Five years ago, 6-foot-9 Nate Solder of Buena Vista chose a football scholarship offer from Colorado rather than playing basketball at Dartmouth. How wise does that decision look now?
On Tuesday, Solder was named first-team All-American by The Associated Press.
With that honor, the imposing 315-pounder became the first offensive tackle in CU history to earn consensus All-America honors by being selected to at least three of the five teams recognized by the NCAA.
“Being an All-American is something I’ve always dreamed of, so it’s really amazing to me that it happened,” Solder said. “I was always told that I could be good, but I never realized it would be to this magnitude.”
Projected to be a first-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Solder is the first CU offensive tackle to earn first-team status on any All-America team since Stan Brock in 1979. Solder was recruited as a tight end but switched to tackle in the spring of 2008 after his redshirt freshman season.
Grading out to 94.3 percent as a senior, he was one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior offensive or defensive lineman. Solder also was among 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, nicknamed the “Academic Heisman.”
Commitments cut loose.
Kenneth Farrow, a running back at Hurst (Texas) L.D. Bell, became the second high school recruit to have his scholarship offer rescinded by newly hired CU coach Jon Embree.
Farrow, who had committed to CU in October when Dan Hawkins was the coach, is now looking at Houston and Iowa. “It is what it is,” Farrow said Tuesday. “I was super excited when Eric Bieniemy was hired (as offensive coordinator to Embree). But it’s college football, and things happen.”
Previously, Embree informed Petaluma (Calif.) Casa Grande quarterback Nick Sherry that his scholarship offer has been withdrawn. Sherry (6-4, 211) committed to Hawkins during the summer.
NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from talking publicly about unsigned recruits.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
