Colorado Football Recruiting: Colorado High School Star Joins Buffs As Long Snapper

A team's long snapper may be its least talked about position— at least until someone messes up— but it's critical nonetheless. It's also a position that rarely, if ever, gets addressed in recruiting, but Colorado Buffaloes head coach Jon Embree is bringing in a Monarch High star this fall to compete at the position, according to Joshua Lindenstein of BuffZone.com.

Colorado Lands Best Running Back Class Out Of Pac-12

The 2012 football recruiting class for the Colorado Buffaloes was rated 28th in the nation, but it was near the bottom of the Pac-12. However, the one area where Colorado did well the running back position where they came out with the leagues top class, according to Rivals.com Adam Gorney:

After a 3-10 season in 2011, Colorado needs players that can make things happen all over the field and the Buffaloes did a quality job loading up at running back by signing four players. Three-star Davien Payne and Terrence Crowder are big, punishing backs and Donta Abron could be the sleeper in this class. Clay Norgard is expected to play fullback and he's a tough, hard-nosed player.

Landing the top running back class is impressive, and especially since Colorado is coming off of a three-win season. Colorado beat out the Washington St. Cougars and the Arizona St. Sun Devils who rounded out the top-three spots.

Here is how Colorado fared for the rest of the positions:

--Tied for fourth at quarterback
--Tied for eighth at wide receiver
--Fourth at tight end
--Twelfth at offensive line
--Fourth at defensive tackle
--Seventh at defensive end
--Fourth at defensive back
--Tied for sixth with players designated as athlete

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

Colorado Football Recruiting: Buffaloes Come Away With Solid Class After National Signing Day 2012

Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Jon Embree had his first true recruiting class for the school during the 2011-12 season since he was hired only late into the 2010 season. And so far the early results are looking good for the team's future.

Over at ESPN's RecruitingNation (Insider), the Buffs receive a B-minus for this class. Yuri Wright is rightly pegged as the top prospect of this class since he is a top-five cornerback among high school recruits. But, as the write up indicates, Wright needs to show maturity after his indiscretions on Twitter. Indiscretions that reportedly had him kicked out of school and lose a scholarship offer to Michigan.

ESPN also highlights the addition of Kenneth Crawley, a cornerback who is part of a trio of players coming from Washington, D.C. Defensive line and running back were also positions that received a boost from this class.

Scout.com gave the Buffaloes the No. 29 class this year. Not bad for a team that won just three games this past fall.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

Colorado Football Recruiting: Seth Jacobs Commits To Oklahoma State Over Buffaloes

According to national football recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman of Fox Sports, linebacker Seth Jacobs has chosen the Oklahoma State Cowboys over the Colorado Buffaloes.

Arroyo Grande (Calif.) outside linebacker Seth Jacobs has announced for Oklahoma State...

— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) February 2, 2012

Jacobs was on the radar of Colorado coach Jon Embree for a while, so missing out on the outside linebacker will surely sting. Jacobs was a consensus four-star recruit. He was ranked the No. 38 prospect in the state of California and the No. 28 linebacker prospect in the country according to Rivals.

Colorado had a strong day, but missing on Jacobs will hurt because the Buffaloes did not sign any other linebackers in their recruiting class.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

Colorado Football Recruiting: Jon Embree Discusses Yuri Wright

The Colorado Bufafloes are polishing off a brand new 2012 recruiting class under head coach Jon Embree, and the coach recently held a press conference to discuss his new class and the National Signing Day. Over at the Twitter feed for Ralphie Report, SB Nation's Colorado Buffaloes blog, they have some quotes.

Among the things that Embree talked about were his signing of New Jersey cornerback Yuri Wright and his stance on players using Twitter. Wright was expelled from Don Bosco Prep because of tweets that the school perceived as racist and sexist.

No, I didn't have any reservations about Yuri Wright. I understand that he made a mistake, but I don't think that's any reason to bury a kid. It never once crossed my mind not to help this kid, be it if he came here or went somewhere else.

Wright is considered an elite prospect. Rivals.com rated him as the third-best prospect from New Jersey and the No. 85 prospect in the entire country. Embree isn't particularly concerned by his Twitter use, though, noting that he only has a couple rules.

Don't tweet anything about girls, don't use the n-word, and don't tweet anything about your teammates.

As long as Wright can keep in line with the rules, Colorado likely has quite the weapon on defense now.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

2012 National Signing Day: Jontrey Tillman Decides Against Colorado Visit, Signs With Houston

Defensive back/running back Jontrey Tillman was set to be a Stanford Cardinal but he had to essentially restart his recruiting process a week prior to signing day since he was denied admissions for unclear reasons even though he seemed to have the grades to get in. As of Jan. 31 his plan was to not make a decision on signing day but rather the idea was to take a step back and go on more official visits.

Seth Jacobs Recruiting: Four-Star LB To Choose Between Colorado, Arkansas And Oklahoma St.

Four-star linebacker recruit Seth Jacobs has trimmed down his choices to Colorado, Arkansas and Oklahoma State as he prepares to announce which school he'll sign a National Letter of Intent with, according to Adam Musterteiger of Rivals.com.

Jacobs had previously listed those three teams in addition to UCLA as his four possibilities, but it appears that he's eliminated the Bruins. With that announcement, it appears that the 6-foot-2, 215-pound athlete will be leaving his home state to play football elsewhere.

Jacobs, an outside linebacker, played high school football in Arroyo Grande, Calif. He's ranked as the No. 38 prospect in the state of California and the No. 28 linebacker prospect in the nation, so landing him would be a major victory for Buffaloes coach Jon Embree.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

Colorado Football Recruiting: Yuri Wright Among First Buffs Recruits To Join On National Signing Day 2012

The faxes are starting to roll in at the football offices of the Colorado Buffaloes, and their first official commit of the day just happened to be their biggest. At 5:46 a.m. MT, New Jersey-based CB Yuri Wright— a consensus four-star recruit who chose the Buffaloes over Rutgers, among others— faxed his Letter of Intent to Boulder. Wright has been joined today by five other official commits:

2012 National Signing Day Announcement Times Schedule

National signing day takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and many of the country's top football prospects will be making their college choices throughout the day. ESPNU will televise a bunch of the most notable announcements; the ESPNU television schedule can be seen below (all times eastern).

DE Mario Edwards (No. 1 ranked prospect in ESPNU 150): 9:05 a.m.
OLB Josh Harvey-Clemons (No. 17): 9:15 a.m.
CB Tracy Howard (No. 18): 9:35 a.m.
DT Eddie Goldman (No. 10): 10:05 a.m.
WR Dorial Green-Beckham (No. 3): 10:15 a.m.
OLB Kwon Alexander (No. 29): 11:05 a.m.
S Trae Elston (No. 10 safety): 11:05 a.m.
WR Nelson Agholor (No. 47): 12:05 p.m.
WR Thomas Johnson (No. 33): 12:20 p.m.
OT Andrus Peat (No. 9): 1:35 p.m.
OT Avery Young (No. 61): 2 p.m.
CB Ronald Darby (No. 38) 2:30 p.m.

The Colorado Buffaloes are not in contention for any of these prospects, but several of them could end up at rival Pac-12 schools, which is something to keep an eye on.

Related: Colorado Buffaloes Recruiting: Closing In On Signing Day

Colorado State and Air Force also are not in the running for any of the prospects set to announce on ESPNU Wednesday.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. Head over to SB Nation's college football recruiting hub for more on National Signing Day 2012.

Colorado Football Recruiting: Jon Embree Reaches NCAA Limit Of 28 Recruits

When news spread Tuesday afternoon that three-star fullback Christian Powell changed his commitment from UCLA to Colorado, it was significant beyond just another impressive recruit landed by Buffaloes coach Jon Embree. Powell's addition means Colorado has 28 recruits set, which is the NCAA limit.

Colorado had gone 27 years between signing three recruits from the same high school, but they did it twice in 2012. Powell went to Upland High School in Upland, Calif., along with fellow recruits tailback Donta Abron and cornerback Marques Mosley. Colorado also has three players committed from Woodson High School in Washington, D.C.

Here's a look at Colorado's updated list of commitments:

The Brush News-Tribune reported that there is a way Colorado could add more names to its list:

Julie Manning, CU's director of compliance, said there are scenarios in which CU and other programs can announce more than 28 additions on signing day, but only 28 recruits are allowed to sign national letters of intent. The NCAA recently approved a rule change that will go into effect next year that limits the number to 25 in any one year.

Manning said if CU has more than 28 prospects who want to join the program, the only way to include more than 28 in the class is if one or more players agrees to pay a $300 enrollment deposit and join the program as a walk-on. Manning said after June 1, that player or players could be awarded a scholarship if one is available.

Embree said today that he doesn't expect to have more than 28 names to announce on Wednesday.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

National Signing Day 2012: Jontrey Tillman Plans To Visit Colorado After Not Being Accepted To Stanford

The 2012 Colorado Buffaloes class is nearly complete, but there could be one more player in the mix to fill out the 2012 class. Jontrey Tillman is 5-foot-9-inch, weighs 183-pounds and has been clocked in at running a 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Tillman is listed as an athlete and is from Baldwin (La.) West St. Mary found and up until Jan. 20 he was set on becoming a Stanford Cardinal. However, even with a 4.0 GPA and a score of a 26 on the ACT Tillman was not admitted to Stanford:

"It is a disappointing situation but we are moving on. He is fortunate that there are other colleges that are still interested this late. He has a second chance to start over with recruiting. He just wants to have a chance to trust a staff, that are going to help him as an all-around person, not just as a football player."

Other teams in pursuit of Tillman in addition to Colorado are the Washington St. Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, Northwestern Wildcats and the Houston Cougars. Tillman visited Houston this past weekend and they seem to be in the lead, but that is also the only visit that he has taken.

It his highly unlikely that Tillman will sign with a team on Feb. 1 as he has plans to visit Colorado this weekend, but he is also on the basketball team and has games this weekend so the trip might be delayed.

In high school Tillman played receiver, running back, cornerback and punt returner and could play any of those positions at the college level.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

Colorado Buffaloes Recruiting 2012: Christian Powell Swtiches From UCLA To Buffs

The Colorado Buffaloes picked up another recruit on Tuesday, Christian Powell of Upland High School in California. Powell had been committed to the UCLA Bruins for a little over two weeks, but on Monday night he decided to change directions and provide a verbal commitment to the Buffs.

Powell is a 5-foot-11, 250-pound fullback who is rated a three-star prospect by the Rivals. Other schools that he visited 9and received offers from) included the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Texas A&M Aggies and the Washington Huskies. Arkansas State and San Jose State had made offers, but he did not visit those schools.

As Jon Woods points out over at Ralphie Report, Powell is teammates with fellow Buffs recruits Donta Abron and Marques Mosley at Upland.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

National Signing Day 2012: Colorado's Class Is Nearly Complete

National singing day is tomorrow Feb. 1 and right now the Colorado Buffaloes are close to being completely done with their 2012 class. There could be some changes tomorrow as all commits are verbal commits at this point and non-binding. At this moment Colorado has 28 verbal commits with the possibility of that number being 31 since there are a few other players who are considering Colorado. One player that is rumored to commit to Colorado is fullback Christian Powell who is considering switching his commitment from the UCLA Bruins to Colorado.

Then there is outside linebacker Seth Jacobs who is waiting to make his announcement at 6:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 1, and is deciding between Colorado, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys and Arkansas Razorbacks. Also there is athlete Jontrey Tillman who was committed to the Stanford Cardinal but even with exceptional grades he did not gain admission and is now considering Colorado among others, and he is likely to delay his decision past national signing day.

Here is the list of current verbal commits for the 2012 class, and the star rating average is a combination from ESPN, Scout, Rivals and 247 Sports:

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from college football recruiting check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

National Signing Day 2012: Seth Jacobs In Play For Colorado Buffaloes Before Wednesday Anouncement

Jon Embree and the Colorado Buffaloes have put a strong finish on the 2012 recruiting class with the verbal commitments of two four-star cornerbacks last week: Kenneth Crawley and Yuri Wright. They are the first two four-star recruits the team has picked up this recruiting class (quarterback Shane Dillon has fallen to a three-star recruit since the time of his commitment). But the Buffaloes aren't done yet with possible four-star linebacker Seth Jacobs set to make an announcement on his college future late Wednesday night.

Four-star OLB Seth Jacobs still plans to wait until 7:30 pm (MST) on Wednesday to announce his college decision: bit.ly/x9yhjv #Buffs

— Adam Munsterteiger (@adamcm777) January 31, 2012

Jacobs has narrowed down his choices to Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and UCLA. The latter is in the midst of turning in a top recruiting class with the arrival of Jim Mora as its new head coach (former Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel was dismissed back in December).

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from around college football, head over to SB Nation's NCAA football news hub.

Ed Caldwell Turns Down Two Scholarships To Be A Preferred Walk-On At Colorado

Ed Caldwell is a 6-foot-6-inch 284-pound offensive lineman from Highlands Ranch (Colo.) High School and he turned down a pair of scholarship offers from Northern Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines to be a preferred walk-on for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Caldwell made the decision after taking an unofficial visit in mid-January and made the decision this past weekend:

"I knew if I didn't take the opportunity to go play football at an FBS program, take a shot at it, I would be regretting it later in life. I always set my goals high and I work hard to get them accomplished."

On Caldwell's visit he was with offensive line coach Steve Marshall who said that he could come in right away and be in the mix for the third-team right tackle position. In his senior year at Highlands Ranch Caldwell was named a second-team all-conference player.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from around college football, head over to SB Nation's NCAA football news hub.

Vincent Hobbs And Jeffrey Hall Commit To Colorado Buffaloes

As college football national signing day approaches, the Colorado Buffaloes received a pair of commitments on Sunday: Vincent Hobbs, a tight end prospect from Texas, and Jeffrey Hall, an athlete/defensive back from Louisiana.

The Ralphie Report had this to say about Hobbs:

Jon Embree has gotten a guy with a huge upside and added to an already stellar tight end class.

And Hall:

Jeffrey could play either cornerback or wide receiver at the next level, but he will mostly likely start out at corner in Boulder. He looks to be a case where his offers are better than his recruiting rankings as offers from Arizona, Kansas State, and Indiana are nothing to scoff at.

For tons of additional information on both recruits, including their star rankings from various recruiting services, hit those two links from The Ralphie Report.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out The Ralphie Report. For more from around college football, head over to SB Nation's NCAA football news hub.

Colorado Buffaloes Football Moves To No. 33 In Rivals' 2012 Recruiting Class Rankings

The Colorado Buffaloes are moving up in the recruiting class rankings with National Signing Day just one week away. With the addition of two four-star recruits, Kenneth Crawley and Yuri Wright, the Buffs picked up its first two recruits at that rating level for this class (quarterback Shane Dillon was a four-star prospect when he gave a verbal to the Buffs, but he has moved down to a three-star rating). And Rivals has moved the Buffs up to the No. 33 recruiting class this year.

According to Rivals, the Buffs' average recruit is a 2.88 star player. That is tied with the No. 36 Cincinnati Bearcats for third-lowest rating out of the top 50 recruiting classes.

The Buffs will look to improve upon its 3-10 record in Jon Embree's first year at the helm. The next step is to have these recruits sign and send in their national letters of intent on Feb. 1.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Yuri Wright Commits To Colorado, Says 'No' To Notre Dame, Rutgers

The Colorado Buffaloes landed a second four-star cornerback recruit this week. After picking up Kenneth Crawley, the Buffs have added Yuri Wright on Tuesday:

YURI WRIGHT HAS COMMITTED TO COLORADO!!!!! TOP 100 NATIONAL PLAYER IS A BUFF!!!!! buffscoop.com via @buffscoop #cubuffs #buffs

— BuffScoop.com (@buffscoop) January 24, 2012

Wright had been recruited by Notre Dame, Rutgers and Michigan. However, Michigan did pull its offer to Wright recently, and it may have been a result of Wright's improper Twitter comments. That is certainly a red flag for some schools, but hopefully Jon Embree and his staff will be able to keep Wright in check when he arrives in Boulder.

Wright, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound recruit from Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, should be an immediate impact player for the Buffs as a freshman. He and Crawley could provide a solid foundation for the secondary over the next few years.SB Nation Recruiting is already high on Wright's potential:

Wright has prototypical size for the position. He's long and strong, and his speed is adequate. He's extremely versatile, and should have no problem playing both man and zone coverage. And he's not afraid to be physical with opposing receivers. There are very few weaknesses in Wright's game that can't be fixed with some coaching and experience.

National Signing Day is Feb. 1.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Kenneth Crawley Commits To Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes landed four-star recruit cornerback Kenneth Crawley, as he announced a verbal commitment to the school over the weekend. The Buffaloes had been lacking a four-start recruit for its haul this year ever since quarterback Shane Dillon had been downgraded to a three-star prospect by the various recruiting services.

Crawley tweeted:

I'm going to a school to make a change

— Kenneth Crawley(@SupaStarLo_MMG) January 23, 2012

He then tweeted a couple of times about joining the Buffs after that (via the Denver Post). The 6-foot-1, 170-pound cornerback should be able to come in right away as a freshman and try to follow in the career path of Jimmy Smith, a first-round draft pick last April. The Ralphie Report is already excited about Crawley's commitment and can't wait for him to compete:

Crawley is an elite cornerback prospect that should come in and compete for a spot in his first season. His offer list is leaps and bounds ahead of any other prospect that the Buffaloes have on board so far this season. Crawley joins teammates De'Jon Wilson, John Walker and current Buff Sherrard Harrington in Boulder. It's safe to say Colorado has a bit of a pipeline going at the Washington D.C. school [H.D. Woodson].

National Signing Day is on Feb. 1, which means Crawley isn't quite a Buff yet. But we shouldn't expect anything to change his verbal over the next week.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Defensive Back John Walker Verbally Commits To Colorado

The Colorado Buffaloes landed their latest verbal commit in cornerback John Walker. Walker is the second commit from H.D. Woodson which is out of Washington D.C., the other commit is De'Jon Wilson. Walker is a 6-foot-0, 168-pound defensive back who selected Colorado over offers he had from Indiana, Northwestern and Kansas. During his senior season Walker played both cornerback and safety, but he is projected to play cornerback at Colorado.

Walker talked about why he chose Colorado:

"I just weighed out my options and talked to my coach, my family, my friends and my cousin De'Jon Wilson, who is already committed to Colorado, and out of all my offers, Colorado's coaches were the best. Since day one when they started recruiting me, they were straight forward with me.

"My position is also very needed there. They need corners. [Defensive coordinator and secondary] coach [Greg] Brown has been stressing that a lot. They need corners that can come right away and play. I feel like I can come right in and play with Colorado. Also the conference, the Pac-12, I am going to be going up against a lot of good talent. I feel like I can match the talent."

As of right now only ESPN has a rating on Walker and that is three stars. Here is what ESPN has to say about Walker:

Walker is lean, rangy defensive back prospect falling under the radar some. Not a burner in regards to speed but covers a lot of ground and takes good angles to ball. Savvy, instinctive and smart; makes quick reads at both safety and corner and displays good field awareness. Excels in zone schemes at corner, mid-pointing high-low routes, anticipates throws and closes on the ball with above average burst. Shows good tracking skills in deep zone coverage as well and more than adequate ball skills.

Here are some highlights of Walker:

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Wes Brown Will Decide Between Colorado, Maryland And Three Others During Under Armour All-America Game

On Thursday night, the Under Armour All-American Game could have a gift ready for the Colorado Buffaloes. High school running back Wes Brown is set to announce which college he will attend in the fall. He will decide between five schools: Miami, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Colorado and Maryland. Brown does reside in Maryland, which could be a huge factor in where he commits to for the fall.

As SB Nation's Bud Elliott writes (above link):

He hasn't stood out at this week's Under Armour game, but failing to stand out among the best of the best in the country is not necessarily a knock on him.

Brown has a good balance of speed and power, and the loaded Good Counsel team puts him to good use. Depending on the school he chooses, Brown could be in line for early playing time.

The Buffaloes lose Rodney Stewart to graduation this spring and have Tony Jones and others waiting, but there's never such a thing as having too much depth and talent at a position.

SB Nation DC believes Brown favors Maryland right now, especially because a teammate of his recently committed to Maryland. We'll find out some time after 5:30 p.m. MT after the game starts.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Colorado Gets Verbal Commit From Cornerback Marques Mostly

The latest recruit for the Colorado Buffaloes is yet another defensive player. This time it is a cornerback in Marques Mosley from Upland, Calif., who gave his verbal commit to Colorado, and he is the Buffs 22nd recruit for the 2012 class.

Mosley's high school assistant coach Mike Esquivel gave a glowing review of his player:

"Marques has game changing ability," Esquivel said. "When the game was on the line, Marques is the guy we were going to. He never came off the field for us. Colorado recruited him as a cornerback but I could see them using him on special teams as well. He is one heck of a kickoff returner and punt returner. Marques has breakaway speed and on defense, he is a hitter."

Defensive Tackle Kory Rasmussen Commits To The Buffaloes

The defensive recruits keep coming in for the Colorado Buffaloes with the latest being defensive tackle Kory Rasmussen (Honolulu). Rasmussen's rating is all over the board ranging from a one- to a three-star rating by the different recruiting services. He chose Colorado over offers from Utah, Washington, Hawaii and Arizona.

Rasmussen is among the top 10 prospects from Hawaii and has earned ESPNHS All-Hawaii team honors as a senior after helping his high school to seven wins.

Here is his scouting report from ESPN:

Rasmussen is an aggressive defensive lineman lacking the body mass we like to see for the defensive tackle position at the next level of competition. However his frame appears capable of handling added bulk over time; is a good wrap tackler who will punish ball carriers when the opportunity presents itself.

Flashes the agility and balance needed to flatten down the line and avoid trash when in lateral pursuit. As a pass rusher this prospect displays a quick up-field move however his hands must come into play while developing alternate moves; shows the desire to pressure the quarterback and chase down the football with relentless effort however we fail to see a good closing burst.

Here are highlights of Rasmussen:

Colorado Lands Defensive End Samson Kafovalu

The Colorado Buffaloes 2012 recruiting class has picked up the pace and their latest edition is getting a verbal commit from defensive end Samson Kafovalu (Riverside, Calif.). Kafovalu is the fourth defensive end to commit to Colorado. Kafovalu chose Colorado over offers he had from Arizona, Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, UCLA, Utah, Washington, Washington State.

Kafovalu is rated as a three-star among the recruiting services and his value for Colorado comes at being a versatile player:

"Kafovalu, a 6-foot-3, 253-pounder, played every position on the defensive line as a senior. He constantly took on double and triple teams, allowing Arlington's linebackers to make plays."

[...]

"Coach 'Tui' at Colorado is a good guy. I told him it doesn't matter to me where I play on the defensive line. He did say I would probably play the three-technique," Kafovalu said. "I am a hard working guy. I am going to go out there and do what I got to do."

Here are highlights of Kafovalu which include his time as an offensive lineman which again shows his versatility:

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Colorado Lands Defensive End Kisima Jagne

The Colorado Buffaloes landed three-star defensive end Kisima Jagne (Chandler, Ariz.) and is the third defensive end in Colorado's 2012 class. Jagne is rated as one of the better defensive ends in the 2012 class and he believes he could play right away:

"Since the talent level isn't there yet Jagne thinks that means he could get on the field early and that's a big selling point.

[...]

"I might be able to get a chance to play early. They don't have too many defensive ends so I'll have a chance to go in and do something as a freshman."

Jagne chose Colorado over Arkansas, Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Washington, Washington State and Purdue. He could also be one of the best pickups for Colorado in their 2012 class.

ESPN recruiting believes Jagne has the chance to blossom at the next level:

Jagne is a two-sport athlete who displays promising upside as a football player. He is a physically good looking kid who possesses good height, carries good bulk with a frame that looks able to support more good size and looks to have a nice wingspan for his build. He flashes a good initial burst off the ball, but can be a beat late at times and needs to be more consistent. He is a big kid who can bend well and maintain a good "football position" when taking on blockers.

Here are some highlights of Jagne, he is wearing No. 44.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Colorado Buffaloes Land Verbal Commits From RB Donta Abron, DT Josh Tupou After Big Recruiting Weekend

The Colorado Buffaloes had a large crop of recruits visit the campus this past weekend and landed two more verbal recruits. Out of the nine players that came to visit Colorado landed a verbal commit from three-star running back Donta Abron Jr. out of Upland, Calif., and the other is defensive lineman Josh Tupou. 

Abron is an all-purpose back and earned 1,710 yards and scored 33 touchdowns while contributing to the school's league championship. He selected Colorado over Idaho, New Mexico State and Stony Brook. Here are some details about Abron from ESPN Recruiting:

Runs with a low center of gravity, keeps his legs driving on contact, tough to bring down. Shows good balance to match his running style. Is able to grind out yards on the inside by showing patience and using his offensive linemen to hide and hit the crease. Runs with good power and the desire to finish runs, delivers a blow on contact.

Colorado Has Six Football Recruits Visiting This Weekend, Led By Yuri Wright, Kyle Kelley

The Colorado Buffaloes will be hosting six players this weekend with three of the players visiting come from Upland (Calif.) High. The three players are Christian Powell, running back Donta Abron and cornerback Marques Mosley.

Powell is a four-star player and is listed as an athlete but he played defensive end in high school and is expected to play football at the collegiate level. He has already taken official visits to Nebraska, Texas A&M and Washington, but is unsure if he will make a decision after the Colorado visit or take a fifth official visit. Powell also has offer from Arkansas State and San Jose State, but it is unlikely that he will be committing to those schools.

JUCO Defensive End Morgan Breslin Visits Colorado

Defensive end Morgan Breslin (Diablo Valley C.C.) is leaning away from his verbal commitment he made to UCLA back in June since Rick Neuheisel has been fired, so now he is listening to other schools which include the Colorado Buffaloes. Breslin has had the most sacks out of the junior college ranks in California with14.5 sacks as a freshman and 13.5 sacks as a sophomore. His rating is all over the board and is a four-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout has him as a two-star and 247 Sports lists him as a three-star recruit.

Breslin said he really enjoyed his visit to Boulder and is expected to have an in-home visit with head coach Jon Embree later this week. This was Breslin's fourth official visit so he can still schedule one more but he is not sure if he will be taking it. Wherever Breslin ends up he will be enrolling in January.

Here are some highlight clips of Breslin:

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

Jeffrey Thomas Solidifies Commitment To Colorado After Official Visit

Wide receiver Jeffrey Thomas, a three-star recruit out of Ducanville, Texas, verbally committed to the Colorado Buffaloes back in June without ever seeing the campus. Thomas was able to take an official visit this past weekend and he was blown away with the campus:

"My first trip to Colorado was way better than I thought it was going to be"

[...]

"I didn't think it was going to be bad or anything, but I didn't expect it to be so great. The coaching staff, the campus, the facilities, everything was just mind blowing."

The trip solidified Thomas' verbal commit to the Colorado, and now he said he can focus on improving and getting stronger before he enrolls. In his senior season, Thomas had 59 receptions for 899 yards and 12 touchdowns in 11 games, and that led his high school team.

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage make sure to check out Ralphie Report.

John Stuart Gives The Buffaloes Their Second Defensive Commit From Westlake HS

The Colorado Buffaloes received their second verbal commitment from a Westlake (CA) High School defender on Monday night when DE John Stuart decided to give his pledge to CU. Stuart is the teammate of current Buffalo verbal Justin Solis, who has been a member of the Buffs' recruiting class since July 13th of this year. Stuart gives coordinator Greg Brown his fifth commit on the defensive side of the ball and his second defensive end in a week after De'Jon Wilson from Washington, D.C.

The Buffaloes are looking to add a number of players this recruiting cycle to help fill out the thinning ranks along the defensive line and Stuart gives the Buffs another high-motor quality guy to come in next summer and compete for playing time in 2012. Stuart was also being recruited by Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Washington State and a Fresno State team the Colorado will play in 2012 and '13 so this is a big win for the team. 

With Rich Rodriguez and Mike Leach being added to Chip Kelly and Lane Kiffin in the Pac-12 conference the Buffaloes will need to continue to invest in a defensive players that can slow down these high-powered offenses. Filling the team with guys like Stuart is a great start. 

For more Colorado Buffaloes recruiting coverage head over to the Ralphie Report.

Tight End Austin Ray Switches Commitment From Mississippi To Colorado

The Colorado Buffaloes landing a big need for their 2012 recruiting class as tight end Austin Ray changed his commitment from the Mississippi Rebels to Colorado after his visit. Ray said he liked the coaching staff and that he could see playing time as a true freshman:

"I felt a connection with all their coaches. I thought they were all great guys and they are fired up about starting up a good program and they all have a lot of experience and I thought it was nice that the head coach, Jon Embree, is a former tight end that played in the NFL. It is rare as a tight end to have a head coach that played your position."

"Knowing that I could get significant playing time next year as a true freshman is great. It seems like a great opportunity," Ray said. "They run a pro-style offense and their offensive coordinator (Eric Bieniemy) came from the Vikings so they are running NFL stuff and they are big on using tight ends, so it is nice.

Ray is a three-star recruit and is rated as the 15th overall player in his home state of Missouri. Other notable offers that he had came from the Kansas St. Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Stanford Cardinal.

Ray is the second tight end in the 2012 class for Colorado, the other is Texas native Jeromy Irwin.

Colorado Lands Two More Verbal Commits For 2012 Class

Earlier in the month the Colorado Buffaloes picked up two more verbal commits for the 2012 class which gave the Buffaloes 14 verbal commits. The two players are safety Ma'ne Manaea and defensive tackle Zaheer Webb, both are teammates from Lakewood, Wash.

Manaea is rated as the 15th best safety in the state of Washington, 94th in the country and ranges from two to three stars depending on the recruiting service. He selected Colorado over Air Force, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington and Washington State.

Here is some of what what ESPN recruiting says about Manaea (Insider required):

A tough, instinctive almost hybrid type that makes a lot of production near the box. He is a quick and balanced pursuer who shows good underneath range and pursuit speed. Tracks down ball carriers with a motor and sharp angles. A solid tackler. Shows he can blitz and close off the edge as well as drop in a short-zone, read the quarterback accurately and jump routes. Positions himself correctly and is a disciplined overall football players. Ball skills are solid, particularly for a defender with his aggressive style of play.

Here is what Manaea said about his decision on selecting Colorado (Rival subscription required):

"This was a family decision. We love the staff and they have shown nothing but the highest level of interest in me," he added in an interview with WashingtonPreps.com, which is part of the Rivals.com network. "The coaches at Colorado gave me room and let me know they were keeping me in their hearts. So I thought why not keep them in mine."

Ma'naea is going to play safety for Colorado but in high school he is playing both ways as a receiver on offense. Here are his stats on the year. Thirteen receptions for 259 yards and five touchdowns, with one rushing attempt for 21 yards on offense. 11 tackles and one interception on defense, and his team is undefeated at 4-0.

Zaheer Webb chose Colorado over Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State. Webb has yet to be evaluated by Rivals, however Scout and ESPN both have him at two stars. Here is what ESPN says about Webb (Insider):

Webb is a big boy who can be a plugger up front. He has good size and for a kid 300-pounds plus he doesn't carry his weight too badly, though he does need to be careful how he adds size and continues to develop his frame. He plays on both sides of the ball and we feel he could get a look on defense first as he can help clog things up in the heart of the trenches. He flashes a solid initial burst, but needs to work to improve and be more consistent with his get-off. He displays the ability to fire out with solid pad level and does a good job of shooting his hands. He is capable of getting positioning with his hands, taking good steps, and generating some power from his lower body to knock a blocker on his heels. He is not a quick penetrating defender, but can stand a blocker up in one-on-one battles or hold his ground versus the double team.

They are right about his size, Webb is 6-feet-3-inches and 320 pounds, so he has the size to plug up a hole and help stop the running game at the next level.

Now here are some highlights for both players:

For more Colorado recruiting head over to Ralphie Report.

2012 Colorado Running Back Recruit Terrence Crowder Tears ACL

Running back Terrence Crowder is a 2012 verbal commit to the Colorado Buffaloes and he recently suffered a season ending injury just five carries into the his senior season by tearing his ACL. 

Crowder was rated as either a two- or three-star rated player depending on the recruiting service one looked at and he also was considered a top-100 running back in the 2012 class. The scouting report on Crowder is that he is a power back and is deceptively quick for his size. According to ESPN recruiting, they consider Crowder a college ready back and a recruit who they felt was flying under the radar. 

Crowder was looking to build upon his 2010 season where he had 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns, but instead he ended his senior year with five carries for 28 yards and will rehabbing his knee to be ready for his freshman year at Colorado.

In the meantime take a look at highlights of Crowder from his junior season.

2012 Colorado Football Recruiting Coverage

Find out all about Colorado Buffalo football and basketball recruiting right here as well as Ralphie Report.