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CU's best recruiting opportunity state from outside the footprint?

Best CU target for outside the footprint?

  • Florida

    Votes: 3 6.1%
  • Georgia

    Votes: 2 4.1%
  • Illinois

    Votes: 7 14.3%
  • Louisiana

    Votes: 11 22.4%
  • Missouri

    Votes: 1 2.0%
  • New Jersey

    Votes: 3 6.1%
  • New York

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Ohio

    Votes: 7 14.3%
  • Tennessee

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Washington DC

    Votes: 3 6.1%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 6.1%
  • CU should not recruit outside the footprint

    Votes: 9 18.4%

  • Total voters
    49

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
For this, I'm going to assume that the "footprint" includes anything from the Mountain time zone west plus Texas and any Colorado border states from the Central time zone (Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma).

Here's a brief case for the others I put in the poll:

Florida: largest collection of talent outside our region
New Jersey: major talent producer with willingness to look nationally at colleges
Illinois: solid talent and strong CU alumni base
Louisiana: major talent producer where CU has had success in the past
Tennessee: has sent talent to CU and has a general openness to look nationally
Ohio: very good talent base similar to Louisiana in that there is only 1 in-state BCS program
Georgia: big talent producer that has sent talent to CU before
Washington DC: speed, talent and willing to look - has players on the current CU roster
Missouri: produces some elite talent and geographically close
New York: like NJ on talent and openness to leave plus some of the best JUCO talent in the nation

I also included options for "Other" or for not recruiting outside the footprint.

I'd say to stay within the footprint unless a prospect is found at a camp or through a personal connection. It's hard to justify trying to use resources to build a pipeline elsewhere when there's more than enough talent in the west.
 
Tennessee: HCMM has recruited there while at Ole Miss and Duke and his roots are there. But still don't see any of the above as relevant.

PAC12 footprint plus Texas is all you need to know. Got to find those Texas kids who hate how hot it is down there and get them up here in July or August.
 
Tennessee: HCMM has recruited there while at Ole Miss and Duke and his roots are there. But still don't see any of the above as relevant.

PAC12 footprint plus Texas is all you need to know. Got to find those Texas kids who hate how hot it is down there and get them up here in July or August.

Texas has grown by 6.5 million people since 2000. Lots of those kids will be actively looking to get out of state.
 
To me it makes sense to look at where the average non-sports related CU student is coming from and target that state. Outside of our footprint that seems to be Chicago and the surrounding areas, the Northeast, like Jersey, NY, Mass, etc. I had a bunch of friends from DC but I don't know if that is common.
 
As the folks around here would say... the 757. Hampton Roads has some decent players and from what I understand we may have some CU legacy athletes ready in about 4 years... right HotRack?
 
I voted for Ohio, as we seem to have snagged a few quality players from there over the years. I would also agree that Illinois (Chicago in particular) make sense with our out-of-state student makeup (seem to have a lot of kids from Chicagoland in Boulder).
 
I kind of like the idea of Illinois. Good talent, out of the SEC footprint, I think it would be easier to recruit against B1G conferences than the SEC and the weather angle shouldn't be a factor for those guys.
 
I voted for Ohio, as we seem to have snagged a few quality players from there over the years. I would also agree that Illinois (Chicago in particular) make sense with our out-of-state student makeup (seem to have a lot of kids from Chicagoland in Boulder).

I doubt the returns from Ohio wouldn't be worth the time invested


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Louisiana.

For the history of previous recruits and level of player coming out of that part of the country.
 
Louisiana.

For the history of previous recruits and level of player coming out of that part of the country.

1. Without looking at the previous classes I don't think we've had any success in Louisiana

2. I view it the same as Ohio. EB spent a **** ton of time in Louisiana with little to show for it. The elite talent is going to LSU, Bama, Auburn, and other SEC schools. Mid-level talent is honestly going to likely stay in-state. If a prospect shows interest then go for it but otherwise, pass.


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1. Without looking at the previous classes I don't think we've had any success in Louisiana

Kordell-Stewart-Colorado-94-01.jpg
 
Sorry, forgot to put recently, not too concerned about a player 20+ years ago as a reason to recruit a state


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Nowhere. Stay in footprint.

Probably the best answer. *When* we get to the level of a USC we can seriously look outside of it, but in the mean time we'd probably just spin our wheels. Exceptions of course for individuals outside the footprint where we have an in.
 
To me it makes sense to look at where the average non-sports related CU student is coming from and target that state. Outside of our footprint that seems to be Chicago and the surrounding areas, the Northeast, like Jersey, NY, Mass, etc. I had a bunch of friends from DC but I don't know if that is common.


Grew up in the near in Chicago 'burbs - LaGrange - and CU was the goal of the cool kids.
 
1. Without looking at the previous classes I don't think we've had any success in Louisiana Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What about that short receiver we took so we could get his QB buddy that left us at the altar?

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Don't recruit outside the footprint except for extenuating circumstances like an actively-recruited kid moving for his senior year.

If we absolutely must go outside of the footprint then you've got to go with Ohio. Very deep talent base and the Front Range is less of a culture shock compared with a kid from SEC or the east coast (assuming that the recruit hasn't traveled much).
 
I'm fine with the existing Pac-12 footprint + old Big 12 South + Hawaii. Getting more time with the Pacific islands, SLC, Phoenix, and Seattle areas for connections should pay off big. If we're going to go outside for more than a one-off prospect, I chose Illinois. Louisiana may have more talent we'd like but culturally they're all in on SEC plus the Boulder thing as has been discussed before is a big adjustment and homesickness IMO would more often prevail.

From anecdotal evidence on this board of past generations plus my experience about a decade ago, CU was the school for the cool for Chicagoans wanting to head somewhere west but not as far as California. In a small wing of my freshman dorm I knew at least 3 people from Cook County. CU would be a good spot for athletes wanting something cosmopolitan who are used to below freezing temps but can get an easier winter and less humidity. As top-heavy as the Big Ten has been, I think we stand a better chance at luring them outside that footprint.
 
I voted for New Jersey. There is a mystique among folks from New Jersey about Colorado. Don't ask me why, or how it started. But it exists. We have a natural advantage there in an area where there isn't an established college football powerhouse.
 
I voted for New Jersey. There is a mystique among folks from New Jersey about Colorado. Don't ask me why, or how it started. But it exists. We have a natural advantage there in an area where there isn't an established college football powerhouse.

I know that people joke "A 17 year old kid isn't going to be impressed by the Flatirons! They want girls and wins and fun!" but show a picture of Boulder and the surrounding area to a kid from Trenton and they'll be floored. Hell, show it to any city kid. Boulder should be a big draw for kids who want a fun atmosphere, pretty girls, fresh air and some wide open spaces. It can be almost intoxicating for some people to see the great outdoors for the first time.
 
Hawaii. Getting more time with the Pacific islands,

+1 We get a pretty large group of traditional non-athletes to CU from the islands. It would be nice if we could use that to get more football recruits.
 
I voted for New Jersey. There is a mystique among folks from New Jersey about Colorado. Don't ask me why, or how it started. But it exists. We have a natural advantage there in an area where there isn't an established college football powerhouse.

I know that people joke "A 17 year old kid isn't going to be impressed by the Flatirons! They want girls and wins and fun!" but show a picture of Boulder and the surrounding area to a kid from Trenton and they'll be floored. Hell, show it to any city kid. Boulder should be a big draw for kids who want a fun atmosphere, pretty girls, fresh air and some wide open spaces. It can be almost intoxicating for some people to see the great outdoors for the first time.


Those who don't remember their history are doomed to repeat it.

Screen-2937061.jpg




NewJerseyWEB2.jpg
 
I didn't vote but we've done pretty well getting a few guys from D.C. over the years. I'd like it to be Colorado, California, Texas, Arizona(need to make a big effort there), and maybe snag a few from like Utah or Washington. We do that and start winning some recruiting battles, things will go forward.
 
If you look at the demographics of the student body as a whole, it is CA, then TX, then a shotgun of the US with FL and IL the next on the list if I recall correctly.
 
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