior class departing, and with two fourth-year juniors previously dismissed (TE DaVaughn Thornton and WR Jarrod Darden) now returning, the coaching staff is severly limited in the number of scholarships it has left to offer.

But even the number 14 is not quite correct. One of the 14 members of the 2013 Class, offensive lineman John Lisella, has agreed to grayshirt, and will become a member of the Class of 2014. Other members of the Class may also be asked to defer their enrollment.

Colorado is allowed to have 85 scholarship players on its roster come August. Keeping track of how they get to that number, however, is like nailing Jello to the wall.

So stay tuned …

January 20th

No bad reports out of Boulder …

Update (5:30 p.m) … No new commitments … yet … but the day is not over. There are some good reports on this weekend’s visits, with running back Michael Adkins likely to choose between Colorado and Air Force in next 24-48 hours …

Perhaps just as important … there have been no defections, as all seven commits who visited seem to be on board for February. It sounds more and more like all of verbal commitments CU had when Mike MacIntyre was named as head coach will be sticking with their commitments to the University of Colorado. One or two names may be removed from the ledger, but that is looking less and less likely as these recruits meet with the new coaching staff.

The Weekend of January 18th-20th

More than a dozen prospects will be taking their official visits to Boulder this upcoming weekend. Currently on the list are seven existing verbal commitments – commitments which cannot be taken for granted as “solid” just yet. There are also at least five uncommitted players visiting, and at least two known commits to another schools (New Mexico State and San Jose State).

Bios of all of the visitors are posted below …

Late additions … Thanks to the hard work by Adam at BuffStampede.com, we have a pair of late additions to the offiicial visitor list … athlete Ryan Severson (San Jose State commit) and safety Joshua Jones (uncommitted)

Posted Thursday: Running back Michael Adkins (uncommitted); linebacker Lawrence Montegut (uncommitted); and defensive back Tedric Thompson (uncommitted)

Posted Wednesday: Linebacker Kiel Robinson (Colorado State commit – visit since cancelled); athlete James Ooten (New Mexico State commit); and defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (uncommitted)

Posted Tuesday:  CU verbal commits – wide receiver Elijah Dunston; offensive lineman Jonathan Huckins; linebacker George Frazier; and offensive lineman Sam Kronsage

Posted Monday: CU verbal commits – wide receiver Devin Ross; quarterback Sefo Liufau; and offensive lineman Colin Sutton

Ryan Severson – DB – Committed to CU

Just the facts … Severson is an athlete from Valley Christian high school in San Jose California. Severson is 5’11”, 195-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Severson … Severson is rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals lists Severson as an athlete, while Scout has Severson slotted as a running back (CU may be looking into signing him as a defensive back). According to MaxPreps, Severson rushed for 1,951 yards and 32 touchdowns on 166 carries (11.8 yard average) during his senior season. He also had 385 yards and five touchdowns receiving. He also picked off three passes on defense. The Buffs project him as a defensive back.

Severson has other offers from … San Jose State. Severson has been a San Jose State commit since December 7th, the week Mike MacIntyre was named the head coach at the University of Colorado. The connection is obvious, and the relationship has been long term with this recruit.

Current status … Severson was staying with his hometown school, but now has the opportunity to look into going to a Pac-12 school. Many factors at work, few of which are on-field related.

Joshua Jones – S – Uncommitted

Just the facts … Jones is a defensive back prospect from Walled Lake, Michigan. Jones is 6’2, 202-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Jones … Well, Jones has made a much greater impression on Rivals, which sees him as a three-star prospect, the 45th-best safety in the nation, and the 15th-best player out of the state of Michigan this year. Meanwhile, Scout has yet to even rate Jones as a prospect. Jones just completed a senior season in which he put up impressive numbers on both sides of the ball. On offense he accounted for 24 touchdowns and on defense he had 95 tackles and 5 interceptions. His play was a main reason why Western high in Walled Lake was able to advance to the regional finals where they lost to eventual state champions Brother Rice. For his efforts, Jones was selected 1st team All-State and a Detroit Freep Press Dream Team Member.

Jones has other offers from … a good number of teams. From the BCS conferences, Jones has offers from North Carolina State, Illinois, Pittsburgh and Iowa. Jones also has offers from most of the MAC, including Toledo, Bowling Green, and the Michigan schools – Eastern, Central, and Western Michigan. Jones has been busy on the recruiting trail. He originally committed to Toledo last May. Then, in June, he switched his commitment to Illinois. In December, he told SpartanMag.com, “I am committed to Illinois, but I am also looking are Michigan State, Pittsburgh, and N.C. State.  I took my official visit to Illinois and it was awesome. I really enjoyed myself. It was a fun experience and I loved the players and the coaches, but I think I owe it to myself to see a few other schools”. This past weekend, he took official visit No. 3 to Pittsburgh, with BuffStampede.com reporting that he has now de-committed from Illinios, and will be in Boulder January 18th. Jones’ fourth official visit will be to North Carolina State on the 25th, with one final official visit (Iowa?) still possible the weekend before Signing Day.

Current status … Despite the curious lack of interest in Jones by Scout.com, the rest of the country seems to like him … and he likes being liked. This might well come down to a Signing Day decision.

Tedric Thompson – S – Uncommitted

Just the facts … Thompson is a defensive back prospect from Valencia, California.  Thompson is 6’1″, 203-pounds, and runs a 4.56 in the 40. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Thompson … Thompson is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Scout considers Thompson to be the No. 65 safety prospect in the nation. This past season, Thompson had 58 tackles (23 solo) for the 9-4 Valencia Vikings. Thompson also had 26 catches for 386 yards and seven touchdowns. During his junior season at Valencia Tedric had 38 receptions for 428 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively he had 39 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.

Thompson has other offers from … Minnesota, UNLV, Fresno State, Hawai’i and Washington State. Thompson took an official visit to Fresno State in December, and has an official visit to Minnesota planned the weekend before Signing Day. Thompson has already taken unofficial visits to Minnesota … he has a brother on the team.

Current status … Thompson may not wait until his official visit to Minnesota to declare his commitment. Colorado is in the mix, as is Fresno State.

Michael Adkins – RB – Uncommitted

Just the facts … Adkins is a running back prospect from La Mesa, California. Adkins is 5′ 11″, 195-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Adkins … Despite holding offers from numerous schools (see below), Adkins is unrated by Rivals, and is considered a two-star prospect by Scout. Adkins rushed for 1,770 yards and 24 touchdowns as Helix went 10-1 in 2012, earning first-team all-county and second-team all-CIF honors. As a junior, Adkins rushed for 919 yards on 91 carries and scored 12 touchdowns, in helping La Mesa (Calif.) Helix to the CIF State D-II title.

Adkins has other offers from … Air Force, San Jose State, Arizona, Harvard, UNLV and Yale. Adkins has taken official visits to San Jose State and Air Force. Coming from the San Diego area, he knew the new coach at San Jose State, who coached last season at San Diego. Adkins got to know the CU coaching staff last summer at a camp held near his school, and had been recruited by Mike MacIntyre during the fall when MacIntyre was at San Jose State.

Current status … Adkins does not have any other official visits planned after his visit to Boulder, and it appears that his choice will be to attend San Jose State, Air Force or Colorado.

Lawrence Montegut – LB/DE – Uncommitted

Just the facts … Montegut is a defensive end / outside linebacker prospect from La Marque, Texas. Montegut is 6’2″, 230-pounds.  Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Montegut … Montegut is considered to be a two-star outside linebacker prospect by Rivals. Scout also gives Montegut two stars, but as a defensive end. Scout ranks Montegut as the No. 148 defensive end nationally. For the 11-2 La Marque Cougars, Montegut finished the season with over 80 tackles and an eye-popping 17 sacks. As would be consistent with his being rated by one service as a linebacker and the other as a defensive end, Montegut is looking to play a hybrid pass rusher in college.

Montegut has other offers from … Rice, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin and Texas State. Montegut also claims that Oregon State has taken an interest in his commitment.

Current status … Montegut was recruited by former CU linebackers coach Brian Cabral, though he did receive a scholarship offer from the current coaching staff. It may come down to whether Montegut wants to leave his native Texas to play his collegiate football.

Chidobe Awuzie – CB – Uncommitted

Just the facts … Awuzie is a cornerback prospect from San Jose, California. Awuzie is 6’0″, 180-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Awuzie … Awuzie is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Awuzie is rated as the No. 96 cornerback in the nation by Scout. Awuzie led his team in interceptions with four and was second in tackles with 60 this past season. Also racked up 1,247 rushing yards, 458 receiving yards with a combined 21 touchdowns. Awuzie was named the BVAL Mount Hamilton Division senior of the year for the 2012 season, along with first team all-conference honors.

Awuzie has other offers from … Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah, Washington State, Utah State, and, perhaps not coincidentially, San Jose State. Awuzie took an official visit to his home town school in December (the same week Coach MacIntyre was named CU head coach). Awuzie also took an official visit to Washington State on January 11th. “After this weekend they’re number one,” Awuzie told WazzuWatch.com when asked where Washington State stands in regards to his recruitment after his visit. “If they’re not number one, they’re tied for number one.”

Current status … “Just when I feel like the time is right,” Awuzie said when asked when he thinks he’ll make a commitment. “Whenever I feel like I can see myself at a certain college that can set me up to go to the NFL because that’s my ultimate goal. After that Colorado visit I’ll likely have a clear vision of where I want to go.” Awuzie had in-home visits with both Washington State and Colorado coaches this week, and will be in Boulder this weekend …

Kiel Robinson – LB (CSU Commit) – since removed from list of visitors

Just the facts … Committed to Colorado State on January 2nd … Robinson is a linebacker prospect from San Marcos, California. Robinson is 6’1″, 200 pounds. Rivals bio  Scout bio

What others say about Robinson … Robinson is rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals, and is not rated by Scout.  Only Rivals has Robinson listed as a verbal commit to Colorado State; Scout does not have him committed to any school. Robinson took his official visit to Colorado State in December, and visited Nevada on January 11th.

Robinson has other offers from … In addition to the Colorado schools, Robinson has reported offers from Nevada and – wait for it – San Jose State (a pretty fair indication that the new CU coaching staff has long been in contact with Robinson).

In his own words … “It was good, I really enjoyed it,” Robinson told GoldandGreenNews after his visit to Ft. Collins. “I enjoyed being with all of the coaches and seeing all of the facilities and all of that. Going through all the academic programs was nice.” Of his commitment to Colorado State, Robinson said – on January 2nd – “I think it’s pretty solid. I don’t think I’ll change it.”

Current status … We’ll see … The new CU coaches obviously like him, and there is a connection there for Robinson as well. But will the Buff Nation get excited about stealing a CSU commit that is a two-star on one recruiting site, and unrated in another?

James Ooten – ATH (New Mexico State Commit)

Just the facts … Committed to New Mexico State on December 15th … Ooten is listed as an athlete from San Bernadino, California. Ooten is 6’3″, 170-pounds. Rivals bio

What others say about Ooten … Ooten is rated as a two-star prospect by Rivals, but does not even show up in the Scout database (nor is he on the New Mexico State list of commitments at Scout). Ooten played wide receiver for the 14-0 Citrus Hill Hawks, collecting 30 catches for 696 yards and nine touchdowns. As a defensive back, Ooten had 17 tackles, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.

Ooten has other offers from … Northern Arizona is the only other school who is known to have offered Ooten a scholarship.

Current status … Unknown. Ooten played all year as a wide receiver, only playing some defensive back when injuries forced him to play both ways (which may account for the lack of previous interest from other schools). Ooten does not currently have a scholarship offer from Colorado, but may receive one this weekend.

Elijah Dunston – WR

Just the facts … Committed June 15th … Dunston is a wide receiver prospect from West Hills, California. Dunston is 6’1″, 180-pounds, and runs a 4.4 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Dunston … Dunston is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, but is considered to be a two-star prospect by Scout. Rivals rates Dunston as the No. 97 player out of California this year, while Scout rates Dunston as the No. 211 wide recevier in the country. “He can really run,” said his Chaminade high coach Ed Croson. “He runs on our track team and on the relay teams that almost won state. He’s a good player, catches the ball, knows how to get open, he’s going to be heavily recruited for sure.” Last fall, Dunston was second team all-league, and posted 641 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.

Here is a link to some highlights of Dunston’s senior season.

Dunston had other offers from… Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico State and Wyoming. “I’m also hearing from Minnesota, Washington, San Jose State, Nebraska and California,” Dunston told Scout.com back in June. “Colorado seems to be recruiting me the hardest and I talk with those guys a lot. If I had to name a top three, it would probably be Colorado, Cal and Nebraska. Hopefully Cal and Nebraska will offer and then I’ll have a nice list of schools.”

Current Status … Dunston is one of the CU verbal commits who is still on the fence about his commitment. Dunston took an official visit to Fresno State in December (along with fellow CU commit Devin Ross), and is still talking with Cal and Utah.

Jonathan Huckins – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 11th … Huckins is an offensive lineman prospect from The Woodlands, Texas. Huckins is 6’4″, 306-pounds, and runs a 5.1 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Huckins … Huckins is considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a three-star prospect. Scout lists Huckins as the No. 75 guard prospect nationally. According to Lone Star Recruiting’s evaluations of the Class of 2013, Huckins rated as the No. 5 offensive guard/center out of the state of Texas. Here are three minutes of highlights which will be worth your time (the young man has a nasty streak which I believe you will enjoy):

Huckins had other offers from … Iowa State, Washington State, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Mississippi. As is often the case with early recruits, there are not as many offers if a player remains committed to their school, and in this case, Jonathan Huckins has remained a Buff commit since last June.

Current Status … Huckins played in a spread offense in high school, and is seemingly content with his decision to stay with Colorado.

George Frazier – LB

Just the facts … Committed June 19th … Frazier is a linebacker prospect from Monrovia, California. Frazier is 6’2″, 230-pounds, and reports a 3.4 GPA. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Frazier … Frazier is considered a two-star prospect by Rivals, but is listed as a three-star prospect by Scout. Frazier is rated by Scout as the No. 42 middle linebacker prospect in the country. Frazier plays outside linebacker when Monrovia’s defense is in the 3-4, and he lines up at defensive end when they go to a four down linemen set. He earned first-team all-CIF, all-area and all-league honors as a junior, with 84 tackles two sacks, and two interceptions in his junior season. Frazier also serves as Monrovia’s backup quarterback and plays some tight end. He accounted for 587 yards of offense last fall.

Here are some video highlights from Frazier’s junior season:

Frazier had other offers from … Washington State, Fresno State, and San Jose State. Frazier took an unofficial visit to Boulder in April for spring practices, and liked what he say in Boulder. However, Frazier did also indicate that he was hoping for offers from schools like USC, Oregon and Cal. These three schools were talking with Frazier, though none offered Frazier before he committed to Colorado.

In his own words … Frazier has played a little of everything in high school, from outside backer and defensive end to tight end and fullback on offense. He’s even been a backup quarterback. Frazier said Colorado coaches — he was recruited mainly by Eric Bieniemy and Brian Cabral — envision him as a middle linebacker. Wherever he plays, that’s fine with Frazier. “I just like playing football,” Frazier told BuffaloSportsNews.net. He also likes Colorado and the direction in which the Buffs are moving. “I like the way the coaches are as a team; it’s like a family,” he said. “Most of the coaches came from Colorado and I can see that they are doing a lot of (good) things.”

Current status … Frazier hasn’t commented on his status since the new coaching staff was hired in December, but has not yet scheduled any other official visits.

Sam Kronshage – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 11th … Kronshage is an offensive lineman prospect from The Woodlands, Texas. Kronshage is 6’5″, 290-pounds, and runs a 5.26 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Kronshage … Kronshage is considered by Rivals to be a three-star prospect, but is rated as only a two-star prospect by Scout. 247 Sports rates Kronshage as the No. 117 player out of the state of Texas for the Class of 2013. Kronshage was named the Highlanders’ offensive line MVP six times. He was also named first-team all-district and all-city. Here is a link to some impressive video on Kronshage:

http://www.ncsasports.org/college-recruiting-videos-highlights/sam-kronshage

Kronshage had other offers from … Duke, Louisiana Tech, SMU and Texas State. Kronshage also had interest from schools like Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Wake Forest.

Current Status … Kronshage appears to be a solid commit for Colorado, expressing excitement about the new coaching staff and the pistol offense.

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Devin Ross – WR

Just the facts … Committed August 3rd … Ross is a wide receiver prospect from Mission Hills, California. Ross is 5’10”, 175-pounds, and runs a 4.49 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Ross … Ross is considered to be three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals has placed Ross as the No. 62 player out of the state of California for the Class of 2013, and the No. 70  wide receiver nationally, while Scout ranks Ross as the No. 84 wide receiver nationally. As a junior for an 8-3 Alemany high team in 2011, Ross had 17 receptions for 380 yards and a touchdown (22.4 yards per catch!). Ross had 12 tackles and an interception when playing defensive back.

You Tube highlight reel, including Ross at wide receiver, kick returner, and even running back:

Ross had other offers from… at least a half dozen other BCS conference schools, including Boston College, Utah, Washington State, UCLA, Iowa State and Minnesota. Ross also had offers from Nevada, Hawai’i, Colorado State, Fresno State and Wyoming. “This whole off-season, I’ve been building a really good relationship with the coaches,” Ross told Scout.com last summer. “I’ve been checking out online and I like the way it looks.”

Current status … Ross told BuffStampede.com last week that his recruitment is down to a final two – Colorado and Cal. To date, Cal has not offered. If the Bears do not offer, Ross’ verbal commitment will go from “soft” to “solid”. If Cal does offer, however, the Buffs may find themselves in a pitched battle for Ross’ services.

Sefo Liufau – QB

Just the facts … Committed April 15th … Liufau is a quarterback prospect from Tacoma, Washington. Liufau is 6’4″, 215-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio ESPN bio

What others say about Liufau… Liufau was considered to be a four-star prospect by Rivals when he committed, but later was lowered to three stars. Liufau also received three stars from Scout. Rivals rates Liufau as the No. 28 pro-style quarterback in the country, and the No. 6 player out of the state of Washington this year. Scout, meanwhile, considers Liufau to be the No. 53 quarterback in the country. In sophomore and junior seasons (2010 and 2011) combined Liufau threw for 4,780 yards while completing 59 percent of his passes, and firing 43 touchdown passes vs. 15 interceptions. In 2011, Sefo took his hometown Lions to the state semi-finals, and did so putting up 2,250 yards, hitting over 60% of his targets. He threw 23 touchdowns and threw only six interecptions. He also posted eight rushing touchdowns and 300 yards rushing on the season. As a senior, Liufau went 193-for-280 for 2,518 yards, with 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Liufau also rushed 78 times for 291 yards and eight touchdowns.

According to a scout for Scout.com, Liufau “has a big frame and arm to match. Throws a very catchable ball. Excellent accuracy on short and intermediate passes, but can also throw the deep ball. Named the top QB at the U.S. Army National Underclassman Combine in January 2012”.

Here are some video highlights from Liufau’s junior year:

Liufau had other offers from … no other known schools, but that does not mean that there was not interest. UCLA and Washington State were heavily recruiting Liufau, and he also had interest from other Pac-12 schools, including Washington, both Oregon schools, and Stanford. Outside the conference, Liufau was attracting interest from Nebraska, Alabama and Notre Dame, as well as academic institutions like Princeton, Duke, and Yale (so the Buff Nation won’t have to worry about Liufau qualifying academically).

In his own words… Liufau took his unofficial visit on April 9th, and wasn’t around for the Spring game (he was actually in Boulder the day Paul Richardson suffered his season-ending knee injury). When asked what he was looking for out of his trip to Boulder, Liufau told Scout.com, “I really want to get a feel for atmosphere. Does it feel like home for me, that it feels right. It doesn’t have to be just like home, but a place I feel comfortable, where I can live and go to school”.

“College coaches say that they like how I can throw the ball on a consistent basis,” Liufau told Sporting News. “They like my presence in the pocket and the ability to throw and run the ball. They also love my size and leadership on the field … I will rally my team behind me and lead them each and every game. I don’t shy down from big games and always come ready to play.”

Current status … Liufau has told recruiting services that he remains “100% committed” to becoming a Colorado Buffalo.

Colin Sutton – OL

Just the facts … Committed May 2nd … Sutton is an offensive lineman prospect from Orange, California. Sutton is 6’5″, 290-pounds, and can run a 5.03 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Sutton … Sutton is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Sutton is rated as the No. 43 offensive guard prospect in the nation by Rivals and the No. 89 player out of the state of Califonia. Scout rates Sutton as the No. 60 offensive guard in the country. Scout also had Sutton in its list of top five centers/guards in the West. Scout.com’s take on Sutton: “Sutton doesn’t get the same recognition as offensive line teammate John Lopez (who also had an offer from Colorado, but committed to UCLA) but he might have had an ever better junior year. He’s not as massive as Lopez but moves better and is just as physical. He mauls opposing linemen, plays with leverage and can get out in space and is an effective blocker on a linebacker down the field. He’s a tireless worker off the field and is one of the strongest lineman in the state.”

Here are some highlights of Sutton:

Sutton had other offers from … no other known schools, though he did have interest from several other Pac-12 schools, including USC, Stanford, Oregon and UCLA. Both Florida and Florida State showed interest, as did Duke and TCU. In making the rounds this past spring, Sutton visited TCU, Colorado and Stanford. Sutton boasts a 4.5 GPA, so qualification will not be an issue.

In his own words… “I’m very excited to be going to Colorado,” Sutton told Scout.com. “I camped with Colorado last year, it was the only one I went to and I loved it there. It’s the most beautiful campus in the country and I really feel like the football program is headed in the right direction. I visited over Spring Break and just felt so comfortable there. I actually used to live in Colorado, my dad went to the Air Force Academy and my sister trains at the Olympic Trainer Center in Colorado so I’m very comfortable there.”

Current status … Sutton has given no indication that he is anything but solid commit to CU.

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January 13th

Timothy Coleman did not visit Boulder this weekend

According to the RamNation, the one visitor expected for this weekend who was not already a Colorado commit, defensive end Timothy Coleman, did not in fact take an official visit to Boulder.

Coleman, a two-star defensive end from Mullen high in Denver, remains, at least for now, a CSU commit.

No word yet on whether Coleman will re-schedule his visit.

As to the four players who came to Boulder for their official visits – and were already on the commitment list for CU – word is that everything went well, and that the four remain committed to the University of Colorado.

—

January 11th

Update: Offensive lineman John Lisella, another existing verbal commitment, has been added to the list of visitors for this weekend. His bio has been posted below.

January 10th

Four weekends of official visits lay between the CU coaching staff and Signing Day (Wednesday, February 6th). Jon Embree used very few of the Buffs’ allotted official visits during the regular season, so head coach Mike MacIntyre has plenty of official visit opportunities to offer potential recruits.

A big weekend is already taking shape for next weekend, as 11 players have already been indentified as coming to Boulder – a number which will rise even higher over the next week.

This weekend, only four official visitors have been listed. More may well be coming, but the names which are known are wide receiver Bryce Bobo, offensive lineman Gunnar Graham, running back Phillip Lindsay, and defensive end Timothy Coleman.

The first three are already verbal commits to the University of Colorado (and their bios are posted, below), but, as everyone in the Buff Nation knows, these were commitments which were made to the previous coaching staff, so this is a courtship between parties still getting to know one another.

Timothy Coleman – DE

The other official visitor, Timothy Coleman, is an interesting case. Coleman is a 6’3″, 245-pound defensive end from Mullen high in Denver who runs a 4.78 in the 40. Coleman is a Colorado State commit, and was not recruited by the former staff at the University of Colorado. Coleman was contacted, though, by the new staff, and is willing to take a look at Boulder.

Coleman is not rated by Rivals, but there are reasons for that. First, he is only 17 years old (birthday in October), so he still has some growing to do). Second, Coleman played offensive tackle as a junior, so there was no evaluation done of him as a defensive end last year. Then, Coleman did move to defensive end for his senior year, only to tear his MCL and ACL in his knee, an injury he is only now recovering from.

So, Coleman could be a diamond in the rough … or a player who won’t make it onto the field in college.

Tough to tell right now. All we know for sure is that Coleman will be in Boulder this weekend.

—

The other four known visitors have given verbal commitments to Colorado. Their bios:

John Lisella – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 16th … Lisella is an offensive lineman prospect from Littleton, Colorado (Columbine). Lisella is 6’4″, 245-pounds, and runs a 4.95 in the 40. Rivals bio

What others say about Lisella … Lisella is unrated by Rivals, and was not even in the database of Scout when he committed (though he was later given two stars). Lisella plays both ways at left tackle and on the defensive line for the Rebels. He was a first-team all-conference and academic first-team all-state selection last fall. The Denver Post did not rank Lisella amongst its top 15 players in the state of Colorado for the Class of 2013, but did list him amongst the others “to keep an eye on”.

Lisella had other offers from … Northern Colorado, New Mexico State and Air Force. Lisella reports to have drawn interest from Connecticut, Holy Cross, Colorado State, Michigan, Princeton, Notre Dame, UCLA and Oregon State. While teams reportedly like his athleticism, Lisella’s weight, 245 pounds, is obviously a weight under which a BCS conference offensive tackle plays. It would be a safe guess that CU coaches do not anticipate seeing Lisella on the field until after a redshirt season in 2013.

Bryce Bobo – WR

Just the facts … Committed June 15th … Bobo is a wide receiver prospect from Covina, California. Bobo is 6’3″, 175-pounds, and runs a 4.6 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Bobo … Bobo is a three-star prospect according to Rivals, but is rated as a two-star prospect by Scout. By Scout’s reckoning, Bobo is the No. 161 wide receiver in the nation. Here is a link to some junior highlights for Bobo. It’s pretty impressive stuff, but it’s hard for most of us to be able to judge the quality of the competition.

Bobo had other offers from … wait for it … Idaho. The same Vandals who are looking at regressing to the 1-AA, and their old home in the Big Sky Conference, as a potential outcast from what is left from the Western Athletic Conference. Reportedly, Bobo was receiving interest from Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, San Diego State, San Jose State, Stony Brook, South Florida, Florida International and Nevada.

Phillip Lindsay – RB

Just the facts … Committed March 22nd … Lindsay is a running back prospect from Denver South high. Lindsay is 5’10”, 173-pounds, and runs a 4.49 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio ESPN bio

What other say about Lindsay … Lindsay is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, but only a two-star prospect by Scout. Rivals rates Lindsay as the No. 5 player out of the state of Colorado from the Class of 2013, while Scout lists Lindsay as the No. 112 running back nationally. A three-year starter, Lindsay has already rushed for 4,288 yards and recorded nearly 300 tackles during his prep career at Denver South. Lindsay was one of four juniors named first-team all-state at the 5A classification by the Denver Post in December. Lindsay was voted First Team West Metro All-Conference at running back, and was also named to the second team as a linebacker. Lindsay’s 9.2 yards per carry average in 2011 was third best among 5A backs with at least 153 carries. In seven of 10 games in 2011, Lindsay rushed for more than 163 yards, with the junior accumulating 1,763 and 13 touchdowns on the season. He had a 300-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Rebels’ 64-13 victory over Lincoln in mid-October. Lindsay also returns punts, returns kicks and starts at linebacker for Denver South (ESPN is listing Lindsay as a cornerback prospect, but he is being recruited by Colorado as a running back).

Lindsay is also a sprinter for the Denver South track team. He plans to run the 100-yard dash along with the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 relays. He participated in all of those events last year and helped his team reach the state meet.

Lindsay had other offers from … only a handful of schools, though Lindsay reported receiving letters from “too many colleges to list”. Lindsay was being recruited heavily by Boise State and Colorado State. One reason that the official offer sheet was not longer is that early on Lindsay expressed an interest in remaining in-state for college.

In his own words … Lindsay told BuffaloSportsNews that he attended several CU games this past fall at Folsom Field and that he understands the Buffs are in rebuilding mode. He said he has an excellent relationship with Colorado offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieneimy. Lindsay said he likes the campus in Boulder. He said he liked that CU fans remained generally positive even though the Buffs didn’t play particularly well in the games he attended. “It was a cool atmosphere,” he said. “It never really felt negative about anything even if Colorado was losing, they weren’t really negative. They cheered their teams on and that’s what they’re going to do.”

Gunnar Graham – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 30th … Graham is an offensive lineman prospect from Kentfield, California. Graham is 6’6″, 280-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Graham … Graham is considered a three-star prospect by Rivals, but is considered only a two-star player by Scout. Graham may still be under the radar on the national level due to his only playing one season on offense. Graham played solely on the defensive line at Kentfield prior to his junior season, but moved to the offensive line out of necessity last season. “We really needed him on the offensive line so we moved him over,” Marin Catholic coach Mazi Moayed told Scout.com. “He played blindside tackle for us and really got after it. He can run, has a great motor and is very physical. He lacked experience but he’s a natural talent and has a great attitude. He’s still learning but has a big upside. He had a very good first year for us and should have a dominant senior season.”

Highlights from Graham’s junior season:

Graham had other offers from … most notably, Utah, where he also took an unofficial visit this week. Graham also had offers from Iowa State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Eastern Washington, and had interest from other Pac-12 schools, including Oregon State. It probably didn’t hurt the Buffs’ cause that Graham’s father is a CU graduate, but the Buffs do get credit for being the first school to offer Graham.

In his own words … Graham this fall will be protecting the backside of quarterback Jared Goff, a Cal commit. “My strengths are that I have a motor. I’m very aggressive off the line of scrimmage,” Graham told UteZone.com. “I’m a great downfield blocker. I’m committed to how I want to make myself better and make the team better,” he said.

This post, about the Recruiting game, from the 2012 Season, is filed under Article.
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