Class of 2013 – Signed LOI

Class of 2013 – Signed Letters of Intent

Connor Center – TE/OT

Just the facts … Committed June 9th … Center is an offensive tackle / tight end prospect from Albany, New York. Center is 6’8″, 250-pounds. Center reportedly runs a 4.68 in the 40.  Scout bio

What others had to say about Center … Here’s the thing – Center didn’t play high school football. Center’s story, as told to the CuseNation.com … . “I was a pretty good pitcher, but I wasn’t MLB good. There’s quite a few reasons why I made the switch. Some deeper than others. The main reason was I got drawn away from baseball. I couldn’t tell you how. My heart just wasn’t in it. I just felt like I needed to use my talents elsewhere. So I started to get away from baseball. I met up with a best friend of mine, Kyle Buss, he’s at Milford Academy. He’s a great football player. He kind of introduced me to a whole group of kids that worked out at a local facility. They were doing 7-on-7, they were working out everyday, running their 40s. I got in there and I loved it. I started working out and the deeper I got going with it, the more I loved it.

”I realized I was really good at it and I wanted to try to do something with it. A lady that specializes in recruiting and a conditioning coach, she got on board with me. She pushed me into the recruiting process. As I pushed these videos out, I started getting schools interested in me. That’s when the offers started coming and stuff. Before I made the switch over to football, I always loved to lift weights to get stronger and better. My love for lifting and working out, brought me into football too. Working out with Kyle and his brother and stuff. Pitchers don’t always go into the weight room all the time. So football was a perfect fit for me.”

Making such a major change was a challenge because Center did not have high school football footage to show to prospective coaches. However, he was able to create highlight videos from some of his 7-on-7 workouts.

Here is one of the videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTIHVeW9jrE&feature=youtu.be

Center had other offers from … most notably Syracuse, which thought they had Center lined up for a signature just a few days before he signed with Colorado. Center also reportedly had offers from Cincinnati, Miami (Fla.), Missouri and Nevada, as well as interest from a number of other schools.

In his own words … “Colorado is such a beautiful place, a great college atmosphere and it so much better than I expected it to be,” Center told BuffPlaybook.com. “I love the stadium, it’s really cool, I really connected with the coaching staff … I knew it was a great fit for me both personally and athletically. I had breakfast with the coaching staff, I just got the feeling I was already at home, that this was the place for me. It was great getting to know the Colorado coaches as people and not just as coaches … They are recruiting me to play tight end and if I continue to grow probably offensive tackle in the future”.

Center will be eligible to play for the Buffs immediately and will enroll in the second summer session on June 23rd .

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Confirmed new members of the CU Class of 2013, with updated and expanded biographies of each player posted below …

Quarterback Sefo Liufau, wide receiver Devin Ross, safety Tedric Thompson, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, offensive lineman Colin Sutton, wide receiver Bryce Bobo, wide receiver Elijah Dunston, offensive lineman John Lisella, defensive end/linebacker Jimmie Gilbert, offensive lineman Gunnar Graham, running back Michael Adkins, defensive back Ryan Severson, linebacker George Frazier, linebacker Kenneth Olugbode, linebacker Markeis Reed, running back Phillip Lindsay, offensive lineman Sam Kronshage, offensive lineman Jonathan Huckins, defensive end Timothy Coleman.

In addition, posted below are the bios of linebacker Addison Gillam (2012 grayshirt from San Jose State), wide receiver Jeffrey Thomas (CU grayshirt from the Class of 2012), offensive lineman Gerrad Kough (CU grayshirt from the Class of 2012), defensive end Derek McCartney (CU grayshirt from the Class of 2012), and wide receiver Austin Vincent (suspended from the team in January, 2012, trying to make it back as a walk-on this spring).

Here is a link to coach Mike MacIntyre’s Signing Day press conference.

And here is a link to a video shown at the Recruiting Luncheon.

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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 had to 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. 27 pro-style quarterback in the country, and the No. 6 player out of the state of Washington this year. Liuafau earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at quarterback as a senior, when the Seattle Times tabbed him as one of 16 “Red Chips” in the state of Washington (the top honor in the paper’s Seattle 100) and he was selected as one of 12 quarterbacks on the prestigious Tacoma News-Tribune’s Western 100. He was also selected as an honorable mention “Northwest Nugget” by the News-Tribune, its Top 20 in the Pacific Northwest (seven made the first-team) and was the paper’s Area Player of the Year (he also was the 4A Narrows League player of the year). SuperPrep tabbed him preseason All-Far West and ranked him as the No. 6 overall player in Washington (the No. 2 quarterback). Scout.com named him to its West 150 team, the No. 126 player overall and the 11th-ranked quarterback.

In his career, Liufau started at quarterback his sophomore through senior years and led Bellarmine to a 34-5 record, completing 522-of-838 passes for 7,297 yards and 68 touchdowns (with only 20 interceptions); that worked to a 62.3 completion percentage, as he completed over 50 percent of his passes in 33 of 39 games. He had three 300-yard games, 12 200-yard games and 36 100-yard games in throwing at least two touchdown passes 21 times ( he threw three or more 10 times and four or more on four occasions). He also rushed for 606 career yards and 18 touchdowns, and in his prep career, accounted for 87 tackles overall. As a senior, he directed about as balanced an offense as possible, one that averaged 181.6 yards rushing and 182.1 yards passing. He completed 193-of-280 passes for 2,518 yards (24 TD/5 INT), while rushing 78 times for 291 yards and eight touchdowns; he also handled some spot kicking duties, punting nine times for a 35.4 average (57 long, three inside-the-20) and kicked off four times, three for touchbacks

According to Scout.com, “The first thing that stands out about Liufau is his toughness in the pocket. He stay’s back there, taking the heat, but staying patient, going through his progressions, and finding the open receiver. Liufau consistently stands tough in the pocket, throwing as he gets hit, and still following through to complete the pass. He’s got decent downfield arm strength, but is at his best throwing the shorter and intermediate routes”.

According to another 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 YouTube highlights:

Here is a link to an exceptional highlight video of Liufau, opening with a tribute to fellow Samoan Sal Aunese.

Liufau had other offers from … Fresno State, San Jose State, ano 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.

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”. After his official visit in January, Liufau told BuffStampede.com, “It was amazing just meeting the whole coaching staff and being there in Colorado again. I had spoken on the phone with some of the new coaches, but being able to meet them and build relationships was really great. Colorado was always the school that I saw myself going to academic wise and now with the coaches they brought in, they are amazing, so it only makes my commitment stronger. I am really looking forward to going to Colorado.”

As to his playing ability, Liufau had this to say … “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.”

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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 had to 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. 78 wide receiver in the nation, while Scout ranks Ross as the No. 90 wide receiver nationally.

He earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at wide receiver as a senior, with SuperPrep naming his to its preseason All-Far West team (the No. 102 overall player in the California-Hawai’i-Nevada region and the 17th receiver). Scout.com named him to its West 150 team, the No. 112 player overall and the 15-ranked receiver on the list. He earned first-team All-Serra League accolades and the Los Angeles Daily News selected him second-team All-Area. He played in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl (Carson, Calif.), where he caught one pass and returned a kickoff 18 yards. He was a second-team All-Serra League performer as a junior, his first year on the varsity after being named the team’s Most Valuable Player on the Junior Varsity his sophomore year. As a senior, he caught 32 passes for 523 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 16.3 yards per catch. He averaged over 45 yards on four kickoff returns, including two he ran back for touchdowns (long of 99 yards).

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, San Diego State, 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. I also have a friend that goes there and I have a friend that just committed there (Mitch Parsons – who later de-committed), and he told me it was beautiful out there. And I like that it’s a part of the Pac-12.”

Ross was so confident in his decision to play for the Buffs, he committed sight-unseen. At the time, Ross planned for only one official visit. “I think I’m done,” he says. “I’ll probably just visit Colorado.”

In his own words … “I really like the new coaching staff a lot and especially Troy Walters, the wide receivers coach,” Ross told Scout.com. “He was an All-American at Stanford and held a couple of Pac 12 records that Robert Woods just broke last year. I’ve only been around him for two days but I’ve already learned a lot from him. Colorado is down to right now but I believe in this new coaching staff and I think they’re going to turn things around and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

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Tedric Thompson – S

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 had to 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. Thompson earned PrepStar All- West Region honors at defensive back as a senior, when he was afforded preseason SuperPrep All-Far West accolades; Scout.com named him to its West 150 Team (the No. 145 player overall and the 11th safety); ESPN.com ranked him as the No. 60 safety in the nation. A three-time, first-team All-Foothill League performer, he was second-team All-State (MaxPreps) and All-CIF Southern Section (North Division) as a senior. A three-and-a-half year starter at safety (he was called up to the varsity for the last six games as a freshman), he recorded 170 career tackles, six interceptions and approximately 40 passes broken up. As a senior, he was in on 58 tackles (23 solo), deflected 15 passes, forced three fumbles (one recovered), made one interception and blocked a field goal. His junior year, he racked up 43 tackles (17 solo, three for losses), intercepting three balls, with 14 passes broken up, two forced fumbles, one recovery and a blocked PAT kick. He had 57 tackles (28 solo) with two picks and a forced fumble as a sophomore, and he was in on 12 tackles (3 solo) as frosh. On offense (two-year starter and in the rotation as a soph), he had 93 career receptions for 1,272 yards (13.7 per catch), with 15 touchdowns; he had 26 catches for 386 yards (7 TD) as a senior, 42 for 431 yards (2 TD) as a junior and 25 for 431 (6 TD) as a sophomore.

Here are some YouTube highlights:

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

In his own words … “I didn’t expect Colorado to be as nice as it is. I liked it a lot,” Thompson said during an interview with BuffStampede.com after his official visit. “The football field, the locker room and the weight room really stood out to me. The weight room is crazy; it looks out over the football field.”

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Chidobe Awuzie – CB

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

What others had to 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 69 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.

He earned PrepStar All- West Region honors as a senior, when he also garnered SuperPrep preseason All-Far West honors (ranked as the No. 146 player in the California-Hawai’i-Nevada region). He was a first-team All-Area performer on defense as selected by the San Jose Mercury-News, while the Contra-Costa Times selected him to its “Cream of the Crop” team, ranking him No. 13 of the 20 players on its list. He was selected as the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mount Hamilton Division Senior of the Year. He earned first-team All-League honors as a junior and senior, and was Oak Grove’s Underclassmen of the Year. As a senior, he rushed for 1,285 yards on 138 attempts (9.3 per), scoring 14 touchdowns with a long run of 67 yards (he had six 100-yard and two 200-yard games); he caught 18 passes for 487 yards and seven scores with a long of 84 (two 100-yard games). He was third in his league in rushing and first in scoring (128 points on 21 TDs and a 2-point conversion). He also completed his only passing attempt for 38 yards, returned five punts for 60 yards and five kickoffs for 113 yards. On defense playing cornerback, he racked up 69 tackles (25 solo, three for losses), with four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, 12 pass deflections, four blocked kicks and two forced fumbles.

Here are some YouTube highlights:

Awuzie had 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.

In his own words … “The coaches that were recruiting me at San Jose State went to Colorado and I had developed a strong relationship with them,” Awuzie told BuffStampede.com. “Colorado is in the Pac-12 so that is attractive and I could be part of the foundation to turn that program around.”

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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 had to say about Sutton … Sutton is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Sutton is rated as the No. 44 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. 63 offensive guard in the country. Scout also had Sutton in its list of top five centers/guards in the West.

He earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at offensive guard as a senior, when SuperPrep ranked him as the No. 93 prospect in the states of California, Hawai’i and Nevada in naming him to its preseason All-Far West team. SuperPrep wrote about him: “He mauls opposing linemen, plays with leverage, can get out in space and is an effective blocker downfield. He’s a tireless worker off the field and is one of the strongest linemen in the state.” Also as a senior, he earned first-team All-Orange County and first-team All-Trinity League honors while being named an “Athleader of the Year” by NCSA Athletic Recruiting, an honor bestowed for numerous criteria including academic success, a solid work ethic, gives back to his community and puts the team first in leading by example. A three-year starter at offensive guard (shifting to tackle on occasion), he did not allow a quarterback sack or even a single pressure his junior and season seasons. He had 52 pancake and 10 direct touchdown blocks his senior year, when he wasn’t called for any penalties, with over 50 ‘cakes and eight touchdown blocks as a junior, when he was flagged for two penalties.

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, Fresno State and TCU. In making the rounds this past spring, Sutton visited TCU, Colorado and Stanford. Sutton boasts a 4.5 GPA, so qualification was never 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.”

Sutton never wavered from his early commitment to Colorado, even after the coaching change. “I have said so many times that I am strongly committed to Colorado,” Sutton told Buffstampede.com after his official visit to Boulder in January. “I have always been committed to Colorado. I had some schools, like Fresno State, come in on me and I told them that Colorado was my school and I am going to stick with it. I lived in Colorado earlier in my life and loved it and it just felt like the right school. I had to go there.”

“I really, really enjoyed getting to talk to all the new coaches,” said Sutton. “I enjoy their coaching style and how they treated me as a person. They are amazing. Coach Bernardi is a smart coach. He knows what he is doing. He wants us to work hard. When we are on the field, we are going to be all business. That is his philosophy.”

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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 had to say about Bobo … Bobo is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals and Scout. By Scout’s reckoning, Bobo is the No. 121 wide receiver in the nation. After committing to Colorado last summer, Bobo had a great senior season, with 56 catches for 1,041 yards (over 18 yards per catch). and ten touchdowns. Bobo also had fifteen tackles and two interceptions playing defensive back for the 10-2 Charter Oak Chargers.

Bobo earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at wide receiver as a senior, when he was also a SuperPrep Preseason All-Far West selection (the No. 101 overall player in the California-Hawai’i-Nevada region). He earned first-team All-San Gabriel Valley as a senior and was a first-team All-Sierra League performer and his team’s most valuable receiver his junior and senior years. As a senior, Bobo had four 100-yard and three multiple TD games (seven and five, respectively, for his career). He also had 190 return yards, three kickoffs for 99 (33.0 per, with a long of 54) and five punt returns for 91 yards, an 18.2 average.

Said Rivals scout Adam Gorney of Bobo: Covina (Calif.) Charter Oak wide receiver Bryce Bobo (5.6 Rivals Rating): “I have only seen him in seven-on-seven in the spring. Bobo is a big, lean receiver. Good hands. I don’t think he has gotten the credit he deserves throughout the recruiting cycle. For some reason, other teams haven’t really recruited him all that hard. I don’t know if he is an instant impact guy, but has all the fundamentals down and really nice hands and definitely has the height to be an asset for Colorado later in his career I would think.”

Here is a link to some highlights from Bobo’s senior season.

Bobo had other offers from … wait for it … Idaho. Bobo committed early, so offers were not as forthcoming. However, after his senior season, Bobo heard from a number of Pac-12 schools, including Washington and Arizona State.

In his own words … “After I found out Troy Walters is going to be the new receivers coach at Colorado, I read how he won the Biletnikoff Award when he was in college at Stanford,” Bobo told BuffStampede.com. “While I was disappointed to hear that Coach Kennedy is not going to be able to coach me, I am not really down about it because I am kind of confident that I am going to learn just as much from Coach Walters.”

“(Coach MacIntyre) is a great guy and he’s really funny and we got along really good,” Bobo told Scout.com after his official visit. “He’s a really good leader. He told me that Keith (Smith, who played for MacIntyre at San Jose State, and who was a high school teammate of Bobo) was a real leader and a big impact player for him and they are hoping the same from me coming out of Charter Oak.”

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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 had to say about Dunston … Dunston is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals rates Dunston as the No. 97 player out of California this year, while Scout rates Dunston as the No. 163 wide recevier in the country. Dunston caught 38 passes for 609 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior while helping Chaminade to 12 wins. Dunston earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at wide receiver as a senior, when he garnered first-team All-CIF Southern Section/Western Division honors, with the Los Angeles Daily News selecting him second-team All-Area. He was a first-team All-Mission League performer as a senior (he was second-team as a junior and honorable mention as a sophomore). For his career, he caught 101 passes for 1,398 yards (13.8 per) and 18 touchdowns.

Dunston plans to run track again this spring. He had a 47.3-second split in the 4×4-relay last year.”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.”

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.”

In his own words … Dunston was one of the Buff commits who wavered after the announcement of the firing of Jon Embree. After his official visit in January, though, Dunston firmed up his commitment. “On my visit to Colorado, Devin and I talked about it and we actually were on the same flight and hung out the whole weekend. We really want to go to the same school and we both feel that Colorado is the best place for us to be,” Dunston told BuffStampede.com. “I am solid with Colorado.”

“Ultimately, though, Colorado is the place for me,” Dunston said. “I was really impressed with ‘Coach Mac’ and the rest of the coaches and how they are really genuine and were really enthusiastic about having me come out there.

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John Lisella – OL (to grayshirt and enroll in January, 2014)

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 had to say about Lisella … Lisella is rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. According to Scout, Lisella is the No. 81 guard prospect in the nation. Lisella played both ways at left tackle and on the defensive line for the Littleton Rebels (recording 32 tackles_. 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”.

He earned PrepStar All-Central Region honors at offensive guard as a senior, when SuperPrep selected him Preseason All-Midlands (ranking him the No. 37 player overall and the No. 10 offensive lineman) and the Denver Post naming him to its 5A All-State team. He earned first-team All-5A Super 6 League honors as both a junior and senior. He played a significant role in Columbine’s powerful running game, blocking for backs who ran for 3,489 yards (317.2 per game) his senior year and an incredible 5,008 yards (357.7 ypg) as a junior, leading Columbine to the state title. A play specifically designed for him was simply called “99,” where he would pull to the outside and level the linebacker and/or safety to clear the path for the quarterback or tailback, with Columbine scoring at least 10 touchdowns his junior and senior seasons on the play. He did not allow a quarterback sack or a pressure either year, and was called for only one penalty (illegal procedure), something he took great pride in as he felt it was a testimony to his discipline. He played end on defense, with 32 tackles (12 solo) and four quarterback hurries as a senior, to go with 28 tackles (10 solo) with two sacks, four hurries, one forced fumble and a pass broken up his junior year.

Here are some YouTube highlights of Lisella in action:

Lisella had other offers from … Northern Colorado, New Mexico State and Air Force. Lisella reported 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. For that reason, Lisella agreed to be a grayshirt for the Class of 2013, deferring his enrollment until January, 2014. Lisella will then count against the Class of 2014, and will still have five years to play four.

In his own words … “I won’t be starting school until the spring but for me as a young guy,” Lisella told BuffStampede.com. “It’s great because I will keep lifting with [former NFL lineman and CU Buff] Matt McChesney, keep working out with him every day and it will definitely give me a lot of time to put on the weight and get the strength that I need to be able to play at the Pac-12 level and get the size that I want to be at when I start up there.”

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Jimmie Gilbert – DE/LB

Just the facts … Committed November 12th … Jimmie Gilbert is a defensive end/outside linebacker prospect from College Station, Texas. Gilbert is 6’4″, 205-pounds, and runs a 4.58 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Gilbert … Gilbert is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout, though not at the same position. Rivals has Gilbert listed as an outside linebacker, while Scout has Gilbert as the No. 74 defensive end prospect in the nation. Gilbert was named to the OldCoach 2013 Class 5A All-Star team. Gilbert earned PrepStar All-Central Region honors at defensive end as a senior, when he earned Associated Press second-team All-State honors. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal named him to its Texas 100 List (one of 12 linebackers). 247sports.com listed him among its top five “Texas Sleepers.”

Gilbert earned first-team All-District 14-5A honors as a senior, and was first-team All-District 12-5A his junior and sophomore seasons. As a senior, he played as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker and was in on 78 tackles (39 solo), almost a third of which were for losses (25), including 10 quarterback sacks. He recorded 32 quarterback hurries, three passes broken up, two fumble recoveries (one caused) and a blocked field goal. He started at end his sophomore and junior seasons (he had at least 48 tackles, five quarterback sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a junior; his coaches didn’t always log the tackle numbers and didn’t record any his sophomore year). He played tight end on offense in special packages as a junior and senior, primarily a blocker in two-tight end formations. He also played on coverage and FG/PAT units on special teams.

“The biggest thing with Jimmie is his size and his athletic ability,” said A&M Consolidated head coach David Raffield. “He can run with a running back down the field or an inside receiver. He has learned how to play zone coverage this year. He can put his hand on the ground and rush the passer, also. Basically he was with his hand on the ground, playing defensive end a year ago. And we kind of made an adjustment to a 3-4 where he is a stand-up guy now that occasionally drops his hand down. We have used his athletic ability more and more as he has matured.”

Here are some YouTube highlights of Gilbert in action:

Gilbert had other offers from… Gilbert, though he goes to high school a stone’s throw away from the Texas A&M campus, did not have an offer from the Aggies. Gilbert did have offers from a Big 12 school, but it was from Iowa State. None of the Texas schools offered, but Gilbert did have other offers from Purdue, Boston College, Tulsa and New Mexico. Gilbert took one other official visit, to Purdue on October 6th (where he watched the home team lose to Michigan, 44-13). He was in Boulder for the 48-0 shutout loss to Stanford.

In his own words … “I’m really a hybrid,” Gilbert told CycloneReport.com. “I’ll walk down and play defensive end with my hand down or up. And then other times I’ll drop into coverage. Some schools are recruiting me as a hybrid, some are as an outside linebacker and others as a defensive end. I like the versatility and the fact I get to move around and play different roles.”

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Gunnar Graham – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 30th … Graham is an offensive lineman prospect from Kentfield, California. Graham is 6’5″, 308-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Graham … Graham is considered a three-star prospect by Rivals, but is considered only a two-star player by Scout. By Scout’s count, Graham is the No. 121 offensive tackle nationally. Graham may have been under the radar on the national level due to his only playing two seasons 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.”

As a senior, Graham earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at offensive tackle, when he was also named first-team All-State for the smaller schools by Cal-Hi Sports and MaxPreps.com (the latter also named him first-team All-Northern California for all divisions) and second-team All-State for all divisions by Cal-Hi. He was named to the San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro First Team and was a first-team All-MCAL (Marin County Athletic League) performer; he was the MCAL Offensive Lineman of the Year. He had the responsibility of blocking for the San Francisco player of the year, quarterback Jared Goff (Cal signee), who passed for 3,692 yards and 40 touchdowns (MaxPreps.com credited Graham “with keeping Goff upright.”). He also blocked for running back Akili Terry (1,866 yards) as the team overall rushed for 2,666 yards and 40 touchdowns. He played right tackle and left guard, allowing a single quarterback sack over 16 games, along with just three pressures and being flagged for only four penalties; he also had 12 direct touchdown blocks. He played nose guard in spot short yardage situations, posting a couple of tackles and recovering a fumble.

Rivals scout Adam Gorney had this to say about Graham: “I saw Gunnar Graham at the Oakland Nike Camp last year and then in the state championship game. He is a guy that rarely misses a block. He has good strength but he doesn’t overpower people. It is not like he smashes people into the ground, but he is a guy that is very capable. He has good size. He is a kid that is really smart because Marin Catholic runs a fast, difficult offense and he has been a guy that is one of the leaders on the offensive end.”

Highlights from Graham’s junior season:

Graham had other offers from … most notably, Utah, but Graham also had offers from Iowa State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Eastern Washington. Graham also 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 … “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.

“[New CU offensive line] coach [Gary] Bernardi is a great guy. He really likes running a strong and powerful offensive line and I can’t wait to be a part of it. I definitely want to help create an offensive line at Colorado that is in sync and works together as one.”

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Michael Adkins – RB

Just the facts … Committed January 31st … Adkins is a running back from La Mesa, California. Adkins is 5’11”, 195-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Adkins … Adkins is rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Scout has Adkins listed as the No. 139 running back in the nation. Adkins rushed for 1,770 yards and 24 touchdowns as Helix went 10-1 this past fall.

Adkins earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at running back as a senior, when he earned second-team All-CIF San Diego Section and first-team All-East County and All-Grossmont Hills League accolades (he was second-team All-East County as a junior). In his prep career, he rushed for 3,115 yards and 40 touchdowns, despite being a full-time starter just his senior season, when he rushed 216 times for 1,770 yards and 24 scores. He gained 100 or more yards in nine games and also caught 13 passes for 186 yards in leading the East (San Diego) County in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards. As a junior, he had 91 attempts for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 105 receiving yards and another score. As a sophomore, he had 36 carries for 426 yards and four TDs, missing half the season after suffering an injury.

Here are some YouTube highlights of Adkins:

Adkins had other offers from … Arizona, San Diego State, and San Jose State, as well as Air Force, Harvard and Yale. Adkins took official visits to San Jose State and Air Force before visiting Boulder January 18th. Adkins becomes yet another former San Jose State recruit of head coach Mike MacIntyre who is following the former Spartan coach to Boulder. “Colorado offered me in December right after Coach Mac got there, and he was recruiting me to San Jose State and offered me there,” told Scout.com after his visit to Boulder. “He’s a good coach and a good guy.”

In his own words … “I am a running back that works hard and plays tough,” Adkins told BuffStampede.com. “Colorado is going to get a running back that can play with speed out there. I am a playmaker type of guy that can make people miss in the open field and take it the distance.

“Colorado is just a good school and a good opportunity. I have a pretty good relationship with the new coaching staff, they are great. I feel like they can turn the program around. Another thing that kind of sold me is that they are in the Pac-12 with a good history and a winning tradition.”

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Ryan Severson – DB

Just the facts … Committed January 18th … Severson is a defensive back from Valley Christian high school in San Jose California (the same high school for which Jay MacIntyre, coach MacIntyre’s son, was the quarterback). Severson is 5’11”, 195-pounds. He was timed at a Nike Football camp in April at 4.46 in the 40, the second-fastest of all of the participants. Severson clocked in with a 4.44-second electronically timed 40-yard dash at Oklahoma’s camp during his sophomore year. “My fastest hand-timed 40-yard dash is 4.38-seconds,” he said. “My whole life I have been fast. I was blessed to have that.” Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to 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 is recruiting Severson as a defensive back).  He earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at running back as a senior, when MaxPreps.com named him second-team All-State at the position while Cal-Hi Sports named him third-team All-State in its multi-purpose category. He was named the San Jose Mercury News Offensive Player of the Year on its All-Area team, with the San Francisco Chronicle naming him to its All-Metro First-Team. The Contra-Costa Times selected him to its “Cream of the Crop” team, ranking him No. 17 of the 20 players on its list. He earned first-team West Catholic Athletic League honors and third-team All-Central Coast Section accolades (as a junior, he was first- and third-team, respectively). As a senior, he rushed 166 times for 1,951 yards and 32 touchdowns with a long run of 95 yards; he had 10 100-yard games, two 200-yard games and eight carries of 50 yards or longer. He also caught 14 passes for 385 yards and five more scores and added two touchdowns on returns (one punt and one kickoff), thus accounting for over 2,500 yards and 39 touchdowns for the year (he scored three or more TDs in eight games).

Here are some senior year YouTube highlights …

Severson had other offers from … San Jose State. Severson had been a San Jose State commit since December 7th, the week Mike MacIntyre was named the head coach at the University of Colorado.

In his own words … “When you are little, the mascot Ralphie is cool and they were always on TV and up until the last couple years they had always been a really good team,” Severson told BuffStampede.com of Colorado. “I just really grew to like them and I like that in Colorado you still get your snow but you still have 300-plus days of sun.

“Coach Mac invited me on the official visit and offered me and that is when I de-committed [from San Jose State] and committed to Colorado,” Severson said. “I had to take it. Ever since I was little I had wanted to go there.”

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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 had to 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. 41 middle linebacker prospect in the country. Frazier played outside linebacker when Monrovia’s defense is in the 3-4, and he lined up at defensive end when they go to a four down linemen set.

Frazier earned PrepStar All-West Region and preseason SuperPrep All-Far West honors at linebacker as a senior, when he was also named second-team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports (SuperPrep ranked him as the No. 74 player overall in California-Hawaii-Nevada, Scout.com ranked him the No. 42 inside linebacker nationally). Scout.com named him to its West 150 team, the No. 115 player overall and the sixth-ranked middle linebacker. From his sophomore through senior years, he was a three-time, first-team All-CIF Southern Section/Mid Valley Division, first-team Pasadena Star-News All-Area and All-Rio Hondo League performer, including being named his league’s defensive player of the year as a junior and senior. He was in on 84 tackles as a senior (47 solo), with eight for losses including two quarterback sacks, seven fumble recoveries (four caused) and 18 passes broken up. On offense (tight end/H-back), he rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns with seven receptions for 137 yards and two more scores. As a junior, he had 69 tackles (27 solo), 11 for losses with three sacks, as well as three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He did a little bit of everything on offense, rushing for 85 yards and a TD, catching two passes for 87 yards and a score, as well as completing 21-of-51 passes for 415 yards (w TDs/4 INT). He also started at linebacker as a sophomore, recording 77 tackles (46 solo), with nine for losses, one a sack, with two fumble recoveries and an interception. He had 230 total tackles in his prep career, with 12 fumble recoveries

Here are some video highlights from Frazier’s senior 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. “It wasn’t that hard of a transition,” Frazier told Scout.com of the coaching change, “because the coaches that came in already knew about me. They came from San Jose State, and that was my first offer. I was happy. If it was anybody, I’m glad that it was them. Coach Mac is a great coach and he gets the job done.”

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Kenneth Olugbode – Ath/LB

Just the facts … Committed January 29th … Olugbode is an athlete from Bellarmine Prep in San Jose, California. Olugbode is 6’1″, 198-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Olugbode … Olugbode is rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals has Olugbode listed as an athlete, while Scout has him listed as the No. 144 outside linebacker in the nation. Olugbode earned PrepStar All- West Region honors at outside linebacker as a senior, when MaxPreps.com named him first-team All-Northern California for all divisions with Cal-Hi Sports naming him second-team All-State in its multi-purpose category. The Contra-Costa Times selected him to its “Cream of the Crop” team, ranking him No. 14 of the 20 players on its list. He was also the West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year as well as the San Jose Mercury News CCS Player of the Year in making the paper’s All-Area team. He earned second-team All-State and first-team All-WCAL honors. As a senior, he played running back and tight end on offense, rushing for 787 yards and 14 touchdowns, a 7.7 average for his 102 carries. He caught eight passes for 207 yards and another score.

Here are some YouTube highlights:

CU may be looking at Olugbode as a future safety, but that wasn’t the case when Mike MacIntyre was recruiting him to play for the Spartans. “They want me as a linebacker, even though Coach Mac said he could see me on the offensive side of the ball as a receiver,” Olugbode told Scout.com back in September.

Olugbode had other offers from … San Jose State. Olugbode committed to San Jose State back on September 7th. He did have interest from other schools, including Oregon State, Nevada, Colorado State and UCLA. He is a former 7-on-7 partner with Chidobe Awuzie, another CU recruit.

In his own words … “A big reason why I pushed to go to Colorado since Coach Mac left San Jose State is because I got to see what he did with their program,” Olugbode told BuffStampede.com. “Coach Mac pretty much rose the San Jose State program up from the ashes and I think he has an even better chance of doing it at Colorado with it being a Pac-12 school. Being of course in the Pac-12 they are going to get even better players. And Coach [Dave] Forman, the strength and conditioning coach, is just great.”

“They want me on defense and that’s where I enjoy playing the most,” Olugbode told Scout.com. “I’m just going to keep working hard and hopefully I can come in and make an immediate impact next season. That’s my goal right now and I’m already excited at the opportunity to play at CU next year.”

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Timothy Coleman – DE

Just the facts … Committed January 25th … Coleman is a defensive end from Mullen high in Aurora, Colorado. Coleman is 6’3″, 243-pounds, and runs a 4.78 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Coleman … Coleman is rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. In Scout’s opinion, Coleman is the No. 188 defensive end in the nation. What may well have limited Coleman’s rating is that he was injured just two games into his senior season, after playing on offense as a junior. “It was just a situation where I thought it was best for our team and best for the kid for him to play defensive end,” Mullen head coach Tom Thenell said. “He loved and embraced his new role. He has terrific leverage and he has got tremendous athletic ability for a guy with his hand down.” Coleman tore a ligament in his knee in Mullen’s game against De La Salle (Calif.).

Coleman earned PrepStar All-Central Region honors at defensive end as a senior, despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in Mullen’s second game of the year at national power De La Salle (Calif.), suffering both torn ligaments (ACL and MCL) and meniscus that required surgery (which he had in November). He was a first-team All-5A West Metro League performer as a junior offensive tackle. In roughly a game-and-a-half at defensive end before being hurt as a senior, he racked up 14 tackles, five quarterback sacks, nine pressures, two forced fumbles and a pass broken up, appearing to be on his way to a big season. He did not play much defense as a junior, and in a reserve role as a sophomore, he had five hurries, two fumble recoveries and a sack. He was a two-year starter at left offensive tackle, and did not allow a quarterback sack or was called for a single penalty his junior or senior seasons (14 games); he allowed only four pressures and had numerous touchdown blocks

Coleman has reportedly recovered fully, and will be ready to go next fall … but the Buffs may not want him to. Coleman just turned 17 in October, so there is plenty of room for growth – and maturity.

Here is a link to some Coleman highlights …

Coleman had other offers from … most notably, Colorado State. Coleman committed to the Rams on December 9th after taking his official visit to Ft. Collins. Coleman also had offers from New Mexico and Northern Colorado, as long as interest from TCU.

In his own words … On his changed commitment from CSU to Colorado. Citing the, “overall feel of Colorado and what they had to offer,” Coleman made his decision. Coleman went onto to tell PrepColorado.com, “The new coach and staff are great! They seem ready to go, able to make the change and pumped to be there.”

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Jonathan Huckins – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 11th … Huckins is an offensive lineman prospect from The Woodlands, Texas. Huckins is 6’4″, 312-pounds, and runs a 5.1 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Huckins … Huckins is considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a three-star prospect. Scout lists Huckins as the No. 79 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. He earned PrepStar All-Central Region honors at offensive guard as a senior, when the Houston Chronicle named him to its All-Greater Houston team as well as among its Houston Top 100; he also earned honorable mention All-State (from the Associated Press), second-team All-District 14-5A and first-team All-County honors. Rivals ranked him as the No. 75 offensive guard in the nation. As a junior, he was a second-team All-District performer. A two-year starter (26 games), he had 118 career pancake blocks and over 20 direct touchdown blocks for the Highlanders ferocious running game. As a senior, he graded out above 85 percent in allowing just one quarterback sack, five pressures and being called for a single penalty (a false start). He allowed just two sacks and one pressure while being flagged for five penalties. He played some defensive tackle on spot occasions (goal line, short yardage), making three tackles (two for losses) as a senior and five (one for a loss) as a junior.

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 … only Iowa State, though a number of other schools had shown interest. Arizona State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Houston, and West Virginia were amongst the schools which were recruiting Huckins before his commitment to Colorado. After Jon Embree was fired, Huckins heard from Arizona State, Louisiana Tech, Washington State and Iowa State.

In his own words … “Really any offense where I can hit somebody else is good enough for me,” Huckins said after the coaching change at Colorado. Huckins did play in a spread offense throughout his prep career at The Woodlands (Texas) High so he would seemingly fit well into MacIntyre’s system. “I talked to him the day after he got hired and it went well,” Huckins said. “I think they picked up a really good coach.”

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Phillip Lindsay

Just the facts … Committed March 23rd … Lindsay is a running back from Denver South high. Lindsay is 5’10”, 173-pounds, and has been timed at 4.49 in the 40. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about Lindsay … Lindsay is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, but only a two-star prospect by Scout. Rivals has Lindsay listed as the No. 5 player out of the state of Colorado this season, while Scout has Lindsay as the No. 122 running back in the nation. The No. 5 overall and top running back prospect in the state by the Denver Post, he earned PrepStar All-Central Region honors at running back as a senior, despite suffering a knee injury in the season opener. He sat out one game and came back to play in South’s third game (against rival East), but came out after one quarter as was injured again. It was then determined he had a torn ACL instead of a sprain, and underwent surgery on September 19. In those two games, he still rushed for 299 yards on 31 carries, scoring two touchdowns, with one reception for 18 yards and a punt return for 35; he thus had 33 touches for 352 yards, or 10.6 per. On defense, he had 12 tackles (five solo). SuperPrep named him to its preseason All-Midlands team, the No. 49 player overall in the region and the third-ranked running back. As a junior, he earned first-team All-State honors from the Denver Post; his freshman through junior seasons, he earned first-team All-Conference honors on offense (4A West Metro as a frosh, 5A Denver League as a sophomore and junior); he was first-team on defense as a junior and second-team as freshman and soph.

Lindsay finished his prep career with 4,587 rushing yards and over 300 tackles, but missed most of his senior season. Lindsay suffered the a torn ACL injury during Denver South’s opener on Aug. 31 against Mesa Ridge, the same game in which he broke his father Troy Lindsay’s 33-yard old Denver Public Schools rushing record. “Three different doctors told me I had a lower hamstring injury and it was feeling better so I sat out the next game and came back the following week against East and I was tearing it up,” Lindsay told BuffStampede.com in September. “I had 139 yards in the first quarter and I broke a 65-yard touchdown. I came to find out after that I was doing that with no ACL, so that whole time I was just running on a bone. I got an MRI that Monday, got the results on Tuesday and I was in for surgery on Wednesday. It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to get nervous or anything. When I played with the injury, it was not that painful. That is shocking for a lot of people but my pain tolerance is really high. Even after the surgery, it is not that painful. I am already walking on my crutches, trying to get it strong again.”

Lindsay had other offers from … Utah, but also had interest from Colorado State and Boise State. Two factors worked against Lindsay having very many other offers. First, Lindsay was the first commit of the 2013 recruiting class, signing on back in March, which certainly deterred other schools. Second, Lindsay being injured so early into his senior season made him a forgotten recruit as the 2012 season wore on.

In his own words … “Rehab is going well,” Lindsay said in January after his official visit. “I have seven months until I get to CU and it is all about strengthening it and once I get that, I will be on my way.”

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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 had to say about Kronshage … Kronshage is considered by Rivals to be a three-star prospect, but 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, while Scout lists Kronshage as the No. 133 offensive tackle prospect nationally. The Woodlands played 12 games this season before bowing out in the second round of the state playoffs, and Kronshage was named the Highlanders’ offensive line MVP six times. As a senior, he earned PrepStar All-Central Region honors at offensive tackle. The Houston Chronicle named him as a member of its Houston Top 100, and he earned honorable mention All-State, first-team All-District 14-5A, first-team All-County and first-team All-Greater Houston honors. He played in the International Bowl, as he was a member of Team USA (U-18) that squared off against Team Canada. He also was a second-team All-District performer as a junior. A two-year starter at offensive tackle, he had over 80 pancake blocks, 20 direct touchdown blocks and did not allow a quarterback sack in his 26-game career. As a senior, he graded out to 89 percent, highest on the team; he allowed four quarterback pressures and was called for five penalties.

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.

In his own words … “He said, ‘I like your size, I like your athleticism and I can’t wait to get you up here,'” Kronshage said of his first conversation with MacIntyre. “The coaching change was definitely kind of stressful but I was patient with it and I am glad they finally got a new coach in there. He sounds like a great coach …. “I feel like I am a good pass blocker because we did that a lot, half our plays were passing plays,” Kronshage said. “I also feel like I can get to the second level well.”

Kronshage played in a spread offense throughout high school and he is looking forward to fitting into the pistol offense that MacIntyre plans to run at Colorado. “I feel like I can definitely go in there and do well in that system”, Kronshage told BuffStampede.com.

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Markeis Reed – LB – (Already enrolled)

Just the facts … Committed January 5th … Reed is a defensive end prospect from Napa California, who is being recruited to play the Sam linebacker position at Colorado. Reed is 6’3 1/2″, 221-pounds. Reed reportedly runs a 4.68 in the 40. Reed has already enrolled at Colorado for the Spring semester, and will be eligible to begin practices this spring. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Reed … Reed is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals; a two-star prospect by Scout. Reed is considered by Scout to be the No. 133 defensive end prospect in the country. He earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at defensive end as a senior, when he was first-team All-Napa Valley and first-team All-Monticello Empire League (second-team All-MEL at running back) while being a finalist for the area’s defensive player of the year. As a junior, he was first-team All-Napa Valley and second-team All-MEL. He played three positions in high school, shifting between outside linebacker and defensive end and running back. On defense, as a senior he recorded 69 tackles (42 solo), with six quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass broken up, while as a junior, he had 43 tackles (27 unassisted), with six tackles for loss including three sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery. He played offense (running back) as a senior, averaging 5.8 yards per carry as he ran for 730 yards and nine touchdowns on 125 tries with a long gain of 60.

Here is what a Rivals scout Adam Gorney had to say about Reed: “Undersized guy, but fast. He was going to walk-on at USC and I thought that he definitely had the ability to play FBS football. He was really good at the B2G Camp last summer; really fast, has a lot of speed, has a little bit of power to him, too. So I like him a lot. He is a guy at 6-foot-5 that definitely has great length but was really lean when I saw him at 210-pounds. (Quote from Reed: “I saw Adam Gorney at B2G and he said I looked like a wide receiver. I had my physical on my visit to Colorado and I weighed in at 221-pounds. I have been in the weight room trying to put the weight on and trying to eat a lot.”) He could be a guy that could kind of be a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end type until he puts on enough weight to be more of a traditional defensive end.”

Here is a link to some video highlights of Reed in action.

NorCalPreps.com had this to say about Reed this past October: Reed’s strengths: The Vintage senior has a really long frame and looks like he should be able to start filling out pretty quickly. He’s not your typical long defensive end that just specializes in pass rushing, either. Reed seems to do pretty well against the run and that’s something that not enough guys at this level who are headed to the BCS level are comfortable with. Problem areas: The physical side of things is where Reed’s future makes it tricky and tough to project how he will pan out. At 6-foot-5 and 210-pounds he would have an outstanding build as a wide receiver or perhaps even a pass-catching tight end (maybe someone will give him a look there), but it’s a stretch to list him as a defensive end. But that may be his best hope at the next level.

Reed had other offers from … Colorado State, San Diego State and Iowa State. Reed had indicated back in August that his intention was to become a preferred walk-on at USC. Reed took his first official visit to Colorado on January 4th, and committed to the Buffs without taking any other official visits. There were relatively few offers for Reed, but he attributes that to his early commitment to USC. “Pretty much the whole Pac-12 except Stanford, Cal and the Arizona schools” Reed told BuffStampede.com. “USC, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State were the big schools that were recruiting me and I had a lot of Mountain West interest with Boise State and Colorado State had offered me and San Diego State offered me as well and Iowa State offered me from the Big 12. But when I put my mind towards a USC preferred walk-on, I kind of shut my recruiting process out so it kind of slowed me down for other things.”

In his own words … “They need linebackers, that is the biggest thing that they need right now,” Reed told Rivals.com. “I have played defensive end and linebacker in high school. I know college is different but my main position in high school was defensive end and my second position was linebacker but I think they can mold me into a good linebacker. They told me that I would play Sam linebacker, where I would be putting pressure on the quarterback and not dropping back as much but I will be covering tight ends so that is what the big talk has really been, playing that linebacker spot.”

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Addison Gillam – LB – (San Jose 2012 Gray-shirt)

Just the facts … Committed January 8th … Gillam is a 6’3″, 215-pound linebacker from Palo Cedro, California. He was a 2012 high school graduate, who was to be a grayshirt for San Jose State. Instead, he is following coach Mike MacIntyre (and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kent Baer) from San Jose State to Colorado. Gillam will be on scholarship, and will still have five years to play four. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Gillam … Gillam was rated as a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. With a reported time of 4.53 in the 40-yard-dash, Gillam said he participated in track during the spring of his senior year in high school, running the 100-yard-dash, the 4×100 and 4×400 relays, and the 400. He played both linebacker and running back. On a season that saw Foothill high post a 10-2 record, Gillam averaged over seven tackles per game on defense, being credited with 139 tackles, three interceptions and nine pass breakups. On offense he averaged nearly 10 yards a carry and scored five touchdowns. Here is a link to YouTube videos of Gillam.

Gillam had other offers from … only UC-Davis. Gillam was a grayshirt for San Jose State as he was recovering from a shoulder injury. “He had his shoulder scoped [in March], nothing major, but San Jose State just felt like it would be better if he came on board in January, didn’t rush the rehab back being a freshman,” Gillam’s high school coach at Foothill, Bryon Hamilton, explained to BuffStampede.com. “He also got a chance to get a couple units under his belt here at the Junior College.”

In his own words … “I wasn’t really happy with the coaching change at San Jose State so I got a release and I started looking at other schools,” Gillam told BuffStampede.com. “I talked to some coaches at Washington State and Fresno State and of course I knew ‘Coach Mac’ so I got ahold of him and he got me a spot on the team at Colorado so I decided I am going to go there.

“I really like what he did with San Jose State. He really turned that program around. He is a great coach and he has a lot of qualities that I like. I like how he brought the team together and got them closer at San Jose State and I think that he will do the same thing at Colorado.”

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But wait! There’s more …

Jeffrey Thomas – WR – CU Gray-shirt from the Class of 2012

Just the facts … Committed June 18th, 2011 … Thomas is a wide receiver prospect from Duncanville, Texas. Thomas is 6’3″, 180-pounds, and runs a 4.66 in the 40. Thomas was a member of the CU Recruiting Class of 2012. He came to Boulder last summer, and participated in the first half of fall camp before returning home for personal reasons. He is now considered a grayshirt. He enrolled in classes for the Spring semester, and is eligible to participate in spring drills. Thomas will still have five years to play four. Rivals bio Scout bio

Here are some highlights from Thomas’ senior season:

What others say about Thomas … Thomas was considered by both Rivals and Scout to be a three-star prospect as part of the Class of 2012. Scout rated Thomas to be the 117th-best wide receiver in the nation. For a 7-4 Duncanville high team in 2011, Thomas led the team with 59 receptions for 899 yards and 12 touchdowns. One report from Scout.com had this to say about Thomas: “Thomas is a big receiver with long arms who uses his body effectively to shield defenders from the ball. He will work the middle of the field and will make the sound catches. Because of the style of his game he will thrive once he gets in to college and starts to add on weight with maturity and conditioning.”

An Orangebloods.com’s scout had to say about Thomas: “I don’t know why things haven’t completely come together for the 6-3, 180-pound Thomas because he’s a guy that at his best has some absolute star upside as a receiver. Obviously, the kid has size, but he’s a guy that has flashed really good ball skills and big-play upside in his time at Duncanville. What you like about Thomas a big-play receiver is that he can stretch the field and go up to get the football. But he also has a little shake and bake after the catch that makes him a difficult player to defend in space. The knock on Thomas is that he’s not a burner and it’s fair to say that he’ll have average speed as a college receiver … At this point, he’s a work in progress, but there’s a lot there to work with. When we talk about three star prospects with four-star upside, he’s a perfect example.”

Thomas had other offers from … a number of schools, but only one other from a BCS conference school, Iowa State. Thomas did also hold offers from schools like Boise State, Memphis, Tulsa, Wyoming and North Texas. Thomas had attracted attention from Georgia, Cal, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Texas A&M.

In his own words … Former CU wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy’s used seven years of service as the recruiting coordinator at Texas to its advantage. “I met (coach Kennedy) at a Texas camp and when he changed schools he kept up with me,” Thomas told BuffStampede.com about his recruitment. “He came out to spring ball (in May) and offered me on the spot. I was excited about that.” Thomas said he’s intrigued by Colorado and the prospect of playing in the Pac-12. He also said he liked the idea of playing in a pro-style offense. ”I think my biggest strength is my ability to go up and make plays, I’d consider myself a physical receiver and I definitely like to use my size and strength to my advantage,” Thomas told the OldCoach.com, who says he wants to improve his straight line speed and his route running this summer.

“Out of all the schools that I talked to and possibly could get an offer from, Colorado just had everything right to offer and I see no downside to it. Now was a better time than ever,” Thomas told BuffStampede.com. “When I committed, I talked to every coach on their staff and they all loved me and can’t wait to get me out there. They were excited.” Thomas grew up in the Richmond area of Northern California. He moved to the Lone Star State prior to seventh grade. “I have a lot of family still out there in California and they can come see me play in the Pac-12,” Thomas said. “I wanted to play in the Pac-12 my whole life. Knowing that I am going to play against USC and Oregon and all those schools, it is just great.”

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Derek McCartney – DE – CU gray-shirt from Class of 2012

Just the facts … Committed January 22, 2012 … McCartney is a 6’4″, 220-pound defensive end from Faith Christian high in Arvada, Calorado. Rivals bio Scout bio

What others had to say about McCartney … McCartney, son of former Buff Shannon Clavelle, and grandson of former CU head coach Bill McCartney, did not have much going for him other than his lineage coming out of high school.

Here are some YouTube highlights from McCartney’s high school career:

McCartney had offers from … no other schools. McCartney did not have any BCS conference scholarship offers coming out of high school, though he had been invited by both Baylor and Oregon to join their teams as a walk-on.

In his own words … There was speculation that, after Jon Embree was fired, that the grandson of Bill McCartney might look elsewhere for his education. “Personally I thought (Embree) would be able to turn it around,” McCartney told BuffStampede.com shortly after the firing. “I didn’t see it going down.

” I’ve just talking to my family,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out what is the best thing. I still love Colorado and I’ve always been a Buff.”

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Gerrad Kough – OL – CU grayshirt from the Class of 2012

Just the facts … Committed July 1, 2011 … Kough is an offensive line prospect from Pomona, California. Kough is 6’4″, 265-pounds. Rivals bio Scout bio YouTube highlights ESPN bio

What others had to say about Kough… Kough was considered a two-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Kough plays tackle for Pomona, but is being recruited by Colorado to play guard, and is considered by Scout to be the No. 102 offensive guard prosect in the nation.

Offensive coordinator and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy was responsible for Kough’s recruitment from the Buffaloes’ staff. Kough had also been in contact with head coach Jon Embree and offensive line coach Steve Marshall. Here is what an ESPN analyst had to say about Kough: “Kough is a tough run blocker who displays the upper body playing strength to dominate his present level of opponent. Has the size and athleticism for the offensive tackle position at the major level of competition. Will need to work on initial quickness and explosion as well as adding body mass to his frame. Playing out of a three point stance we detect some hip and ankle stiffness however it does not appear to affect his ability to play on his feet in space; comes off the ball aggressively but too high when establishing initial contact; does tend to narrow his base but is able to get movement and sustain due to his persistent leg drive. Flashes good pull around ability; we see the potential to set the edge and maintain leverage on “5″ technique defenders. With improved initial quickness and pad level we see the potential to consistently get a hat on active 1st and 2nd level defenders. Additional body mass along with the nasty finishing attitude this guy plays with, we see a lineman capable of making the necessary run blocks at the next level. Flashes nimble feet and along with his arm length and quick hands he should be an effective pass pro blocker. Shows the ability to quick set but must work on bend and balance; plays too high and gets caught up on his toes at times. Demonstrates good initial punch and placement, working to re-locate the hands inside the frame. Kough does not appear to be an immediate starter at the BCS level of play, rather a prospect in need of some time and perhaps a red shirt year to grow physically, improve his athleticism while polishing his technical skills.”

Kough had other offers from … only Army and Portland State. However, Kough was drawing interest from Arizona State, UCLA, Washington and Fresno State. “Since I committed (in July), it has just been Colorado that I have been talking to,” Kough told BuffStampede.com. “Colorado said they like me because I am a good run blocker and I have good feet. They want me to come in and compete at (offensive) guard.”

In his own words… “Colorado said they like me because I finish, I play through the whistle,” said Kough. As to his official visit in December, 2012, Kough told Scout.com. “It was real nice and real pretty out there. All the facilities were real nice and it’s just a real nice school and the best one I’ve been to.” Kough was hosted on his visit by Alex Lewis but also spent a lot of time with Jered Bell, his former teammate at Colony HS in Ontario.”I got to talk a lot with Jared,” said Kough.

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Austin Vincent – WR – Suspended, trying to rejoin the team as a walk-on

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

Vincent’s suspension and return to CU … Vincent was suspended in January, 2012, for the spring semester by the CU Office of Judicial Affairs after he was arrested in the fall semester for allegedly exposing himself to an 18-year-old female CU student in the women’s bathroom at Willard Hall while she was showering. Vincent played in one game in his true freshman season. He did not dress for another game the rest of the season. Vincent re-enrolled at CU this January, and will try to make the team as a walk-on this spring.

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

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

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

By the time Vincent did qualify (in March, 2011), Iowa had moved on. “We communicated with Iowa initially when we found out his (SAT) score, and told them that he was re-taking the test, and we got the results back March 11th,” Vincent’s father, Graylind Vincent, told BuffStampede.com. “Apparently, Iowa did not want to wait. They didn’t think he was going to qualify.”

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

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

This post, about the Recruiting - Class of 2013 game, from the 2013 Season, is filed under Article.
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