Colorado Recruiting Class of 2018

CU Class of 2018 … Twenty-two commitments

Recruits by position … Quarterbacks: 1 … Running backs: 2 … Wide receivers: 4 … Tight ends: 1 … Offensive linemen: 4 … Defensive linemen:  2 … Linebackers: 3 … Defensive backs: 4

Recruits are from … California: 8 … Texas: 5 … Colorado: 3 … Washington: 1 … Louisiana (by way of Kansas JC): 1 … South Carolina (by way of Arizona JC): 1 … Mississippi: 1 … Oklahoma: 1

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Mekhi Blackmon – DB

Just the facts … Committed June 23rd … Blackmon is a 6’0″, 175-pound defensive back who comes to CU by way of San Mateo College in San Mateo, California  Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Blackmon … very little. Blackmon was not rated by either Rivals or 247 Sports as part of the Recruiting Class of 2018. A full-qualifier from the Class of 2018, Blackmon will enroll in July, and be available to to play this fall. Blackmon will have four years to play three for Colorado.

As a senior at Menlo-Atherton (Calif.) High School in 2016, Blackmon caught 23 passes for 620 yards and nine touchdowns on offense, while picking off six passes on defense.

Blackmon had other offers from … no other listed schools, though both Washington State and San Diego State reportedly had interest in Blackmon.

In his own words … “I believe I was underlooked (out of high school),” Blackmon told the Daily Camera. “I was a qualifier right out of high school, so grades weren’t an issue. My junior year I didn’t get to play because of transfer reasons. I believe that was a major key in me not being recruited. I was talking to schools all my senior year.

“CSM came and believed in me and I really appreciate what they have brought to the table. Before that, I really didn’t know how to play DB. I was a true receiver.”

… “I can’t complain anymore,” he said. “(The opportunity) is here, so I just have to capitalize on it and make sure everybody knows they should have picked me up earlier. Once I get locked in with Colorado, there’s nothing that’ll get in the way. I’m just ready to play.”

Here is a link to Blackmon’s Hudl.com highlight package.

 

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Kary Kutsch – OL

Just the facts … Committed May 10th … Kutsch is 6’5″, 300-pound offensive lineman from Redding, California by way of Butte Community College Rivals bio

What others say about Kutsch … Kutsch was a full qualifier out of high school, graduating in 2017. Kutsch spent last season at Butte Community College, and can enroll at Colorado this summer (with four years to play three). Out of high school, MaxPreps had Kutsch rated as the No. 283 overall player out of the state of California.

Kutsch had other offers from … Indiana and Kent State, with reported interest from schools like Washington, Louisville, Cal and Oregon State. While Kutsch has committed to Colorado, he is not bound to the Buffs until he enrolls in school this summer.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights of Kutsch playing last season as a true freshman for Butte Community College.

 

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Israel Antwine – DL

Just the facts … Committed December 20th … Antwine is a 6’3″, 286-pound defensive lineman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Rivals bio  247Sports bio

What others say about Antwine … Antwine is considered to be a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. Rivals considers Antwine to be the No. 52 defensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 12 overall player out of the state of Oklahoma, while 247 Sports has Antwine as the No. 55 defensive tackle in the country, and the No. 14 overall player out of Oklahoma.

Antwine had other offers from … numerous Power-Five conference schools. An Oklahoma State commit since October, Antwine had offers from most of the Big 12 conference schools, including Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU and Iowa State. He also had offers from Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi (Antwine was an Ole Miss commit last summer, before switching to Oklahoma State in October).

In his own words … “I was just thinking about what’s best for me and what’s the best decision for my future,” Antwine told the Oklahoman. “I saw a chance to play early as a freshman and to spend more time at defensive end which is my favorite position.”

Antwine’s father, Dwayne, said they understood turning from Oklahoma State wouldn’t be the popular decision but one he felt was best for his son’s future.

“Based on his interests and goals we felt like the University of Colorado would be the best for him,” Antwine said. “We have a lot of family that are associated with Oklahoma State so it was a very difficult decision.”

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Josh McMullen – OL

… Junior College transfer … 

Just the facts … Committed December 12th … McMullen is a 6’6″, 270-pound offensive lineman from Starkville, Mississippi, by way of East Central (Mississippi) Community College Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about McMullen … McMullen is rated as a two-star prospect, but is unrated by 247 Sports. McMullen was selected MACJC Second Team All-State South Offense this past fall.

A mid-year transfer, McMullen, who weighed only 210-pounds as a senior in high school, will have three years to play two at Colorado.

McMullen had other offers from … no Power-Five schools, and only one Group of Five Conference school (Central Florida). Otherwise, you need to get out a map to find some of the schools who offered McMullen … Lamar, McNeese State, Austin Peay, Campbell, Murray State, Northwestern State … you get the idea. McMullen actually as an Austin Peay commitment before he started to receive other offers.

Here is a link to McMullen’s Hudl.com highlights

 

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Darrion Jones – TE

… Junior College transfer …

Just the facts … Committed December 11th … Jones is a 6’6″, 250-pound tight end from Wilmington, California, by way of Los Angeles Harbor Community College  Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Jones … Jones is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals. This past fall, his sophomore year at Los Angeles Harbor Community College, Jones (in eight games) had 41 receptions for 795 yards and five touchdowns.

Jones had other offers from … a few other schools, including North Carolina State, Kansas, San Diego State, UNLV, and Hawai’i.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

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Aaron Maddox – S

Junior College transfer

Just the facts … Committed December 11th … Maddox is a 6’2″, 192-pound safety from North Augusta, South Carolina, by way Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona Rivals bio  247 Sports bio

What others have to say about Maddox … Maddox is a rated as a three-star safety by Rivals, but is unrated by 247 Sports. Maddox was rated as a first-team all-state defensive back his senior year in high school (2016), and a freshman All-American at Pina Community College this fall.

Maddox was a full-qualifier out of high school, so he will be able to transfer as a true sophomore. He will be immediately eligible when he transfers in January, and will have four years to play three.

Maddox had other offers from … numerous Power-Five conference schools (which makes the lack of rating by 247 Sports all the more curious. Arizona State offered Maddox, as did Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, and North Carolina State. Maddox took official visits to Arkansas and North Carolina State before settling on the Buffs.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights

 

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Hasaan Hypolite – DB

Just the facts … Committed October 6th … Hypolite is a 6’0″, 205-pound safety from Missouri City, Texas  Rivals bio Scout bio

What others say about Hypolite … Hypolite is rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout. 247Sports has Hypolite listed as the No. 122 safety/outside linebacker in the nation. As a junior, Hypolite earned District 20-6A All-District First Team Defense honors.

“We could be talking about Hypolite as a more high-profile prospect than he is at the moment if he would have embraced his future as a defensive back sooner,” Rivals.com state of Texas recruiting analyst Nick Krueger said. “The first time that I saw him he struck me as a safety playing wide receiver. I thought that his tape last fall looked good in his first full-time go at the position, but he didn’t participate in many events this offseason to try and show off his progress.

“I still think that he is one of the more athletic guys among players of his caliber and has a lot of upside.”

Hypolite had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, though most were from Group of Five conferences. The only other Power Five conference offer was from Texas Tech, though there were offers from Houston, Colorado State, East Carolina, New Mexico, and Southern Miss. Hypolite was also being recruited by schools like LSU and Oklahoma State, but did not have reported offers.

Here is a link to the Hudl.com highlights of Hypolite in action.

 

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Tava Finau – DE

Just the facts … Committed September 19th … Finau is a 6’3″, 245-pound defensive end from Sacramento, California  Rivals bio  Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Finau … Finau is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports. Scout had Finau as the No. 79 weakside defensive end in the nation, while 247 Sports had him as the No. 68 weakside defensive end in the country.

Analysis from Rivals: “Finau is a versatile defensive lineman who has the ability to play outside but also the power and toughness to line up as a defensive tackle and be a difference-maker there. Either way, the Colorado commit can be a contributor along the defensive front. What I like most about Finau is his aggressiveness and his relentlessness to beat offensive linemen and cause havoc in the backfield”.

Finau had other offers from … multiple schools, including Washington State from the Pac-12. Other schools who reportedly offered Finau included a good chunk of the Mountain West Conference: Boise State; San Diego State; Nevada; Hawai’i; Utah State; and Fresno State.

Here is a link to Finau’s Hudl.com highlights.

 

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Lavon Wallace – DB

Just the facts … Committed July 29th … Wallace is a 6’2″, 187-pound defensive back from Atwater, California  Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Wallace … Wallace is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, 247 Sports, and Scout. 247 Sports rates Wallace as the No. 128 safety prospect in the nation, and the No. 214 overall player out of California this year. Wallace, who is expected to play cornerback at Colorado, has played many positions in high school. In his junior season at Buhach Colony high school in Atwater, California, Wallace had 10 receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns and four carries for 34 yards on offense, while posting 37 tackles and two interceptions on defense.

Wallace had other offers from … a number of western schools, including Cal and Oregon from the Pac-12. A number of Mountain West schools, including Nevada, Fresno State, Utah State, Wyoming and Fresno State also offered.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights.

 

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Dylan Thomas – WR

Just the facts … Committed July 23rd … Thomas is a 6’3″, 180-pound wide receiver from Santa Fe Springs, California Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Thomas … Thomas is considered to be a four-star prospect by Scout, but a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports. Thomas is ranked as the No. 68 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals, and the No. 44 player overall out of the state of California. Scout has him as the No. 73 wide receiver in the country, and the No. 17 wide receiver from California. At 247 Sports, Thomas comes in as the No. 68 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 49 player out of California.

Thomas had other offers from … over two dozen schools. From the Pac-12, Thomas had offers from Arizona State, Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, Utah, and Washington State.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

 

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Kahlef Hailassie – WR/CB

Decommitted December 10th

Just the facts … Committed July 22nd … Hailassie is a 6’2″, 185-pound wide receiver/cornerback from Elk Grove, California Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports

What others say about Hailassie … Hailassie is considered to be a three-star prospect by Scout and 247 Sports. Hailassie was unrated by Rivals at the time of his rating, but picked up a two-star rating the next day. Scout had Hailassie as the No. 34 wide receiver out of California, and the No. 179 wide receiver in the nation. 247 Sports, meanwhile, had Hailassie listed as No. 213 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 178 player overall out of California.

While listed by the services as a wide receiver, reports are that Hailassie will be a defensive back at Colorado.

Hailassie had other offers from … a number of other schools, though none from a Power-Five conference program. Many of the offers were from Mountain West schools, including Wyoming, Fresno State, UNLV, Hawai’i and San Jose State.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

 

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Dimitri Stanley – WR

Just the facts … Committed July 15th … Stanley is a 6’0″, 175-pound athlete from Cherry Creek high school in Denver Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Stanley … Stanley is considered to be a three-star wide receiver by Rivals and 247 Sports, and a three-star athlete by Scout. 247 Sports has Stanley as the No. 154 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 4 overall prospect out of the state of Colorado. Scout, meanwhile, has Stanley as the No. 67 athlete in the nation.

Stanley is the son of former Buff Walter Stanley, who was drafted into the NFL in 1985, and played for five different teams over a seven year career. Stanley set a school record (not broken until Nelson Spruce came along) with 222 receiving yards (on only five catches), as the Buffs took down Texas Tech, 45-27, in the 1981 season opener.

As a junior at Cherry Creek, Stanley caught 65 passes for 970 yards and 13 touchdowns, and also had two rushing touchdowns.

Stanley had other offers from … over a dozen schools, including Pac-12 members Arizona State, California and Utah. Other Power-Five conference offers came from schools like Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville and Nebraska. Before announcing his decision on Denver local television, Stanley had narrowed his choice down to CU, CSU, Arizona State, Cal and Nebraska.

Here is a link to Stanley’s Hudl.com highlights.

 

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Delrick Abrams, Jr. – CB

Just the facts … Committed July 14th … Abrams is a 6’3″, 180-pound cornerback coming to Colorado from Independence Community College in Kansas  Rivals bio  Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Abrams … Abrams is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, 247 Sports and Scout. At 247 Sports, Abrams is rated as the No. 4 junior college cornerback in the nation, and the No. 40 junior college prospect overall. As a freshman for the Independence (C.C.) Pirates last season, Abrams finished with 30 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, three interceptions and three pass breakups. Abrams will graduate in December and he will have three years to play two following the 2017 football season.

Abrams had other offers from … an impressive list of Power Five conference schools, including UCLA, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights.

 

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Daniel Arias – WR

Just the facts … Committed July 3rd … Arias is a 6’4″, 190-pound wide receiver from Mill Creek, Washington  Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports

What others say about Arias … Arias is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports. Rivals rates Arias as the No. 5 player out of Washington, while Scout has Arias as the No. 135 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 2 wide receiver from Washington state. At 247 Sports, Arias is considered to be the No. 151 wide receiver in the country, and No. 7 player out of Washington state.

Arias caught 49 passes for 1,030 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. Arias further showcased his speed while qualifying for three events at this spring’s Class 4A state track and field meet, placing second in the 400 meters and also reaching state in the 100 and 200 meters.

“You don’t find too many guys who are 6-foot-4 that run like Daniel does,” Jackson football coach Joel Vincent said. “And then you combine it with great hand-eye coordination, vertical jump and great route-running — there’s a reason that he’s receiving all the attention that he is.”

Arias had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, including Power Five conference schools Utah, Oregon State and Michigan State (though not from in-state Pac-12 schools Washington State and Washington). Multiple Mountain West schools, including Boise State, Colorado State and Air Force had extended offers, as well as a number of Ivy League schools (so qualifying academically is apparently not an issue). Before committing to Colorado, Arias had his final six as being Colorado, Boise State, UConn, San Diego State, Oregon State and Utah.

In his own words … “I want a coach that’s going to believe in me the way the coaches at (Jackson) have believed in me ever since I was a freshman,” Arias told the Everett (Washington) Herald. “I saw that in (coach Darrin Chiaverini).

“The players were just treating me like I was already on the team, and I really liked that. I already felt like I was part of a family … and that’s what stood out to me.”

Here is a link to the Hudl.com highlights of Arias in action

 

 

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Deion Smith – RB

Just the facts … Committed June 24th … Smith is a 6’0″, 180-pound running back from Second Baptist high school in Houston, Texas Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Smith … Smith is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports. Rivals lists Smith as the No. 24 all-purpose back in the country, Meanwhile, Scout has Smith as the No. 59 running back in the nation, and the No. 9 running back out of the state of Texas this year. At 247 Sports, Smith is listed as the No. 29 running back in the country, and the No. 80 overall player out of the state of Texas.

As a junior, Smith averaged 10 yards per carry, with 122 rushes for 1,223 yards and 19 touchdowns (five one-hundred yard games). Smith also had 22 catches for 494 yards and five more touchdowns … that’s a total of 1,717 yards of total offense for the 10-2 Eagles, with 24 touchdowns (25 if you count the pick six Smith had while playing defense) MaxPreps stats

Smith had other offers from … multiple Power-Five conference schools, including Boston College, Indiana, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, TCU and Vanderbilt. Among his several dozen other suitors were UCLA and Utah from the Pac-12.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights 

 

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Jarek Broussard – WR

Just the facts … Committed June 23rd … Broussard is a 5’9″, 165-pound wide receiver from Bishop high school in Dallas, Texas Rivals bio  Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Broussard … Broussard is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247 Sports, but was unrated by Scout. 247 Sports has Broussard listed as an athlete, and the No. 84 in the nation at that. Broussard plays all over the field for Bishop Lynch H.S. and totaled 2,478 total yards and 23 touchdowns his junior season. He has played as outside receiver, in the slot, in the backfield as a running back, and has racked up many yards in the return game.

Broussard had other offers from … a number of schools, including TCU, Houston, and Illinois. Other offers came from schools like Colorado State, Arkansas State and New Mexico State.

Here is a link to Broussard’s Hudl.com highlights

 

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Tony Brown – WR

… Junior college transfer … 

Just the facts … Committed June 19th … Brown is a 6’1″, 187-pound wide receiver from La Mirada, California, who comes to Colorado by way of a two-year stint at Texas Tech  Rivals 2015 bio  Scout 2015 bio

What others say about Brown … Brown was considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, and a four-star prospect by Scout as part of the Recruiting Class of 2015. Rivals considered Brown to be the No. 67 wide receiver prospect in the nation, while Scout had Brown as the No. 30 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 216 overall national prospect.

Brown had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, including Colorado, UCLA, Utah and Washington from the Pac-12. Other suitors included Nebraska, Purdue and Iowa State. Brown took an official visit to Boulder on December 5, 2014, but committed to Texas Tech on December 18th. Brown was recruited to Lubbock by Red Raider assistant coach Darrin Chiaverini.

Brown’s past and future … Brown did not take a red-shirt season at Texas Tech. As a freshman in 2015, Brown had 14 catches for 250 yards and a touchdown. As a sophomore, he played in 11 games and caught 13 passes for 128 yards. Brown will transfer to a junior college this fall, but not play (so don’t look for him on Rivals and Scout commitment lists for the Class of 2018). Brown reportedly will enroll in Boulder in January, and will have two years to play two.

 

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Clyde Moore – LB

Just the facts … Committed June 17th … Moore is a 6’2″, 225-pound linebacker from Newport Beach, California  Rivals bio  Scout bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Moore … Moore is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout, and 247 Sports. Scout has Moore as the No. 43 inside linebacker in the nation, and the No. 6 inside linebacker form the state of California. 247 Sports has Moore as the No. 47 inside linebacker in the country, and the No. 109 overall player out of California.

Moore had other offers from … at least a half dozen other schools, including Arizona State from the Pac-12. Moore also had offers from schools like Boise State, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Utah State and San Jose State.

Here is a link to Moore’s junior year highlights from Hudl.com.

 

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Frank Fillip – OL

Just the facts … Committed June 9th … Fillip is 6’6″, 275-pound offensive lineman from Clear Lake high school in Houston, Texas Rivals bio Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Fillip … Filip is rated as a three-star offensive tackle by Rivals, Scout, and 247 Sports, and was a second-team all-district performer as a junior. According to 247 Sports, Fillip is the No. 132 offensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 255 overall player out of the state of Texas.  Offensive line coach Klayton Adams said on Twitter that, “The Buffs just got Bigger, Stronger and more PHYSICAL,” with the addition of Fillip.

Fillip had other offers from … over a dozen other schools, including Baylor, Houston, and Oregon State. Academics will not be an issue for Fillip, who also carried offers from Harvard and Yale. Filip was thought to be likely to stay in the state of Texas with his commitment, but changed his mind after taking an unofficial visit to Boulder June 7th.

Here is a link to Fillip’s junior year highlights from Hudl.com.

 

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Josh Jynes – OL

Just the facts … Committed April 18th … Jynes is a 6’3″, 310-pound offensive lineman from DeSoto high school in Texas  Rivals bio  Scout bio 247 Sports bio

What others say about Jynes … Jynes is rated as a three-star offensive guard by Rivals, Scout, and 247Sports.  247Sports has Jynes listed as the No. 61 offensive guard in the nation, and the No. 198 player overall out of the state of Texas.

“When Jynes is at his best, he’s getting in front of guys to get a solid push-and-seal block. He’s not the biggest or quickest player, but he’s a sturdy guy on the inside that will get things moving the right way across the line of scrimmage. DeSoto interior offensive lineman have a reputation as road-graders for the rushing attack, and Jynes is going to be a big part of that tradition this year. He saw a lot of time at center last season, so he’s capable of playing there, but I think right now he’s stronger as a guard where he doesn’t have to worry about snapping. Either way, he’s a stout player that should help get those tough yards on the ground.” – Rivals.com Texas analyst Nick Krueger

Jynes had other offers from … only a handful of schools, with Rice being the most prominent. Other offers were from schools like Texas-San Antonio and Jackson State. The commitment from Jynes does continue the pipeline from talent-rich DeSoto high in Texas, the same school which gave CU wide receivers K.D. Nixon and Laviska Shenault from the Class of 2017.

In his own words … “After praying about it and talking with my parents and my coaches I have decided to commit to the University of Colorado,” Jynes announced on Twitter.

Here is a link to his Hudl.com highlights from his junior season.

YouTube video of Josh Jynes at Nike event in Dallas (Jynes at :54; 3:43 and 6:11 of the video):

 

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Joshka Gustav – LB

Just the facts … Committed March 24th … Gustav is a 6’3″, 220-pound outside linebacker/defensive end from San Bernardino, California  Rivals bio  Scout bio  247 Sports bio

What others say about Gustav … Gustav is rated as a three-star strongside defensive end by both Rivals and 247Sports, and a three-star outside linebacker by Scout. Rivals has Gustav as the No. 84 overall player out of California from the Class of 2018, while 247 Sports has Gustav rated as the No. 47 strongside defensive end in the nation, and the No. 104 overall player from California.

As a junior Gustav had 78 tackles, four sacks and interceptions. On offense as a tight end, he caught 50 passes for 978 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Rivals analyst Adam Gorney on Gustav … “I saw Gustav at the Los Angeles Under Armour Camp and liked him a lot. I honestly don’t know which position is best for him, but I do know he’s a tremendous athlete with great size and a great frame. I can definitely buy him as an athletic outside linebacker who can play in space with the possibility of him bulking up even more and being more of a hybrid defensive end as well.

“I know a coach at his school really well and they rave about the kid, his mentality, work ethic and his athleticism, which I saw on display at the UA camp.”

Gustav had other offers from … Oregon State and UNLV, with interest from other schools, including Notre Dame, Washington, Nevada and Fresno State.

Here is a link to the Hudl.com highlights from Gustav’s junior year

 

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Blake Stenstrom – QB

Just the facts … Committed December 17th … Stenstrom is a 6’3″, 185-pound quarterback from Valor Christian high in Highlands Ranch, Colorado  Rivals bio  Scout bio 247Sports bio

What others say about Stenstrom … Stenstrom is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports. Rivals has Stenstrom as the No. 3 player out of Colorado from the Class of 2018, while 247Sports has him as the No. 2 overall player in Colorado, and the No. 25 pro quarterback prospect.

In game action as the Eagles’ back-up the 2015 and 2016 (playing behind 2017 Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey), Stenstrom completed a total of 61-of-88 passes for 662 yards and 11 touchdowns with two interceptions. He also rushed for 300 yards and two scores.

Blake is the son of Steve Stenstrom, who had a record setting collegiate career at Stanford and played in the NFL for seven seasons, including four year stint with the Chicago Bears.

Stenstrom had other offers from … no stated teams. Northwestern, Duke, Purdue, Stanford and Nebraska are some of the other programs that showed early interest in him.

In his own words … “It was awesome,” Stenstrom told 247Sports last summer, when Colorado became the first team to extend him a scholarship offer. “It was amazing. It’s been a dream of mine to play Division I football for a long time. I love Coach Mac. I talked to Coach (Brian) Lindgren and Coach (Darrin) Chiaverini. I think it was really cool. They told me they want me to be the guy for 2018.”

Here is a link to Stenstrom’s junior season.

 

 

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Ray Robinson – DB

Just the facts … Committed October 23rd … Robinson is a 6’2″, 205-pound defensive back from Highlands Ranch, Colorado Rivals bio Scout bio 247Sports bio

What others have to say about Robinson … Robinson is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports. Rivals has Robinson as the No. 2 prospect out of the state of Colorado. At 247Sports, Robinson is rated as the No. 3 prospect out of the state of Colorado, the No. 59 safety in the country.

According to MaxPreps, Robinson, through the first seven games of 2016 (his junior season), has 39 tackles (24 solo) on defense. As a running back, Robinson has five carries for 38 yards, as well as 20 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns.

Robinson had other offers from … Air Force, Brown and Colorado State, with reported interest from Northwestern, Oregon State and Washington.

Here is a link to Hudl.com highlights of Robinson in action.

 

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56 Replies to “CU Recruiting Class of 2018”

  1. This class is ranked (247) 52 in the country and 10 in the pac. Not good.

    I am believing the “experts have missed totally on this class.” Especially how it fits Colorado needs. Will they impact this year? Yup, but dangnab it tunamac needs to get off his loyalty to senior crap. He should have done that last year and he didn’t. Cost him….. (Middle not: You don’t like it but I don’t care…Lil Mac has graduated and should move on……Most experience……..least amount of talent, speed, athleticism……..Please go be an assistant coach)

    Anyway I like this class alot.

    Buffs

  2. Whoa Early.

    This class continues to look better. This kid truly is a diamond in the Buffffffff (a source). Several Buff JC Oline just didn’t make it to the expectation level. Takes a couple years before the diamond can shine. This is “supposedly” a different situation. We will see.

    Buffs.

    Note: This class will be perhaps the best of tunamacs tenure.

    Note 2: Congrats to Coach Mac.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dc2J9h7VAAEWeKI.jpg:large

  3. Don’t overlook the Evans kid from Palmer Ridge (Jr. QB, recent Arkansas de-commit).

    C’mon Coaches. Buff up and get some better OL and DL recurits.

    1. I don’t believe so. George Hypolite came to CU from Los Angeles as part of the CU Class of 2005, while Hasaan Hypolite is from Missouri City, Texas. I looked through the message boards on Hasaan, as I’m sure that question was asked at some point, but I couldn’t find either the question or the answer.

  4. So now Deon Smith is a soft recruit. And The Buffs lose Borghi?

    Mis calculation by somebody.. Borghi should have been recruited hard. And where is he going? Yup to a real offense.

    Buffs

  5. Finau looks ready to play today. There are the makings of great young core on defense here with Sparaco, Landman and Callier getting time this year and guys like Van Diest and Newman waiting. There are similar young pockets of talent all over the lineup, especially at OL and WR. If the Buffs are ever going to make that leap to an elite program, I think we are seeing the foundation laid in these classes. Welcome to the Black and Gold, young man!

  6. Stuart,

    And how about the 2 greyshirts. So there will 19
    Counting against the class

    How many more they got, ya think.????

  7. curious as to the obsession with wide receivers. Are we going full bore air raid? Maybe student body long on every play so we have to rotate them in and out? If we did go student body long on every play we could occasionally have a wide open tight end underneath.
    oh wait
    I almost forgot tight ends dont exist on this team

  8. After having Borghi decommit I think the team bounced back strong by landing the RB Deion Smith out of Houston TX…and this latest WR Arias is eye popping. For those concerned about 3* ratings, I won’t be the least bit surprised if a handful of these 17 year old 2018 commits aren’t upgraded to 4* after this upcoming season.

  9. watched the highlites for Arias. Not sure about his acceleration but once he gets rolling you aint gonna catch him.

  10. win some lose some . there are going to be those who say he was the kid that would have made the difference. I would like to see CU get more of the in state kids but that just doesnt happen.Signing day is a long ways off lets just wait he may just change his mind again or we may just get one that may be the one that could be better

    1. Rivals has a story about a 2019 RB from Michigan in camp that CU offered. If Borghi was in that camp too he may have seen the writing on the wall. At least with Leach he better hope he can run a route and catch a pass cause he wont have to “catch” very many handoffs….even if he starts.

  11. “truly believes in my skill set”???? Mac must have told Borghi he would have to compete. Good luck with Leach’s promise Max….not really

    1. Hey Happy fourth weekend.

      Disappointing is this deal! As Stuart said….Highly ranked instate… pipelines in Colorado.

      Doesn’t look good (whether it is or not) from just about any perspective.

      Yup that ” Coach Leach truly believes in my skill set” is a direct shot to the Higher offices in the Champions center.

      Those two new Recruited backs? Small. Smaller than Max. Rated lower than Max. Slower than Max. Hell one is even listed as a receiver. He de-committed because of them? Not believing that is the case. When there are de-commits from CU there is always the big loyalty-tweet from Chev Blah blah blah…………… Not one there this time.

      Yup Right Yup

      Right here in River city

      Buffs

      1. still doesnt mean he isnt afraid of competition.could be grades too. In any event when WSU comes to town our linebackers will have a little more “attention” for him….provided this slacker ever hits the field

      2. VK, what the heck does all the innuendo and hint hint, wink wink stuff that you just wrote mean? Spit it out. If you can’t do it in English I know that you are able to write it in German. We’ll get a translator and figure it out.

        You come across like John le Carre’. Very hard to figure out. This ain’t some kind of Palace Intrigue stuff.

      3. Gee, that VK “Colorado Pipeline” must be buzzing over Stanley, eh? Bigger faster, in-injured CO Kid, willing/unafraid to compete….says it all!

        1. Yup right yup. Disappointed Borghi ain’t coming
          To the mighty buffs.

          But this class is looking good

          Need dl and ol

          Buffs

  12. Happy summer,

    Recruiting Rankings

    Scout #53

    Rivals #50

    Welp, nothing has changed in this area. Next 10 gonna all gonna have to be 4 stars to even get close to the top 30.

    Oh wait rankings don’t matter unless they do.

    Jewels, diamonds in the rough. etc etc……………….?

    Doesn’t matter now does it. All about the coaching.

    Buffs be having Coach of the year. He made it all happen.

    Lost the DC but he was just a filler guy that didn’t really get along well with Coach of the year. (Oh wait it was the money, but was it really) Only the pepsi man knows. New guy on the glass bridge.

    Already have predicted the season. Expect/demand a good one. 4.5 per year oughta guaranee it (Oh ya know the reporting rules)

    Buffs

    Note: Receivers. Got a lot of em. Coaches Son, OC’s son. Probably 7-9 on the team better than both of em. Be watching that.

    1. WoW! So now it’s “TheVK”….more like THE BS!

      Chiv’s kid is a walk-on, MM’s has shown his worth on third downs as a very reliable slot receiver for two seasons, so what’s your beef?

      Old DC well over-played his hand as a coach, tried to horn in where he wasn’t needed! But then, you’re expert at that sort of overage!

      Recruit rankings count 2-3 years down the road, unless you’re Bama or another SEC cheater. Look at Mora at UCLA two-deep in 4 stars on both sides of the ball and he wins FOUR games??? Wazzup with dat, genius?

      1. Yup that’s the truth. All of it. Just how it is. Just how it was
        And just how it shall be.

        Horn in???? Hahahaha. You watch that O defense
        This year. Glad we don’t play em

        Mora?? Not sure he can cut it

        Now about those receivers. Gotta play the talent.

        Always

        No exceptions

        BUFFS

      2. Old DC was the main reason the Buff’s won the PAC 12 South. Look what happened after he left. I would be interested into your sources and just exactly how he “horned in” where he wasnt wanted. Was it his disgust at Mac’s first OC’s asleep at the wheel play calling?

        1. SHEESH! Believe the BDC had comments on how the old DC tried on a couple of occasions to butt in on OC huddles on the field during games, as if he wanted to control what was going on!

          And, No, he wasn’t the “main reason” the Buffs won the South; actually he was a beneficiary of all that went before him in foundation building and development. If you want to give credit to anyone other than HCMM, I’d go with Drew Wilson, who came in and gave the whole team A SHOT IN THE ARM and…..legs and all over with old school, Oly-style S&C. Wilson made them a PAC 12-level team!

          1. Interesting

            Now about that huddle breaki-in

            Leavitt is s pretty good D.C.
            And the way I heard it he had a real vision of what the opposing
            Defense was doing to the Buff offense and was offering advice based on that knowledge

            Seems you might wanna take input from your whole staff?
            But a very large ego got in the way as it had I. The past.

            Besides no question the protege oc had it all figured out.

            This happened more than once.

            But you know the coach of the year can’t be wrong

            Oh well it is what it is and the $4,000,000 man can continue on his path to St. hood

            Buffs

            Note: Some say this recruiting class is a C grade. Not me.
            I like this class a lot.

            Note 2: where are the 4 stars. Looking at the performance in the pac22 game. The bowl. The Tumpkin incident. Not a good pic really. And why did he make tumpkin the D.C.?

            Note 3; I expect at least 4 of these recruits to
            Be 4 star when they sign. Some are close now. Need to get a couple o solid D-line guys safe ties corners. And a big add fadt running back

  13. good looking group . hopefully things are really on the way up . not much on the star rating . but all 3 star prospects so far looks good so a few 4 star kids would be nice.

  14. Happy to see Brown finally make it to CU, good addition. But the Junior College route has me wondering: are grades a concern ? Why not just redshirt on campus in the fall, focus on grades and credits, even if he doesnt practice ?

    Dont see the value of the JC route unless there is an eligibility concern. I hope I am wrong.

    (BTW, I love the Derek McCartney approach of school first. Guy had a ridiculous amount of credits before even hitting the field. I hope all incoming frosh are taking summer classes, online classes, and redshirting as much as possible. Id rather have them in class than summer practice sessions if it means never worrying about eligibility.)

  15. Ah recruiting. The next best thing to a game. Unless it is the “Spring Game” errrrrrrrrrrr Spring fling.

    Gustav. Great name. Has a chance with his size and speed to be really good for CU.

    Buffs.

    Mac2 almost Free??????
    RG almost Free??????

  16. Gustav looks a little like Arnold. What stands out to me are his receiving stats AS a TE….almost 1000 yards and 15 touchdowns? yikes. Coming to CU however he will be better off on D. We cant have any TEs catching passes

  17. Wow.

    So 4 recruits committed already. 3 from the Great State of Colorado. Now the real work begins. Lots of offers to 4 stars out there. Need 16 of them and of course at the right position. Nice to protect the “borders” and there still is a 4 star the Buffs need to scoop up.

    Now about that Max kid. Fast. Real Fast. Really fast. 4.4 speed Hmmm.

    Now going out on a limb, which I am hmmmmm not reluctant to do (unlike little lenders) one, or two could say that he looks at tad, if not a lot, like that McCaffrey kid who spurned the Mighty Buffs for his Dads Alma Mater.

    Got hurt last year and hope he has a great year this year.

    Buffs.

    Note: AZ’s windmill hole for an OC who knows how to use that talent. (And use a tight end) Learning curve?

    Free Mac2
    Free RG

    1. On resembling McCaffrey, VK, it was my exact thought when I watched the video. I’m sure I am not the 2nd or the last who will have that thought.

      Just wonder if the brain trust in recruiting can see that potential when designing schemes for him?

      (Best not plan before the egg has hatched).

  18. Very impressed with Borghi’s video. He always looked like the fastest guy on the field and hard to bring down (shifty too). Whoever is running the Pomona offense knew how to draw plays to use Borghi well.

  19. When it comes to recruiting in recent years, I have always wondered why every top kicker or punter would not want to come to CU due to the thin air and great conditions. We had a string of NFL caliber punters in the 90’s and of course Green Bay’s all time leading scorer, Mason Crosby. But none since… Just wondering why???

    1. He is claiming it, but the recruiting websites are unsure if CU has officially offered.
      We’ll have plenty of time to sort it out before February, 2018.

        1. Just the speculation that the de-commitment came right on the heels of two other commitments from similar players.
          Glass half full for Buff fans … Borghi saw the writing on the wall, didn’t like the competition, and bolted.
          Glass half empty … CU coaches knew Borghi was leaving, and picked up the other commitments as a backup.

  20. Wow. This kid is gonna be a 4 star by the time he signs his loi.

    Still gotta finish this year.

    Wish list:

    Greg Rogers NT
    Josh Falo TE/LB
    Josh Rogers DT
    Bubba Bolden S
    Casey Roddick G
    Trajon Cotton S
    Dimitri Moore OLB
    Dwayne Fisher OT
    Damion Daniels DT

    Go Buffs.

    Note: Tyler Lytle, the qb recruit is now listed as a “soft verbal”

  21. So nice to hear. It wasn’t that long ago that recruits held off on the Buffs for as long as they could, hoping for better offers. They know that they better take that offer when they can, because top notch recruits are heading to Boulder. The Rise is Real.

    Mark
    Boulderdevil

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