In the six weeks since Mike Bobo was introduced as the head football coach at Colorado State University, the Georgia native has done anything but settle down in the Centennial State. Due to his late hiring, Bobo has spent the better part of the last month and a half on the recruiting trail; not only trying to enlist players for the 2015 class, but future classes as well. Wednesday is national signing day, when athletes from around the country pledge their allegiance to a school for at least the next year and possibly three or four more. Here’s a look at Colorado State’s 2015 recruiting class; a small but impressive group for a coach who has barely even seen his office yet.
CSU’s 2015 signing class features six players from within the state. Four high school recruits have signed with the Rams, including two from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. Junior college transfer Deshon Mayes is also from the state. He attended Pomona High School in Arvada prior to junior college. Vanderbilt transfer Mitch Parsons is originally from Parker, Colorado.
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“We took care of our state primarily, signing six guys from Colorado,” Bobo said. “I said in the opening press conference when I was hired that we want to recruit Colorado. We spent a lot of time on the phones today working 2016 and 2017 kids, and our first focus was Colorado. We want to make sure that we cover Colorado and the word is out there about Colorado State.”
Bobo went on to say that while he and his staff recruit mainly by need of position, but that sometimes it is essential to go after the best talent available. One of the most important things he is looking for is upside, which he bases on athleticism and physical tools. With junior college players though, he said his focus is more on finding players who can make immediate contributions.
“When you recruit a junior college player, you’re recruiting a guy to come in and make an impact,” Bobo said. “… We’ve signed these guys with the intention to come in and compete and make an impact. They were recruited that way and they were told that, and they have the desire to do that.”
Of course, of the biggest obstacles in the recruiting process for Bobo was dealing with players who had committed to CSU under previous coach Jim McElwain and his staff. One of the few coaches remaining from McElwain’s is linebackers coach Marty English, who Bobo said was instrumental in helping keep those recruits and land others from within the state.
“I think we had eight or nine committed when I took the job and we didn’t lose any of those guys,” Bobo said. “… We kind of focused on our area of need and attacked that, but at the same time not neglecting the guys that were already committed.”
CSU’s signing class is not decorated with 5-star recruits but as history has shown, that is not always what matters.
“Some of our better players in my years at Georgia were guys we signed the night before signing day that had nothing,” Bobo said. “It’s about what you do with them, and what is inside of them.””
Bobo said his confidence in this recruiting class lies within the high-character of the players he signed, and their desire to represent the green and gold.
“They not only loved the former staff,” Bobo said. “They loved Colorado State University.”
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Here’s a look at Colorado State’s 2015 recruiting class; a small but impressive group for a coach who has barely even seen his office yet.
- Salofi Gaoa, 6’6, 260 lbs., OL, Rocky Mountain (CO) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 2-star
Offers: Colorado State
- O’Shea Jackson, 6’1, 275 lbs., DL, Arlington Martin (TX) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 2-star
Offers: Colorado State
- Olabisi Johnson, 6’0, 178 lbs., WR, Bear Creek (CO) HS
ESPN: 3-star Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Colorado State, Army, Northern Colorado
- Richard King, 6’5, 250 lbs., DL, Rangeview (CO) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Colorado State, South Dakota, South Dakota State
- Deshon Mayes, 6’2, 215 lbs., LB, Glendale (AZ) CC
ESPN: NR Rivals: 3-star 247Sports: 2-star
Offers: Colorado State
- Isaiah Matthews, 6’0, 210 lbs., RB, Enterprise (CA) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: 3-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Colorado State, Colorado, San Jose State, Air Force, Wyoming
- Max McDonald, 6’2, 210 lbs., LB, Rocky Mountain (CO) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 2-star
Offers: Colorado State, Air Force, Eastern Washington
- Colby Meeks, 6’4, 300 lbs., OL, Dr. Phillips (FL) HS
ESPN: 3-star Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Holy Cross
- Justin Nunez, 6’5, 320 lbs., OL, Red Bluff (CA) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: NR 247Sports: NR
Offers: Colorado State
- Mitch Parsons, 6’4, 245 lbs., TE, Vanderbilt
ESPN: NR Rivals: NR 247Sports: NR
Offers: Colorado State
- J.C. Robles, 6’5, 207 lbs., QB, El Diamante (CA) HS
ESPN: 3-star Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Colorado State, Sacramento State
- Braylin Scott, 6’3, 175 lbs., WR, Liberty (CA) HS
ESPN: NR Rivals: 2-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Colorado State, Eastern Washington
- Darnell Thompson, 6’4, 271 lbs., DL, Highland (KS) CC
ESPN: 3-star Rivals: 3-star 247Sports: 3-star
Offers: Colorado State, Fresno State, Purdue, Appalachian State
Collegian Sports Editor Keegan Pope can be reached at kpope@collegian.com and on Twitter @ByKeeganPope.
