BOULDER, Colo.—Dan Hawkins leaned back in his chair, took a swig of chocolate milk and then nibbled on a chocolate chip cookie.
The only thing sweeter than his celebratory snack was his incoming recruiting class. The Buffaloes landed a prize Wednesday as Darrell Scott, the top running back in the nation, picked Colorado over Big 12 rival Texas on national signing day.
“We’re pretty fired up,” said Hawkins, whose 2008 class was rated 16th by Rivals.com. “We’re excited about Darrell. He’s a premier-type tailback.”
He almost slipped away. Scott, who’s rated the sixth-best player in the country, called up Buffaloes running backs coach Darian Hagan on two different occasions last week and told him he was signing with the Longhorns.
And twice Hagan talked him out of it. Hagan even flew out to Scott’s home in Oxnard, Calif., last Saturday to talk him out of his decision.
“I know that guy better than he knows himself,” Hagan said with a smile. “I knew how to circumvent it and get it back to where Colorado was back in the lead.”
The fact that his uncle, soon-to-be sophomore receiver Josh Smith, was on the squad played a role, too. Yet even Smith didn’t know which school Scott was leaning toward until he made his announcement on ESPNU.
“I talked to him (Tuesday) night and he said he was still undecided,” Smith said. “I told him to follow his heart.”
Smith’s not so sure if Scott would’ve chosen Colorado had he not been there.
“To be honest, he probably wouldn’t,” Smith said. “I told him, ‘I’m not going to recruit you here. It’s not up to me to recruit you, I’m not a recruiting agent.’ He had to make his own decision.”
Scott had a persuasive coach in his ear. Hawkins told Scott that he need him to be his “Johnny Dawkins.” Hawkins is reading Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s book and Krzyzweski credits Dawkins with helping him jump-start his program.
“Mike was in his third year, still under .500, and brought in Johnny Dawkins as his first big-time recruit,” said Hawkins, whose team went 6-7 last season, losing to Alabama in the Independence Bowl. “He told Johnny that he needed Johnny to believe in him. That’s what I told Darrell. Everybody has to start somewhere. I said, ‘I need you to believe in me, I need you to trust me.’ It was a lot of work to show him what we’re about.”
Scott rushed for 2,433 yards and 33 touchdowns last fall for St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, Calif., leading the team to a state championship. He also did some punting, averaging 36.9 yards on 13 punts.
“I just thought Colorado was a good fit,” Scott said on ESPNU. “I’m excited to be a Buff.”
Lost in the wake of Scott was the signing of tailback Ray Polk out of Scottsdale, Ariz. Polk rushed for 1,098 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall.
“He’s going to be a guy that right now people say he’s pretty good,” Hagan said. “But in the end, he’s going to break some records and play a long time in the NFL.”
Asked for his thoughts on Scott, Hagan just grinned.
“People say he’s the best running back in California since Reggie Bush,” Hagan said. “That’s a lofty thing to say, but I believe he’s the best running back. When I looked at his film two years ago, I was like, ‘I’ve got to get that dude.’ I took a liking to him; see myself in him. He’s going to do some great things here.”
Smith couldn’t be more pleased to be paired with Scott again. The two were on the same high school team at Moorpark (Calif.) High, before Scott transferred to St. Bonaventure for his senior season.
“One-two punch, ready to lead this team to a championship,” Smith said. “I’m glad the joy continues. I was convinced he was probably going to go the Texas route. A week and a half ago, he’s leaning toward Texas. I was telling him, ‘Good luck, sure you want to play against me?’ I’m very excited.”
The Longhorns received strong consideration from Scott, especially after junior Jamaal Charles announced in January that he was leaving early to enter the NFL draft, freeing up a spot in their backfield.
But he was sold on CU.
“Every kid wants to be on a national stage, and a place like Texas, that’s what they can sell,” Hagan said. “A place like Colorado is also special. We’ve been there and done it, too.”
Scott knows that nothing will be handed to him. There are no special privileges. He even said as much on a recent interview, which almost made Hawkins cry.
“They asked him, ‘Hey, are you going to come in and be the starting tailback?'” Hawkins said. “He said, ‘I’m going to compete and we’ll see. They’ve got other guys.’ I wanted to cry right there. That’s my kind of guy right there.”
The Buffaloes have assembled a highly regarded class of recruits, locking up linebacker Jon Major from Parker, Colo., and defensive back Lynn Katoa from Salt Lake City. Both are listed among Rivals.com’s top 150 players in the nation.
“I’m not afraid to shoot for the very best people,” Hawkins said.
And then treat himself to a glass of chocolate milk and a cookie when he’s successful.
