Colorado 2012 Recruiting

Colorado Buffaloes 2012 ... Head Coach: Jon Embree

Colorado Buffaloes

2011 Record: 2-10

Sep. 3 at Hawaii L 34-17
Sep. 10 California L 36-33 OT
Sep. 17 Colorado St W 28-14
Sep. 24 at Ohio State L 37-17
Oct. 1 Washington St L 31-27
Oct. 8 at Stanford L 48-7
Oct. 15 at Washington L 52-24
Oct. 22 Oregon L 45-2
Oct. 29 at Arizona State L 48-14
Nov. 5 USC L 42-17
Nov. 12 Arizona W 48-29
Nov. 19 at UCLA L 45-6
Nov. 26 at Utah W 17-14

2010 CFN Prediction: 7-5
2010 Record: 5-7

Sept. 4 Col St W 24-3 (in Den)
Sept. 11 at California L 52-7
Sept. 18 Hawaii W 31-13
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 Georgia W 29-27
Oct. 9 at Missouri L 26-0
Oct. 16 Baylor L 31-25
Oct. 23 Texas Tech L 27-24
Oct. 30 at Oklahoma L 43-10
Nov. 6 at Kansas L 52-45
Nov. 13 Iowa State W 34-14
Nov. 20 Kansas State W 44-36
Nov. 26 at Nebraska L 45-17
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Colorado Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. CB Yuri Wright
6-2, 180, Scout.com 10th ranked, four-star cornerback. As a junior, Wright had 45 tackles and intercepted six passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

2. QB Shane Dillon
6-5, 185, Scout.com 28th ranked, three-star quarterback. Dillon is a tall, thin quarterback that has a quick release and a live arm. Despite his lack of size, he shows toughness and the ability to stand tall in the pocket, release the ball, and take a hit. He has good footwork and is an adequate runner. He doesn't have a rocket for an arm, but because of his release, the ball arrives quickly. Needs to take less chances when he's under pressure as he'll throw into traffic at times.

3. FB Christian Powell
6-0, 250, Scout.com 3rd ranked, three-star fullback.

4. DT Justin Solis
6-3, 300, Scout.com 36th ranked, three-star defensive tackle.

5. TE Austin Ray
6-6, 234, Scout.com 34th ranked, three-star tight end.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Lots and lots and lots and LOTS of bodies. This will be a huge class with a little something for all spots, especially for a defensive line that has to be the cornerstone of the program’s resurgence. If all goes according to plan, this might be the Big 12’s best class of defensive tackles, while the ends aren’t too shabby with three-star prospects the norm. The offense doesn’t need pass catchers after loading up in previous classes, but a few solid prospects are expected to sign on.

Team Concerns For 2012: The 2012 comes at the right time with defensive line the team’s biggest concern. Three starters are gone off a decent front, and while there are plenty of young prospects waiting in the wings, the goal will be to use as much of a rotation as possible. Most importantly, the offense has to score more points. QB Tyler Hansen is finally done as is top tailback Rodney Stewart, opening up the competition in spring ball for both jobs.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: The Buffs didn’t exactly shine in their first year in the Pac-12, but they won two of their final three games and screwed up Utah’s conference title hopes. The secondary has to be far, far better after getting ripped up time again by any efficient quarterback. Three starters return in the defensive backfield, but the pass rush that was so impressive has to replace end Josh Hartigan. Offensively, Tyler Hansen and Rodney Stewart are done after doing what they could in the backfield for the last few years, and this spring there should be an interesting battle at quarterback, while Tony Jones and Josh Ford will get their chances to carry the mail. The line loses two starters including top guard Ryan Miller, while top wide receiver Toney Clemson is done on the outside X position.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Linebackers. New head coach Jon Embree is a linebacker guy, and his first class reflects where he wants his program to be with an upgrade in speed and athleticism. Will Harlos, Woodson Greer, and K.T. Tuumalo are smallish, safety-sized linebacker prospects who can fly, but Brady Daigh is a pure middle linebacker. The quarterback situation could be interesting with Stevie Dorman and JUCO transfer Brent Burnette two big passers, while Paulay Asiata should eventually be the type of offensive tackle who becomes an anchor to keep the passers clean.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 66. That Class Was Heavy On ... Tight ends. Dan Hawkins is recruiting someone else's players as he's all but gone without a sensational season. He didn't get any instant impact help, but RB Tony Jones might be inserted as a third down back early on. The next head man (assuming Hawkins really will be gone) will be loaded at tight end with four tall pass catchers signed on. Kyle Slavin is a big wide receiver, while Harold Mobley and Justin Favors will get their chances over the next few years to be focal points of the passing game.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 52. That Class Was Heavy On ... receivers. Head coach Dan Hawkins and his staff brought in a few nice safeties, signed two good quarterbacks, and landed superstar DE Nick Casa, but the spotlight will mostly be on the three receivers who’ll be asked to contribute early on. JUCO transfer Andre Simmons has the size and the potential to be a No. 1 target from the start, while Terdema Ussery and Jarrod Darden both very big, very good targets.

Nov. 25 Colorado 17 … at Utah 14
CFN Analysis: COMING

(AP) SALT LAKE CITY -- Coleman Petersen missed a 48-yard field goal try with two seconds remaining as Colorado escaped with a 17-14 victory over Utah on Friday, ending the Utes' hopes for a Pac-12 South title and halting the Buffaloes' school-record 23-game road losing streak.

Petersen missed all three attempts after entering the contest leading the Pac-12 in field goals made with 17. With the loss by Utah (7-5, 4-5), UCLA will represent the South in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game.

Tyler Hansen passed for 264 yards and a touchdown to lead Colorado (3-10, 2-7), which won outside its home state for the first time since Oct. 27, 2007, when the Buffs beat Texas Tech 31-26.

Colorado dominated from the start. At halftime, the Buffs led 10-0 and held a 254-39 total-yardage advantage and 11½-minute edge in time of possession.

Utah running back John White left the game in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. He carried 10 times for 28 yards.

Utah had everything to play for and Colorado nothing, other than pride for 26 seniors who had never won a road game.

The Utes had won four straight. A win Friday, coupled with an Arizona State loss against California on Friday night and UCLA loss against Southern California on Saturday night, and Utah would be win the Pac-12 South.

Colorado had other plans.

The Utes didn't get their initial first down until the 2:56 mark of the second quarter, eliciting mock cheers from the crowd of 45,026.

The team was booed as it went into the locker room trailing 10-0.

White had his sights set on Utah's single-season rushing mark of 1,507 yards. But he had just 28 yards on 10 carries before leaving with 14:05 left in the third quarter with a left ankle injury.

He moved into second place on the single-season list ahead of Dameon Hunter (1,396) and now has 1,405 yards on 290 carries.

Utah right guard Sam Brenner suffered a neck injury on the play after White was hurt. Brenner raised his right arm as he was being loaded into the ambulance on a backboard to cheers from the crowd. Team officials said was taken to a local hospital but had full movement in all extremities.

The last time the Utes had been shut out in the first half was against Cal, a turning point in the season as they won four straight after that embarrassing 34-10 loss.

On the flip side, Friday marked the first time Colorado led on the road all year.

The Buffs took a 7-0 lead with 9:08 left in the first quarter as Hansen capped the 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard leap into the end zone.

Defensive penalties kept alive both Colorado first-half scoring drives.

An unnecessary roughness penalty against defensive back Mo Lee kept a Buffs drive alive after Stewart was stopped short on third-and-3.

Hansen completed passes of 19 yards to Richardson and 20 yards to Ryan Deehan after the penalty to move the ball into the red zone.

On a 15-play, 69-yard drive that resulted in Will Oliver's 23-yard field goal, Utah committed two costly penalties.

A defensive holding call against Ryan Lacy gave the Buffs a first down after an incompletion on third-and-13. And Reggie Topps was whistled for pass interference to move the ball to the Utah 23-yard line.

The Utes' offense finally caught fire after the injuries to White and Brenner. Jon Hays completed a 26-yard pass to DeVonte Christopher on third-and-10, and backup running back Tauni Vakapuna carried four straight times for 25 yards, including the 3-yard touchdown run that pulled Utah within 10-7 with 10:29 left in the third quarter.

Hansen brought the Buffs right back, capping an 11-play, 82-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Evan Harrington with 4:47 left in the third quarter to put Colorado ahead 17-7.

Hays pulled Utah within 17-14 on a 6-yard TD pass to Shawn Asiata with 54 seconds left in the third.

But Peterson missed a 26-yard field goal that would have tied the score with 8:55 to play.

His first miss was from 42 yards.

Now the Utes have to find out what bowl game they will be invited to play in.

Nov. 19 at UCLA 45 … Colorado 6
CFN Analysis: Talk about your major steps back, Colorado isn’t improving at all. UCLA was a beatable team, but the lines got destroyed and the neither side of the ball produced. … Tyler Hansen didn’t have any room to run, and Rodney Stewart was bottled up outside of one decent dash. … UCLA was motivated with a Pac-12 title still on the table, and Utah will be equally fired up on Friday. The Buffs have to bring the energy and the fire that wasn’t there on either side of the ball, or the season will close out with an even uglier crash. If the Buff defensive line plays like this again, the Utes will power the ball for well over 300 yards. 

Nov. 12 at Colorado 48 … Arizona 29
CFN Analysis: The Buffs finally got their first Pac-12 win as the offense finally worked like it’s supposed to. Tyler Hansen threw for 213 yards and two scores and caught a scoring pass, and Rodney Stewart finally broke out with the scoring pass to Hansen while running for 181 yards and three scores. The offensive line had its best game of the year, giving the backfield time to work. … The secondary might have gotten picked apart, but Travis Sandersfeld was a bright spot for the defense with 11 tackles, a sack, a pick and three tackles for loss. … In lousy conditions, the team that could run the ball better would win. The Buffs showed it could pound away, while Arizona couldn’t. … It was the home finale, and now it’s time to go for the gravy. A win UCLA or Utah could set the tone for 2012.  

Nov. 4 USC 42 … at Colorado 17
CFN Analysis: Colorado was able to move the ball on the USC defense, but it couldn’t convert drives into points and it couldn’t slow down Matt Barkley and the Trojan passing game. This isn’t a Buff team built for comebacks, even with a decent passing game, and Tyler Hansen struggled, completing 17-of-37 passes for 250 yards and two scores. The defense was a half step slow and couldn’t tackle, while the offense got down too quickly to get anything meaningful out of Rodney Stewart. At 1-9 and on a six-game losing streak, everything might come down to beating Arizona in the home finale before going on the road to face UCLA and Utah.  

Oct. 29 at Arizona State 48 … Colorado 14
CFN Analysis: The running game isn’t working because the offensive line is having a nightmare of a time. The Buffs are last in the Pac-12 and 114th in the country, running for just 90 yards per game, while the passing game isn’t doing nearly enough to pick up the slack. The Buffs are missing playmakers on both sides of the ball, and in the Pac-12, scoring is a must. Scoring 14 points or fewer in three of the last four games isn’t going to cut it, and the O has to find something it can do right on a consistent basis. Tyler Hansen threw for 285 yards and he’s trying to get things moving, but the attack gave the ball away five times and the defense didn’t hold to pick up the slack. USC comes to town next, but it might be a down team after the Stanford loss. Getting off to a hot start will be a must for the Buffs. 

Oct. 22 Oregon 45 … at Colorado 2
CFN Analysis: Colorado didn’t have a prayer against an Oregon team playing as well as anyone in the country outside of LSU. The Buff defensive front was pushed around and looked confused from the start as the Ducks had holes after holes to fly through. The Colorado running game hasn’t been anything special this year, and it failed to do anything after getting down so quickly. Tony Jones did what he could in place of Rodney Stewart, running for 71 yards on 19 carries, but he couldn’t get free to keep the chains moving. After getting obliterated three weeks in a row, and with Arizona State up next, the inaugural Pac-12 season continues to be a nightmare. 

Oct. 15 at Washington 52 … Colorado 24
CFN Analysis: The Buffs are getting worse by the week, and the big problem now is that they’re getting down early and aren’t able to come back. The offensive line continues to be a nightmare, doing nothing for the ground game and not giving Tyler Hansen any time to work. Now things have gone from bad to worse with Rodney Stewart suffering a knee injury. Tony Jones ran for 49 yards and two scores, but he’s not Stewart. As if the season wasn’t going down fast enough, Oregon and Arizona State are up next.
 
Oct. 8 at Stanford 48 … Colorado 7
CFN Analysis: Colorado simply got outclassed by the Stanford. The offense wasn’t there to keep up the pace and the defense wasn’t even close. Down 27-7 at halftime, the Buffs had to abandon the ground game and then it was over; Tyler Hansen couldn’t get the chains moving as the O converted just 2-of-13 third down chances and the passing game threw for a mere 202 yards. Stanford is playing at a national title level, so there’s no real reason to get too upset, but at 1-5 the Buffs need something positive to build on. That’s not going to come against Washington, Oregon, Arizona, State and USC over the next four games. The season is lost, and now it’s time to identify playmakers and find something the team can do well on a consistent basis. 

Oct. 1 Washington State 31 … at Colorado 27
CFN Analysis: Colorado just doesn’t have any defensive backs. Yeah, the Buffs might have been in control of the game for long stretches, but they didn’t have the players in the defensive backfield to come up with the stops needed in key moments. Rodney Stewart is doing what he can to carry the offense, and Tyler Hansen hasn’t been awful, but the defense got lit up despite coming up with three sacks and consistently decent pressure. The offense needs better field position, and ranking last in the nation in kickoff returns and 100th in punt returns isn’t a plus. Colorado needs to find something other than rushing the passer than it can do at a high level, but going on the road against Stanford and Washington isn’t going to help the cause. 

Sept. 24 at Ohio State 37 … Colorado 17
CFN Analysis: Colorado can’t run the ball, it can’t stop making mistakes, and it really can’t return a kick. The team has to be good in all the little areas, and it’s not with mediocre special teams, nine penalties against OSU, and two key turnovers. The defense wasn’t awful, and Tyler Hansen kept pressing and spreading the ball around well, but the team can’t seem to put together a consistently decent game from one outing to the next. With Pac-12 play officially kicking off next week – the game against Cal didn’t count – the Buffs have to get the running game going early, and that means the offensive line has to be better, fast. The Buffs have to be more physical.

Sept. 17 Colorado 28 … Colorado State 14
CFN Analysis: Colorado dominated when it had to, but it was ugly to start out and let Colorado State stay around way too long. This wasn’t the type of sharp effort needed in a rivalry game, committing ten penalties and seeing too many early drives stall, but Tyler Hansen had his second straight excellent game throwing two touchdowns passes and running for two short scores, always keeping the Rams at bay. The running game was fine, and Rodney Stewart did a little bit of everything, but the team will have to be much tighter with a trip to face an angry Ohio State team up next. The pass protection has to be even stronger to keep Hansen upright.  

Sept. 10 California 36 … at Colorado 33 OT
CFN Analysis: How did the Buffs blow that? They moved the ball up and down the field on Cal, with Tyler Hansen throwing for 474 yards and three scores, and Paul Richardson catching 11 passes for 284 yards and two scores, but they didn’t get it done in overtime. Rodney Stewart and the running game aren’t going anywhere, and the offensive line is having problems with its consistency, but the offense moved the ball and dominated the stats, outgaining Cal 582 to 370. With three sacks, the pass rush worked and Douglas Rippy came up with nine tackles with a sack, but it wasn’t enough. Now it’s condition critical time. 0-2 is bad. 0-3 with a loss to rival Colorado State would be far, far worse.    

Sept. 3 at Hawaii 34 … Colorado 17
CFN Analysis: Where was the Colorado offensive line? It was non-existent in pass protection, and while Rodney Stewart came up with 52 yards, he only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. He turned four passes for 98 yards, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome a lousy day from the run defense. Darragh O’Neill averaged close to 45 yards per punt and put four inside the 20, but the good field position didn’t matter. The defensive front was okay at getting into the backfield, and it was fine against the Hawaii passing game, but now it has to be far, far stronger with California coming up. The Buffs still have a long, long way to go to get back to what it was. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Linebackers. New head coach Jon Embree is a linebacker guy, and his first class reflects where he wants his program to be with an upgrade in speed and athleticism. Will Harlos, Woodson Greer, and K.T. Tuumalo are smallish, safety-sized linebacker prospects who can fly, but Brady Daigh is a pure middle linebacker. The quarterback situation could be interesting with Stevie Dorman and JUCO transfer Brent Burnette two big passers, while Paulay Asiata should eventually be the type of offensive tackle who becomes an anchor to keep the passers clean.

Five Colorado Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. OT Paulay Asiata
6-5, 290, Scout.com’s 21st ranked offensive tackle.

2. LB Brady Daigh
6-2, 230, Scout.com’s 32nd ranked middle linebacker. Daigh finished his junior season with around 100 tackles, three sacks and one fumble recovered. Named honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore. He says he can bench 260-pounds, squat 340 and has a 26-inch vertical jump.

3. DE Juda Parker
6-2, 230, Scout.com’s 36th ranked defensive end. 64.5 tackles, 16 sacks and two forced fumbles for state champions in 2010.

4. QB Stevie Dorman
6-4, 210, Scout.com’s78th ranked quarterback. A polished recruit who looks the part of a future NFL quarterback because of his great size, 6-4 210. He has a great touch on short and medium passes and throws a catchable deep ball. Throws almost over the top in a calm demeanor with a big arc on the ball. Does a good job on play-fake also drawing the defensive backs in. Great upside, he could start for quite a few teams as a freshman if needed.

5. LB Woodson Greer
6-2, 215, Scout.com’s 48th ranked outside linebacker. Good size to play inside or outside linebacker, Greer has excellent acceleration that allows him to shoot the gap on a delayed blitz or beat a running back to the edge. Attacks the ball carrier on contact and finishes his tackles well.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
ASIATA, Paulay OL 6-5 295 Honolulu, Hawai’i (St. Louis)
BURNETTE, Brent QB 6-3 210 Jr. Maryville, Tenn. (Maryville/Middle Tennessee/Western Arizona)
CLARK, Jermaine ATH 6-2 205 Winston-Salem, N.C. (Oak Ridge Military Academy)
CREER, Malcolm RB 5-11 200 Los Angeles, Calif. (Palisades)
DAIGH, Brady LB 6-2 235 Littleton, Colo. (Mullen)
DORMAN, Stevie Joe QB 6-4 210 Somerset, Texas (Somerset)
GREER, Woodson LB 6-2 225 Carson, Calif. (Junipero Serra)
HALL, Rashad RB 6-0 200 Lynchburg, Va. (Oak Ridge Military Academy)
HARLOS, Will DB 6-4 200 Somerset, Texas (Somerset)
HARRINGTON, Sherrard DB 6-1 175 Washington, D.C. (Howard D. Woodson)
HENDERSON, Greg DB 5-11 185 Corona, Calif. (Norco)
KELLEY, Alex C 6-3 295 Oceanside, Calif. (Vista)
LEWIS, Alex OL 6- 6 270 Tempe, Ariz. (Mountain Pointe)
NEMBOT, Stephan DE 6-8 270 Van Nuys, Calif. (Montclair Prep)
MUSTOE, Marc OL 6-7 280 Broomfield, Colo. (Arvada West)
OLIVER, Will PK 5-11 185 Los Angeles, Calif. (Harvard-Westlake)
PARKER, Juda DE 6-2 245 Aiea, Hawai’i (St. Louis)
SPRUCE, Nelson WR 6-2 190 Westlake Village, Calif. (Westlake)
TU’UMALO, K.T. LB 6-2 200 Honolulu, Hawai’i (Punahou)
WASHINGTON, Kyle DB 6-1 200 Pasadena, Calif. (Florence (Ariz.) HS)