Colorado’s highest level of college football may not benefit from the latest batch of schoolboy recruits as much as the rest of America.
It’s a familiar theme – the Rocky Mountains are a great place to live, but not necessarily for the born and bred to stay and play big-time football, as evidenced by the annual exodus to college campuses elsewhere.
“I just think the Colorado kid has never been like, Nebraska, where he says ‘I’m staying in-state,”‘ said Tony Manfredi, beginning his 25th year as head coach at Overland, the longest current tenure at a Class 5A school. “The Colorado kid is more apt to move out of state.”
And it’s no secret.
“When schools come in here, they get the opportunity to legitimately recruit a kid,” Manfredi said. “Our kids will go to programs out of state.”
With reasons ranging from no interest from in-state schools to high schoolers wanting to play, study and live in other states, 37 student-athletes straight out of high school or prep school in Colorado signed to play Division I-A football Wednesday, including just 10 who made it official with in-state schools. Five more are expected to enter service academies – four to Air Force, one to Army – for a total of 42.
The state had an above-average number of I-A prospects: Colorado’s production typically is in the 20s.
This year’s crop also faced the late coaching change at the University of Colorado from Gary Barnett to Dan Hawkins, who took over the Buffaloes after compiling a 53-11 record at Boise State.
“(High school) coaches don’t know (Hawkins),” Arvada West coach Casey Coons said. “But, obviously, he’s been very successful.”
CU signed four in-state players and Colorado State landed six.
Tight end Steve Fendry and lineman Eric Lawson of Class 5A state champion Douglas County committed to CU in early August, during Barnett’s final season. CSU reined in area players more gradually, including Arvada West quarterback Sean McDougal.
Wyoming coach Joe Glenn, a former Northern Colorado coach, landed seven players from Colorado, notably Gateway wide receiver Greg Bolling and Cherry Creek kicker and punter Aric Goodman.
Of those who got away, Doherty linebacker and defensive end Lamarr Houston and Regis lineman Butch Lewis were the most decorated as prep All-Americans.Houston committed to Texas while the eventual national champion was in the stretch run of the regular season, and Lewis pledged to Southern California, the runner-up and a national champion the previous two years, in early January.
Playing elsewhere in the Big 12 will be Iowa State-bound Kris Means, a linebacker from Grand Junction; Nebraska-bound defensive end Pierre Allen from Thomas Jefferson and lineman Seth Jensen from Fort Morgan; Kansas-bound lineman Ian Wolfe from Fort Collins; and Kansas State-bound defensive back Chris Carney from Mullen, a last-minute addition to the Wildcats.
As for CSU and Wyoming opponents in the Mountain West Conference, Air Force is working to add Ponderosa running back Anthony Trevino and three players from two-time 4A champion ThunderRidge – quarterback Kyle Black, running back Nick Lind and wide receiver Eric Moats. San Diego State landed three in-staters, notably quarterback Kelsey Sokoloski of Cherry Creek.
The Western Athletic Conference grabbed two in-staters. Others going outside the state to high-profile programs are Montbello defensive end Greg Banks (Michigan), Fairview lineman Evan Eastburn (Maryland), Mullen lineman Chris Guarnero (California), Boulder lineman John Kyed (Stanford), Overland wide receiver Mark Mueller (Stanford) and Boulder defensive back Jamathan Lyle (Wisconsin).
Other service academies got into the act, as did the Ivy League. Lower levels of college football, most within Colorado boundaries, are laced with in-state signees – including Douglas County center Tim McGraw, The Denver Post 2005 Gold Helmet winner, to Division I-AA Northern Colorado.
Said Coons, who coached college football for 15 years: “(The class) is a pretty good representation. The play here is good.”
Even if they choose to go elsewhere.
