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.