Recruiting

// Jan 10 -

Recruiting Prospects – 2012

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November 11th

Joey O’Connor opens recruitment

The No. 4 prospect in the state of Colorado, Windsor offensive tackle Joey O’Connor, committed to Penn State in June. After the scandal which has rocked the State College campus this week, however, O’Connor has re-opened his recruitment.

“I de-committed (Thursday night),” O’Connor told BuffaloSportsNews.net. “At this point, I’m leaving it wide open and starting over.”

O’Connor, who is 6’3″, 285-pounds, projects as a guard in college. He is considered by Rivals to be the 27th-best tackle in the nation, and the 238th-best prospect overall. Scout lists O’Connor as the 12th-best guard in the nation.

With his Windsor team at 9-1 and getting ready for the Colorado state playoffs, O’Connor has made no new commitments as to his plans or his ultimate choice of school. “Penn State is still very much involved,” O’Connor told BlueWhiteIllustrated, “but everyone has an equal playing field right now. I’m not going to worry about this right now, I’ll do that after the season.”

O’Connor had over a dozen BCS offers back in June, including offers from both Arizona schools, Cal, UCLA, Utah, Michigan, South Carolina and Tennessee. With O’Connor’s de-commitment, that list will also certainly grow.

Back in …

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CU Recruiting Class of 2011

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Colorado Recruiting Class of 2011

 

Brad Cotner – C

Just the facts … Committed June 16th … Cotner is a center from Thousand Oaks, California, coming to Boulder by way of Ventura Community College. Cotner is 6’4″, 290-pounds. Rivals bio You Tube video highlights

What others say about Cotner … From cubuffs.com: Cotner earned second-team All-Ventura County and first-team All-Marmonte League honors at center as a senior, helping to lead Westlake to the Division Northern 3 CIF Championship.  In starting all 14 games, he did not allow a quarterback sack or get flagged for any penalties, and allowed his man to pressure the QB on just two occasions.  Westlake was an offensive juggernaut, averaging 408 yards of offense (218 rushing) and outscoring the opponent 580-219, including nine games with 40-plus points; the team boasted a 2,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver, the latter being fellow CU recruit Nelson Spruce.  As a junior playing right tackle, he earned honorable mention All-League accolades, allowing just two sacks and three pressures with just one penalty.  His biggest high school moment came in the CIF title game, when Westlake scored with under two minutes remaining to defeat Moorpark, 14-10; …

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Recruiting Prospects – 2012 (May/June)

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June 30th

California wide receiver in Boulder

Cameron Countryman, a 5’11 1/2″, 170-pound wide receiver prospect, from Beverly Hills, California, was in Boulder on Wednesday.

Countryman is considered a two-star prospect by Scout.com, and is not yet rated by Rivals. Countryman averaged 25.7 yards per reception and 102.7 receiving yards per game in 2010. Countryman has offers from Utah and Arizona State from the Pac-12, as well as schools like Air Force, Princeton, Harvard, and Northwestern (obviously, not an eligibility risk). YouTube highlights

“I love Colorado,” Countryman told BuffStampede.com last week. “[Buffaloes offensive coordinator and running backs] coach [Eric] Bieniemy has been recruiting me and he is making it hard to say no to go there. We are talking on the phone constantly every week. He is a great guy. I don’t feel like he is saying the same thing to 100 different kids. I feel like we have a bond and a connection and I appreciate all the time he has given to talk to me.”

Still, Countryman might go to another Pac-12 school if he gets an offer. “Hopefully Cal will offer soon, too,” he said. “I am praying for a Cal offer because I went up there …

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Recruiting Prospects – 2012 – March/April News

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April 30th

Jalil Brown and Scotty McKnight lightly considered in 2006

While Nate Solder and Jimmy Smith were not highly regarded as high school prospects in 2006 (see story, below), they were all-stars compared to the other two Colorado players, Jalil Brown and Scotty McKnight, who were 2011 draft picks.

Jalil Brown was a two-star athlete out of Phoenix, Arizona. Brown, however, went unsigned during Signing Day, 2006. There was interest from Arizona State, Hawai’i, and Oregon State, but Brown did not receive a scholarship offer. Brown did attend the 2006 Colorado Spring game, and committed after taking a trip to Boulder. “[Head] coach [Dan] Hawkins talked to me about how the program is coming up,” Brown told BuffStampede.com on April 24, 2006. “I had also developed a good relationship with [defensive backs] coach [Greg] Brown. I have a lot of respect for him and I decided that I wanted to come and play for him. I’m definitely looking forward to becoming a part of the program.”

Scotty McKnight was also a two-star athlete, coming to Boulder by way of Las Flores, California, and Boise State. The Broncos were the only team to offer McKnight a scholarship, though Oregon …

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Recruiting Roundup

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March 3rd

Oregon under NCAA investigation

An ESPN report states that NCAA officials are examining whether a Texas man helped Oregon point high school recruits toward Eugene.

The NCAA are looking into the recruitment of running back Lache Seastrunk, a redshirt freshman from Temple, Texas. Seastrunk was one of the most highly sought after recruits of the Class of 2010, choosing Oregon over Cal, LSU, and USC. Specificially, the NCAA is asking whether Texas-based trainer Willie Lyles played a role in Seastrunk’s recruitment.

Oregon athletics department spokesman Dave Williford confirmed to ESPN that Oregon paid Lyles $25,000 for Lyle’s recruiting services. The payment was made shortly after Seastrunk signed a letter of intent in February, 2010. “Most programs pay for recruiting services,” said Oregon coach Chip Kelly. “Our compliance office is aware of it. Will has a recruiting service that met NCAA rules and we used him in 2010.”

Okay, so far, so good for the Ducks.

Here’s where it gets interesting …

ESPN is reporting that a person who once worked with Lyles said the $25,000 payment exceeded the $16,500 Oregon paid the recruiting service for its work the previous two years. A survey of FBS coaches found that …

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Colorado Daily – February, 2011

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February 28th

Sipili to enter a plea on April 15th

Former Colorado linebacker Michael Sipili can be tried for sexual assault, according to a Boulder County Judge. Sipili, who was arrested in January on suspicion of sexual assault, will enter a plea on April 15th.

According to the arrest affidavit, former walk-on CU football player Michael O’Conner was having consensual sex with a 22-year old woman on December 4th when Sipili entered the room and raped the woman. O’Conner was also arrested, but is being charged with being an accessory to a crime.

The hearing on Monday was a preliminary hearing, and the state only needed to show that there was enough evidence to take the matter to trial. According to police reports, the woman was found by a friend after the assault “balled up” and “crying and upset”. Boulder police detective Chuck Heidel testified that there was blood on the sheets, and that she told Sipili to stop.

Sipili’s defense to the charge appears to be that the sex between the parties was consensual. The defense called the woman’s memory of events into question, and pointed out that the woman had been drinking earlier in the evening. The defense …

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Recruiting Update – February

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Recruiting Roundup

AllBuffs put forth the following questions to several CU bloggers …

1) What is your overall take on this Class? Given the challenges, are you happy?

2) Which coach impressed you the most with his work?

3) Do you consider this to be worse than / on par with / better than a standard transitional class?

4) Who do have penciled in to be immediate contributors?

5) Who is your biggest sleeper in the class?

6) Which move or signing is the biggest head scratcher for you?

After you have pondered these questions for a few moments, below were the answers I submitted (the answers from bloggers from The Ralphie Report, The Rumblings of a Deranged Buffalo, and Boulder Buff from AllBuffs can all be found here).

 

1) What is your overall take on this Class? Given the challenges, are you happy?
 Back in late December, I posted “New Year’s Resolutions for Members of the Buff Nation…“. Resolution No. 1 was “I resolve not to be concerned about the national ranking of the 2011 recruiting class”. With the excitement surrounding Signing Day, it could be considered a disappointment that Colorado is only considered to have

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Class of 2011 – Recap and Random Thoughts

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Recruiting Class of 2011 – Recap and Random Thoughts

If you look at the national rankings of the recruiting classes of 2011, the Colorado Class of 2011 was mediocre. Colorado’s recruits were rated 60th in the nation by Scout, and were on the south side of the Pac-12 by almost every reporting agency. With only one four-star player (Asiata), the Buffs filled some needs, and landed some players with “potential”, but there was not much excitement generated by the twenty players who have agreed to wear the black-and-gold.

At least outside of the Buff Nation.

This Class will not have the star power of the Class of 2012, but it will help bridge the gap for Colorado between “mediocre” and great. What Embree told this class of recruits is what he plans to tell next year’s class: “I’m bringing in someone next year to beat you out; that’s the object of the game of recruiting,” said Embree. “If they can’t beat them out, then great, that means all the kids in this class are raising their level. All the guys on this team know I’m bringing in someone to beat them out; if they can’t, they’re handling their business. That’s …

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The Ticker

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The Ticker

6:40 p.m. – Stephan Nembot joins Buffs!!!

Nembot made us wait, but he went on cbsla.com this evening, and put on a CU hat!

Stephan Nembot is a 6’7″, 270-pound defensive lineman from Van Nuys, California. Nembot is considered a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals ranks him as the 51st-best defensive end in the nation; while Scout ranks him 70th. Nembot’s profile is now up under the “CU Recruiting Class of 2011″.

Welcome, Stephan!

3:30 p.m – One more commitment coming!

From the SID – “Colorado does have the NLI (National Letter of Intent) in for another recruit, but he is announcing tonight at 7:00 p.m. mountain time (after 6:00 local time in California”.

Well, that could be Stephan Nembot, Marcus Martin, or a surprise guest. From the posts from today on the internet, the  most likely of the three is Nembot.

Stay tuned …

3:00 p.m. - The latest on those who are still uncommitted

Linebacker Leilon Willingham – Scout is reporting that Willingham has sent in his Letter of  Intent to Central Florida. No official word from Willingham is expected until the signing ceremony at Mullen high Thursday morning.

Wide receiver Devin Lucien…

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CU Transition Classes

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Transition Classes

It is axiomatic that a new head coach will have a difficult time with their first recruiting class. After all, the new coach comes in late in the recruiting cycle, usually in December, well after other schools have their incoming class of recruits fairly well formulated. What’s more, in most instances, the new head coach is coming into a situation where the former coaching staff has been let go, with losing records most often the culprit.

Jon Embree became the 24th head coach in Colorado history on December 6th. He took over a program mired in a five year streak of losing records, the second longest streak in Colorado history. Because of the recent record, and because of his late hire, Embree is being given a pass by most of the Buff Nation on the recruiting Class of 2011.

But should that be the case?

For guidance, let’s take a look at the first recuiting classes of the past four Colorado head coaches …

Dan Hawkins – Class of 2006

Unlike Jon Embree, Hawkins inherited a team with a winning record. In fact, Colorado had won the Big 12 North title four of the previous five seasons, including …

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The Colorado Daily – January

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The Colorado Daily – January, 2011

January 30th

Speedy takes on the 60-meter dash

Rodney Stewart, long before he rushed for 1,318 yards for Colorado in 2010, had earned the nickname “Speedy”. In high school in Westerville, Ohio, Stewart lettered four times in track, and was a member of the 2005 state championship team.

This spring, Stewart has joined the CU track team, and will participate in the 60-meter dash. “Yeah, I’m excited about it,” Stewart told CUBuffs.com. “I don’t know if the 60 is my best event, because I haven’t done it yet. But I’m looking forward to finding out.”

Stewart is participating in track with the consent of head football coach Jon Embree and strength and conditioning coach Malcolm Bracken. “We sat down with the weight coach, coach Embree and Stewart and talked about the parameters of how it’s going to work out,” said CU Sprint Coach Drew Morano. “We came to an understanding about how all of us could benefit from it.” The indoor track season ends the same day spring practice begins (March 11th), but Stewart could conceivably participate in virtually all of the indoor track season.

Stewart, despite his speed, will have some work to …

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Recruiting Update – January

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January 31st

Harlos changes commitment!!

Three-star linebacker Will Harlos has been committed to Wake Forest since March.

He has now been committed to Colorado since Monday.

Harlos, a 6’4″, 195-pound prospect from Somerset, Texas, has decided to forego his commitment to the Demon Deacons, and will instead follow teammated Stevie Dorman to Boulder. The deicision was obviously not an easy one for Harlos. “It is incredibly stressful right now,” Harlos told BuffStampede.com earlier Monday. “It is going to be up to me in the end, but I am going to go home and talk about it with my family … I don’t know what is going to ultimately help me make this decision, but I hope I know soon.”

Harlos played linebacker for Somerset, and was the unanimous selection for his district’s defensive player of the year. As a senior, he played primarily as rush end, but as Harlos fills out his 6’4″ frame, he may play at safety for the Buffs.

Much more on Harlos’ commitment has been posted under “CU 2011 Verbal Commitments” .

Welcome, Will, to the Buff Nation!!

Buffs back in the hunt for Asiata?

Can Colorado make it three out of the “Hawai’i Four”?

Greg …

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Stoppin’ by for a Visit – 1/22

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Stoppin’ by for a Visit – January 21st-22nd

There is a significant difference between the group of prospects which took official visits the weekend of January 14th-15th, and the group coming in this weekend … None of those visiting Boulder this weekend have made commitments to other schools.

Last weekend, Colorado hosted players who had already given their verbal commitments to such schools as Michigan, Arizona State, Texas A&M, and Boise State. This weekend, however, only one of those players making their official visit to Boulder has given a verbal commitment, and that is quarterback Stevie Dorman, who committed to Colorado on January 14th.

A list of players checking out the Boulder campus this weekend include:

Running backs

Malcolm Creer

The Stats … Creer is a 5’11″, 200-pound cornerback from Pacific Palisades, California. He runs a 4.61 in the 40, and has a 3.0 GPA. Creer is considered a two-star prospect by Scout.com; the 121st-best running back prospect in the nation. Rivals, meanwhile, has yet to rate Creer. In his senior season, Creer helped turnaround a team which had gone 1-9 in 2009 to a team which reached the semi-finals in 2010. Creer rushed for over 1,300 yards, scoring 19 …

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Stoppin’ by for a Visit – Jan. 14th-15th

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Stoppin’ by for a Visit – January 14th- 15th

This weekend marks the first time new Colorado head coach Jon Embree will host prospective new Buffs for official visits.

While it is highly unlikely that the Buffs’ 2011 Class will be filled this weekend, there is the opportunity to add a few names to the five known verbal commitments. The weekend starts Friday afternoon and evening with a reception for recruits and their families at the club level of Folsom Field. Coaches, academic advisors, professors, and other members of the Boulder community will be on hand to answer any questions recruits or their parents may have about the university. Saturday will likely include attendance at the CU/Oklahoma State basketball game, which should have a great crowd. The weather should also cooperate, with highs in the 50′s.

Nothing left to do but convince these young men to join the Buff Nation for the next five years …

Here is a look at the known list of players who are taking offiical visits to Boulder this weekend:

Linebackers

Leilon Willingham

The Stats … Willingham is a 6’2″, 240-pound linebacker from Mullen High in Denver. He runs a 4.6 in the 40, and …

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My Interview with AllBuffs

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AllBuffs: 1) What is your first memory as a CU fan?

I have to admit that I was not a member of the Buff Nation until I hit campus for my freshman year in 1980. Raised in Bozeman, Montana, I grew up a fan of the hometown Montana State Bobcats (yes, yes, those Montana State Bobcats. The 2006 game was my own little private version of Hell on Earth).

As a result, my first CU memories were not positive ones. My freshman year, the Buffs and their fans endured the first ten loss season in school history. My first game as a Buff fan? Colorado fell behind UCLA 56-0 … at halftime. My first home game? A 49-7 loss to Indiana (coached by none other than Lee Corso). That same week, a scathing article in Sports Illustrated came out, blasting the CU athletic department for dumping “minor” sports like baseball, wrestling, and gymnastics. The following week, the Buffs were merely by-standers in the epic 82-42 Oklahoma track meet. The game set 63 different records, the most amazing being the 758 yards rushing posted by the Sooners (I’ll pause for a moment while you let that number sink in … …

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