Colorado State football recruiting: Josh Lovingood gives verbal commitment to Rams

The Colorado State Rams got a commitment from a big recruit Tuesday night, when a Fresno, Calif., high school defensive end Josh Lovingood gave his word he would join the Rams, according to the Coloradoan.

If Lovingood's size and athleticism translate to the collegiate level, the Rams might have quite a hidden gem. He's unrated by Rivals.com, but has ideal size for a defensive end at 6'5 and 250 pounds. His high school coach, Cory Hall, told the Coloradoan he was in on a handful of quarterback sacks while breaking up a lot of passes, while also catching four touchdown passes as a tight end.

Rams head coach Jim McElwain recruited Lovingood as a defensive end. Lovingood said he was impressed with the coach when he and his assistants visited him at his home Monday night:

"Sitting at the table and listening to them talk and just watching them you could tell they had true passion for football," Lovingood said. "You could tell they really wanted me in their program, and I could sense that they were really genuine about what they were saying."

Lovingood comes from Clovis North High School in Fresno, helping the team to a 12-2 record. Hall said the Rams have recruited a great athlete:

"Volleyball, basketball, football; he's done it all. He can jump out of the gym, and you should see him hurdle defenders when he's playing tight end."