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Scout: Early In-State Top 15 Prospects

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
  1. Christian McCaffrey 6-0 200 RB Valor Christian
  2. Trent Noller 6-3 310 C Windsor
  3. Evan White 6-3 190 S Cherokee Trail
  4. Kalen Ballage 6-2 215 Ath Falcon
  5. Isaiah Holland 6-6 305 OT Valor Christian
  6. Sam Martin 6-3 185 WR Fairview
  7. Sam Jones 6-5 270 OT ThunderRidge
  8. Alec Ruth 6-6 305 OT Valor Christian
  9. Anthony Holmes 6-6 195 WR Gateway
  10. Clarke Cooper 6-4 260 TE/DE Valor Christian
  11. Andre Apodaca 6-1 195 LB Silver Creek
  12. Cameron French 5-11 170 S Denver South
  13. Marcus Wilson 6-1 195 S Valor
  14. Brandon Malone 6-1 185 WR Chaparral
  15. Metise Moore 6-4 225 TE Denver South

I think Scout's off on this, as usual. Moore should be much higher than 15, for example. Guys like Bernard McDondle and Dalton Risner belong in the Top 15. Chaparral LB R.J. Martin (Daniel Graham's nephew) also belongs on this list. And how do you miss Mullen's JK Scott as a K/P? But some good names, nonetheless.

Cooper is an interesting target as a long snapper.

We haven't talked much about Valor's OLs, Holland and Ruth. They could get some significant offers.

And Anthony Holmes is a very interesting prospect as a 6'6" WR who has also put up good numbers on the basketball team. HCMM likes 2-sport athletes.

2014 looks like a good in-state class.
 
One thing I'd love to see with Colorado's in-state recruiting is that if we're making it such a priority, then the #1 target every year should be to lock down the top 2 in-state OLs as the foundation of our recruiting class. This is one position group where we know we can get quality D1 players every single year and start building a tradition and reputation.
 
One thing that becomes apparent looking at that list is that Valor has clearly replaced Mullen as the premier football program in the state (at least when it comes to producing D1 talent).
 
Ballage and Jones are too low. I think Risner may be one of those guys that blows up during the spring.

Also am interested to hear more about Metise Moore.
 
Not putting him down in any way, talented kid, but I think McCaffrey is going to dissapoint at the college level. He is a very good athlete but I don't think he is a great RB. He dominates at the HS level because of his athletic ability and because he is surrounded by the best talent Valor can recruit.

Ballage and Jones are very intriguing to me. I'm not an expert on CO HS talent but those two seem to have a lot of room for growth as players beyond where they are. I very much want those two as Buffs as well as Noller who could become a multi-year anchor for us on the OL.

I want to know more about Moore and RJ Martin. I also would hate to see a guy like Scott leave the state if he is close to as good as people say he is.
 
Not putting him down in any way, talented kid, but I think McCaffrey is going to dissapoint at the college level. He is a very good athlete but I don't think he is a great RB. He dominates at the HS level because of his athletic ability and because he is surrounded by the best talent Valor can recruit.

Ballage and Jones are very intriguing to me. I'm not an expert on CO HS talent but those two seem to have a lot of room for growth as players beyond where they are. I very much want those two as Buffs as well as Noller who could become a multi-year anchor for us on the OL.

I want to know more about Moore and RJ Martin. I also would hate to see a guy like Scott leave the state if he is close to as good as people say he is.

McCaffery will be a excellent college player in a spread offense
 
McCaffery will be a excellent college player in a spread offense

We'll see. I'm not saying he will be a bad player, most likely will end up starting for somebody although I'm not sure it will be RB. He just reminds me of a lot of kids who have stood out because of superior athletic ability and a strong team around them. Get to the college level and suddenly they don't have those advantages.
 
We'll see. I'm not saying he will be a bad player, most likely will end up starting for somebody although I'm not sure it will be RB. He just reminds me of a lot of kids who have stood out because of superior athletic ability and a strong team around them. Get to the college level and suddenly they don't have those advantages.

By your logic, CU should never recruit from any football factories anywhere.
 
We'll see. I'm not saying he will be a bad player, most likely will end up starting for somebody although I'm not sure it will be RB. He just reminds me of a lot of kids who have stood out because of superior athletic ability and a strong team around them. Get to the college level and suddenly they don't have those advantages.

Wow
 
Population and talent-wise, I think it's time to expand the Colorado prep lists. Maybe a top 25 or 30.

As long as it's for entertainment purposes and everyone understands that #100 in Texas or California is a better player than #10 in Colorado.
 
Evan White, RJ Martin, and Anthony Holmes all look like good prospects, but they will need to move positions at the college level imo. They all lack the speed needed for their current positions, but if they're moved to LB, DL, and TE those issues are no longer present.

I think Adam mentioned that French got in trouble recently, anyone know about that?
 
By your logic, CU should never recruit from any football factories anywhere.

Didn't say that at all. Just saying that you have to look at the individual player. Some teams are very good because of individuals on the team, other times the individuals look better because of the team they are on. In some cases guys who turn out to be better college players are even somewhat overshadowed by guys on their powerfull HS teams.

I'm not trying to put down McCaffrey, if he decided to go to CU (very unlikely) I would be happy to have him. I just don't think he is as good a RB as his statistics and his team make him look like. I could very well be wrong but I don't think so.

Different style of player but think back a couple years to Adonis Ameen-Moore at Mullen. He was destroying Colorado HS defenses, a big, fast, strong runner who teams couldn't completely concentrate on because of other talented players on his team. In his jr. and even sr. year we were hearing how he was going to be a top national recruit, etc. Instead ended up without offers from top 25 type programs and went to syracuse where he has played some but not stood out. He has 148 yards on 42 carries in two years.

In general the majority of the best players are going to be on the best or most powerful teams. I just say it's important to consider if the are going to be great players at the next level or if they are great players at this level because of who is around them.

I don't say not to recruit kids from Valor, or Mullen or from the power schools in other states, on the contrary we need to. I just am questioning if this player will turn out to be as good as some think he will.
 
Given that McCaffrey is faster and more athletic than Ameen-Moore was, I do not find much relevance there.

McCaffrey is legit and it sucks we likely will have to play against him.
 
Given that McCaffrey is faster and more athletic than Ameen-Moore was, I do not find much relevance there.

If McCaffrey ends up as a top level player and he might then I will be wrong, I just sense another dissapointment in him. He is faster and more athletic, Ameen-Moore was bigger and stronger. The comparison is both dominated and were promoted as great recruits while playing on HS teams that would have been better than virtually any team they played even without them.

Also might mention he is a good enough athlete that he may do better at a high level at a different position. He is a good enough athlete that he may do better on defense or as a reciever.
 
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Ameen-Moore peaked as a high school sophomore and was never a "great" recruit. McCaffrey is 10x the prospect Ameen-Moore was.
 
Mtn's logic fails anyway when recruits like McCaffrey get to Alabama where they will have the same advantages.
 
Mtn's logic fails anyway when recruits like McCaffrey get to Alabama where they will have the same advantages.

If Saban and his staff think he is good enough for them to offer him then I have no problem with admitting that my gut feeling is wrong. Let's see how it shakes out.
 
Also not as sold on Noller as others. Will be interested to see how his recruitment shakes out.
 
Valor has 5 of the top 15?

LB Quinn Vanderkoppel from Regis is definitely top 15

My Top 8

1. Christian McCaffrey Valor
By his senior year he will be able to go to wherever he wants. Looks like a Stanford-Oregon-Michigan-Alabama battle.

2. Sam Jones TRidge
Will blow up and I don't think we will get a great look because we didn't offer his older brother Zach now at NMSU. I think Oregon or an SEC school

3. Kalen Ballage Falcon
Looks like Michigan has the inside track

4. Isaiah Holland Valor
He might not be as good right now as some of the other OL instate but at a lean 6'6" 300 and his dad Darius Holland already playing at CU as long as we offer this spring we will be sitting pretty to land him. He has huge upside he moved from Germany last year.

5. Evan White Cherokee Trail
Very good looking safety prospect. He is long at 6'3" and has great instincts. We should definitely be taking this kid

6. Trenton Noller Windsor
A true Center. There are only about 5 of them per cycle that are his level. We should be all over this kid redshirt him let him lean out and so he can be a 3 or 4 year starter whenever he's ready.

7. Dalton Risner Wiggins
I like his tape but he does play high. I don't know how many OL we plan on taking this cycle but this kid appears to be a BCS caliber kid.

8. Sam Martin Fairview
Definitely need to take this kid he has the body and the productivity to be a successful PAC 12 player.

I need to look at the rest Ruth, Holmes, Cooper, Apodaca, Wilson, Malone, Martin, Moore, Vanderkoppel some more before I give an opinion but based on what I've seen many look CU caliber.

I will say this about instate 2014. The past 4-5 years there has been only about 5-8 CU caliber kids each year of the 25 D1 kids instate. This year I honestly think 12-15 look CU caliber depending on how many we take in the class overall and at each position number wise. Although interestingly enough there might not even be 25 D1 kids in state.
 
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Christian would be smart to go to a spread offense team
 
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Apodaca is an interesting one as well. Small for a LB, but good production and his brother is at Wazzu.

BigCate, you think White stays at safety?
 
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