Colorado State Football Recruiting 2013: QB Nick Stevens Commits To CSU

The Colorado State Rams football team got some good news on Monday, as 6-foot-4 quarterback Nick Stevens from Vista Murrieta High School in California verbally committed to CSU for 2013. Stevens visited at least six schools and also had an outstanding offer from Utah State, but the QB prospect recently told Kelly Lyell of the Coloradoan that CSU had truly been his first choice ever since the school offered him a scholarship back in June.

Here is what he told Lyell:

"It seemed like the new coaching staff is kind of taking the program into a new direction,'' Stevens said, "a direction that everyone wants to be headed - the community, the players, everyone's on board with it, and I really look forward to taking the program in the right direction. I got to spend a little time in the community and with the players, and they all seem to have bought into what this new staff is bringing, and I just got the feel this is the place for me."

High school seniors cannot officially sign a letter of intent until Feb. 6, 2013, according to NCAA rules, but there is no doubt that the coaching staff is excited about adding their first QB to the 2013 recruiting class. As Lyell points out in his article, Stevens led his team to a California Interscholastic Federation's Inland Division championship in 2011, and although he plays in a spread offense in high school his body type is a good fit for the pro-style offense coach Jim McElwain will employ at CSU.

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting 2013: Speedy RB Kapri Bibbs Is On A Long Journey To CSU

Running back recruit Kapri Bibbs had planned on joining the Colorado State football team much earlier than 2013, but he had to put in some extra work to make it happen. The NCAA ruled Bibbs ineligible coming out of high school due to low ACT scores, but he put in hard work at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah to get his grades up and now he is ready to start classes at Colorado St. next spring as part of the 2013 recruiting class.

Kelly Lyell of the Coloradoan recently profiled Bibbs' journey, and the young man is proud of his progress and excited about the opportunity to work with the CSU staff:

"I love the staff that they had before, but now you've got the ‘Bama coach, Coach McElwain, he just came in and all of his guys," Bibbs said. "They coached Trent Richardson, one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game at the college level. With where I'm at now, and with their help, I've got a feeling they can transform me into a much better player than I already am."

As Lyell notes, Bibbs flashed "4.3-second speed in the 40-yard dash" and he ran for a total of 4,210 yards and 61 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Plainfield North High School in Chicago. Bibbs told also made to sure emphasize his dedication to the CSU progream: "I'm 100 percent sure I'll be in Fort Collins this fall...getting ready to start up in the spring."

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting 2013: Rams Land Talent From Texas

While the state of Colorado can produce some talented prospects, Jim McElwain will need to go outside of the state to find talent if he wants to build a program. This recruiting strategy was put on display, as the Rams landed a commitment from Dalton Vondra of Kennedale, Texas. According to an interview with the Coloradoan, Vondra was drawn to the offensive scheme at CSU:

"This program is up-and-coming. The new coach is going to do great things," Vondra said. "I love playing tight end. I’m very good off the ball, dominant when I’m blocking, and then I’m very good at getting open, we just don’t throw the ball that much.

"CSU is basically going to run Alabama’s offense, and they use the tight end a lot, so I really wanted to be a part of that."

Vondra is the 6th commitment for CSU in the 2013 class. Vondra is the first commit to come from outside the state of Colorado.

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Footbal Recruiting 2013: OT Zack Golditch Commits To Rams

The Colorado St. Rams continue to pick up in-state recruits, gaining their fifth in Aurora (Co.) Gateway offensive tackle Zack Golditch over the weekend, according to Ryan Krous of GoldandGreenNews.com:

Aurora (Colo.) Gateway offensive tackle Zack Golditch committed to Colorado State today, becoming CSU's fifth in-state pledge. #CSURams

— Ryan Krous (@RyanKrous) June 11, 2012

Golditch is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive lineman who had drawn the interest of the Air Force Falcons, the Colorado Buffaloes, the Northern Colorado Bears and the Wyoming Cowboys. Three of the five in-state recruits the Rams have picked up are on the offensive line.

Here is a list of the Rams' current commits:

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting: Blake Nowland Commits To 2013 Class

Douglas County High School offensive tackle Blake Nowland says that he has committed to play football for the Colorado State Rams, as Kelly Lyell of Coloradoan.com reports. Nowland is just the latest Colorado native to join the Rams' 2013 recruiting class, which now consists of four in-state commitments.

According to Lyell, Nowland also had offers from Air Force, Wyoming, Washington State and the Colorado Buffaloes, plus he was drawing interest from Oregon, Duke, UNLV and TCU. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman says that he was convinced on CSU after seeing the school's impressive academic facilities.

Nowland is ranked No. 123 among all offensive linemen in the nation by Scout.com, which rates him as a two-star prospect on the one-to-five scale. While he's committed, he won't be able to sign an official letter of intent with the school until Feb. 6.

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting 2013: Rams Offer DL Jalen Lawrence

The Colorado St. Rams are expanding their recruiting reach as they latest offer they made and last week they made an offer to defensive lineman Jalen Lawrence who plays his high school football at Macon (Ga.) Westside High.

Currently the 6-foot, 255 pound defensive lineman has offers from Texas Tech, Middle Tennessee State, Georgia State, Troy and Southern. Wake Forest is very interested in Lawrence and he believes he has an offer or will have an offer from them soon.

Assistant head coach and quarterback coach Billy Napier has been recruiting Lawrence and could see him as a defensive lineman:

"Coach Napier has been getting in contact with me on Facebook for about a good month or so right now."

"He has basically been telling me that they're glad to meet me and they think I could play there and they like the way that I play. They'd be really glad if I came to play with them."

Lawrence says that he has a fast motor with the ability to chase down players and follows the play until it is over, and that he likes to use his hands to get past offensive lineman.

At this time Lawrence has no favorites and would is trying to schedule an official visit out to Colorado State in the fall.

Here are highlights of Lawrence:

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting 2013: TE Trae Moxley Verbally Commits To Jim McElwain's Rams

The Colorado St. Rams have picked up their third recruit of the 2013 recruiting season with the verbal commitment of Roaring Fork (Carbondale) tight end Trae Moxley, according to the Coloradoan's Kelly Lyell. Moxley is 6 feet 5 and 260 pounds, according to Rivals.

He is also the third commitment the Rams have received from an in-state player. Head coach Jim McElwain has emphasized that he wants to keep talent within the state borders by bringing them to Ft. Collins.

The other commitments the Rams have received are from defensive end Austin Berk, who attends high school in Grand Junction, and offensive lineman Jake Bennett, who attends Bear Creek in Lakewood.

All three players were recruited by Marty English, the co-defensive coordinator who is in his first year with the Rams.

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting: Rams Receive Verbal From Jake Bennett

Add Jim McElwain's second verbal commit for the Colorado St. Rams' football team in 2013. Bear Creek (CO) High School's Jake Bennett announced on Tuesday that he will head to Fort Collins to play his college football, reports Kelly Lyell of the Coloradoan. He won't be able to sign his national letter of intent until Feb. 6, 2013.

Bennett is a 6-foot-3, 275-pound offensive lineman made a weekend trip to the Colorado State campus, which sold him on spending the next four years there. He's played all over the offensive line, but it seems likely that he will stick at center for now.

Competing with Jon Embree and the Colorado Buffaloes for in-state recruits, McElwain pulled another one away from Boulder in Bennett. The Buffs also lost out on Grand Junction's Austin Berk, who committed to the Rams near the end of March.

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting: Four Scholarship Offers Made To In-State Linemen Prospects

The Colorado St. Rams have been aggressive in securing help on their offensive and defensive lines in the 2013 recruiting class -- Grand Junction (Colo.) defensive end Austin Berk was the first prize commitment -- and now the program has reportedly extended four additional offers to lineman. According to Christian James of the Denver Post, Colorado State has extended scholarship offers to in-state prospects including: "Douglas County offensive lineman Blake Nowland, Pine Creek defensive lineman Dalton Fields, Ralston Valley offensive lineman Dan Skipper, and Bear Creek offensive lineman Jake Bennett."

James also noted that each player in that quartet received their first official offer from CSU coaches, which signals a new-found urgency with regards to in-state recruiting under head coach Jim McElwain.

For more on the Rams and Buffs stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. Go check out Ralphie Report for Colorado recruiting coverage, and for even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Defensive End Austin Berk Is First Commit For Colorado State

The Colorado St. Rams picked up their first verbal commit for their 2013 recruiting class in Grand Junction (Colo.) defensive end Austin Berk. Berk is comes int at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds and is regarded as one of the best players in the state of Colorado at both tight end and defensive end, and was named to the All-State team as a junior. He will be playing defensive end at the college level.

Berk decided on accepting Colorado State's offer after attending the schools junior day last Saturday:

"I just feel like it's a place I need to play. I feel comfortable - I love the town because it's so much like where I'm from, and I just felt ready to (commit). I'm kind of ready for my life to start going in the way I want it to go and I'm ready for the new steps in my life. I feel like it's where I should play and I feel comfortable in my decision."

Berk was offered by Air Force and South Dakota State after a received his Colorado State offer, and he plans to stick to his commitment to Colorado State:

"I don't feel like I have to prove myself to anybody else or get recruited anymore. CSU is a program on the rise and I feel like I can help get them to where they need to be."

Berk is an athletic player since he played tight end in addition to defensive end, and here are some highlights of Berk:

This past season Berk piled up 10.5 sacks, 52 tackles, an interception, and four batted passes while playing for one of the best teams in the state of Colorado. Berk also plans on graduating early in December to be able to participate in spring practice.

For more on the Rams stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. For even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Denver South RB Phillip Lindsay Leaning Toward Colorado, Keeping Colorado State In Mind

Denver South running back Phillip Lindsay is one of the top running backs in the state of Colorado for the 2013 class. Lindsay is listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals and is a speed back that comes in at 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds and has been clocked at a 4.49-second 40-yard dash.

Lindsay is considering staying instate and currently has an offer from the Colorado Buffaloes and he is considering their offer, but he is also being recruited hard by the Colorado St. Rams as well.

"Right now, CU and CSU have been on me hard, but as of now I'm thinking about verbally committing to CU. But I want to keep my options open because I also have CSU in mind and I'm young right now. So, I'm trying to be patient on everything."

[...]

"CSU has really been showing a lot of interest and contact on Facebook - both the head coach and the running backs coach. Everyone is just taking everything one step at a time and being patient with everything."

One thing that could go Colorado State's way is that his dad is Troy Lindsay, a former running back for Colorado State in the early 1990s. That could play as a factor in this.

Lindsay has started all three years at Denver South, and he earned all-state honors as a junior in 2011 after rushing for nearly 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also plays defense and racked up 110 tackles last year, but he is expected to play running back in college.

For more on the Rams and Buffs stick with SB Nation Denver and go visit Mountain West Connection for Colorado State coverage. Go check out Ralphie Report for Colorado recruiting coverage, and for even more recruiting go visit SB Nation's recruiting hub.

Colorado State Football Recruiting: Chaparral TE Mitch Parsons Reportedly Close To Receiving Offer From Rams

The Colorado St. Rams continue to take aim at the state's football recruits in a battle with the Colorado Buffaloes. Add Chaparral tight end Mitchell Parsons to the list of in-state recruits the Buffs and the Rams will be competing for in the Class of 2013:

Parker (Colo.) Chaparral TE Mitch Parsons could be close to #ArizonaState and #ColoradoState offers.

— Adam Gorney (@adamgorney) March 6, 2012

The Colorado Buffaloes reportedly offered a scholarship to Parsons back in November, as did Northern Colorado. He is a four-star prospect, according to Rivals.com, and has recently received a surprise offer from the Mississippi Rebels of the SEC. Other teams of interest include the Michigan Wolverines, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Oregon Ducks and the Stanford Cardinal.

Both the Buffs and the Rams want to do better in keeping talent within the state, and as we already see, they are going to compete for the same recruits. Jim McElwain doesn't want to waste any time in showing that he can recruit better than Jon Embree.

As we learned over the weekend, the Buffs and Rams are also competing for defensive end Austin Berk.

For more on the Rams, stick with SB Nation Denver and visit Mountain West Connection. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Football for more news and notes on the upcoming college season.

Colorado State Football Recruiting: Austin Berk Receives Full Scholarship Offer From Rams

The Colorado St. Rams have offered a full scholarship to Grand Junction defensive end Austin Berk.