Colorado Buffaloes regular signing period musings + 2024 class awards (BuffStampede Radio)

BuffStampede.com publisher Adam Munsterteiger and football analyst William Gardner share their overall thoughts on Colorado’s recruiting class, and then they make their 2024 class picks in eight categories. #coachprime #cubuffs #deionsanders #gobuffs

Welcome into a new buff Stampede radio Adam mon tiger the publisher of buffstampede.com joined by the incomparable William Gardner and it is the regular signing period uh but the regular part of that almost needs to be put in quotations now William because uh most of the action takes place during

The early signing period uh and the whole recruiting timeline has gotten so accelerated that you throw on top of it Colorado is going more quality over quantity with high school recruiting it just there’s not going to be a whole lot of fireworks and it does sound like

Colorado is going to get one more high school edition for the regular signing period but it’s different than it used to be when this was the day for college football recruiting yeah I don’t know about that incomparable like can’t can’t be compared to anything that makes any sense probably

But uh yeah I don’t know you know some of us are old enough to remember I don’t know how long’s it been since we since it was only on um uh February I’m guessing we’ve had about four or five early signing periods now wow boy sure seems longer than that

I don’t know I guess us oldtimers had to think back but I guess I guess you don’t have to be much of an Oldtimer to remember that but uh you used to be that you just wait wait all year for Wednesday that first Wednesday in February and the buildup and uh always

All the surprise now there’s no surprises anymore it’s like it’s all done on social media and you kind of know what’s coming but you used to wait for Wednesday and wait to see what happened and who’d you lose and who’ you pick up and all that kind of

Stuff and so was it like the newspapers covering it how did you follow along with Signing Day back before the internet really took off well I mean you had to wait till Thursday you know you had to wait till Thursday with there was I think for a while there was one radio

Show I can’t remember who that guy was and he kind of talked about a little bit and then uh otherwise he had to wait wait for the paper to come out on Thursday to see who what everybody had you know and so then there was always like uh a lot more surprises then

Because guys were not as much covered and trying to figure out what uh uh uh what you could find out about guys today’s episode is brought To Us by mcau Capital fractional CFO Services if you are running a successful small to medium-sized business you have an impressive set of skills but as your

Company grows you face new and different challenges when Eclipse $3 million in Revenue you likely have a whole new set of financial challenges are you looking for financial guidance and support but don’t have the resources to hire a full-time CFO well we have the solution for you hiring a fractional CFO from

Mcau capital a fractional CFO can work with businesses on a part-time basis providing the same expertise as a full-time CFO at a fraction of the cost you get the benefit of having a seasoned Financial expert on your team without the commitment or expense of a full-time hire we love to help your business

Thrive by improving its profitability and eliminating your financial headaches get a long-term partner you can trust to help craft your financial strategy understand the profitability of each client help manage your cash smartly so you can take advantage of rising interest rates and more it’s likely that a partnership with mcau capital will be

A win-win situation meaning that your business will make more money from the guidance of a fractional CFO than the total cost of partner ING with mcau capital for more information or to set up a meeting visit mcau capital.com or email CFO molic capital.com that’s MCCA l y capital.com as we sit here and

Record this Colorado ranks 22nd overall with their 2024 class that includes the transfers that they’ve brought in as well and this is number one among future Big 12 programs do you feel good about what Colorado’s done in terms of the overall Talent they’ve brought into this program both from competing in 2024 but

Also uh kind of build in for the future yeah I think definitely I think they brought in a lot of talent you know kind of across the age ranges and you know I mean anymore you gota as Prime said that class he was at uh this week you know

You gota you gota you got to win now because you can’t wait two years You’ be gone in two years if you don’t get it done and then if you have success this year that builds next year’s class and it just sort of repeats itself after a

While but uh what they’ve done I think is fill all the needs that they had well most of the needs that they had the glaring needs and I think the the only thing that remains really is linebacker but uh you know they they’ brought in some really I think the transfer class

Is is is significantly better than last year especially at the top end and some of the stars and the players on the lines uh really are significantly better and I think you know we’ve addressed the offensive line we’ve addressed the pass rush we’ve addressed the the defensive

Line in the middle so I don’t know I’m pretty excited about it yeah you look at it half of their six early High School signes were ranked in the top 90 nationally obviously Jordan Sean being the the headliner in that group um it really is a a quality

Over quantity approach and I’m told that going ahead to 2025 you could see that number jump up a little bit and the number that I’ve heard is you know somewhere between 12 and 15 guys in that 2025 class 15 would be on on the high

End of that they they might not get to that are you okay kind of with that approach especially I mean you couldn’t do this before because you went to the transfers and they’d have to sit out a year uh and so you weren’t getting immediate help and you know I know I

Don’t think we want to spend a whole lot of time thinking about this until it becomes a reality because it’s it’s tough to think about but you know shador Sanders and Travis Hunter uh are going to be off you know to uh the NFL after this coming season and so you’re

Probably going to have to use the the portal to get in a lot of readymade guys to kind of fill in some of those gaps you know will Shepard leonte Wester are a couple receivers we expect big things out of there they’re going to have some spots they’re going to have to fill

Again through the portal this coming year yeah and I think with uh shador and and Travis moving on I think they’ll be able to attract some of those really top guys to fill some of those spots but again uh coach Prime talked about it in

That class he was at where you know you know you bring in these freshmen they got to adjust to college they got to figure out where the waight room is they got to figure out how to lift they got to figure out how to work hard how to go

To class you know and like he said let let somebody else deal with it and I’ll bring in a guy that’s a sophomore or a junior that already knows how to do all those things and and is is accustomed to sort of the college level of doing stuff

So you know know I think that makes a lot of sense I think you you you take the high school class and you fill it in you know uh with with really top level guys who can who can compete right away um and then mostly I think mostly what

You do is is get your your transfer guys and fill the needs that you have so you know the old school way you know guys that are guys on the board are complaining about there’s not enough high school players just ain’t how it’s done anymore man it doesn’t make any

Sense to do it that way well you even run the risk of if you bring a really talented High School guy in and you’re at a place as a program where it’s healthy with the experienced guys at most positions those young guys might not want to have to be patient and they

Might get impatient and they might transfer and so you spend a year or two trying to develop those guys and then they get impatient and then uh you got to fill their spot by going to the portal anyway right right so uh it is a

New day and age and I think we’re all trying to kind of wrap our heads around it and now you know just you see just yest yesterday with news of uh labors maybe being introduced to I me it’s just it really is not going to probably settle down anytime soon but uh let’s

Dive into a big Edition that’s going to get announced I mentioned that there’s going to be a high school edition expected on Wednesday and Colorado is also expected to announce the transfer edition of BJ Green from Arizona State this is uh allowed to happen because he can sign financial aid agreement with

Colorado which binds Colorado to him but not him to Colorado until he enrolls which is expected to take place I heard may I assume late May is when he’s going to get in Boulder because he’s finishing up work in mechanical engineering at Arizona State so uh Not only was he

Arizona State’s top graded defensive player last fall he is also a really good student this is one that’s hard not to get excited about what what are your overall thoughts about BJ green joining The Herd well I got to tell you I mean that that’s so unusual to have a defensive

Lineman and he’s he’s an engineering student I mean you know the typical sort of you know feeling is that the offensive lineman are the smart guys and the defensive lineman are kind of you know the the not so bright guys but uh have a guy like BJ green the fact that

He I think the fact that he’s a uh engineering student uh really speaks uh you know like some people say well you know he’s he’s not here till he’s here but he’s an engineering student he’s coming here much for the school as for the football uh but what he brings on

The football field um you know he he and um chido nango are guys that come in and are proven at this level on a defensive front you know and there’s just no that you know BJ green could I think I put a post up yesterday where BJ green could

Very easily be the best out best Edge player in the Big 12 uh and and noan could very easily be the one of the best inside defensive tackles in the Big 12 because he was last year you know and green was last year in the Pack 12 so um

The the you can’t just you can’t overstate what these two guys bring to this team to this program because all of a sudden we have top guys on along that defensive line at two spots you know and uh man we haven’t had that in a while

Yeah if you look at the 247 Sports transfer rankings Colorado has the number five six and seventh ranked defens lineman with okan Lola Quincy wigin and BJ green on board and we’ll get to this a little bit later but you brought up wanko I mean he’s almost criminally underrated in this class so

You really have uh really bolstered that front seven needing still like you said some linebackers and you might just have to be a little bit more patient with with linebackers I think DJ Lundy uh going back to Florida State kind of threw a wrench and what they were hoping

To build with that group yeah this spring and uh you feel it now and then you get into that spring transfer window and there’s bunch of really talented guys out there uh you know maybe you could still make room for them but I think patience is probably best served

In that situation yeah I don’t think we want to make take a reach and fill it with somebody that uh isn’t really a top level player because like you said after Spring ball you know things kind of solidify at various different places and all of a sudden um uh uh you got some

Really top players coming available and you don’t have spots for it so I think I don’t know where we are in terms of our numbers but I’d rather wait and see at this point you know for and I’m and I’m sure they’re already talking to people

And talking to guys that are looking to transfer and have some ideas so um I’m comfortable that we’ll find a couple of guys at that position that will be difference makers and you know the other thing is you want to you get a lot of these guys on campus and you go through

Spring ball just just like last year and sometimes they don’t you know a couple of those guys that we thought were sure things work didn’t work out last year I just hope this spring transfer window uh and it shouldn’t because you’re in such a different spot as a program this

Spring than you were a year ago but that portal opens up to non-graduates from April 15th through the 30th and Colorado spring game is going to be on April 27th so uh you hope there’s not one position that totally gets decimated it’ be fun if they have enough bodies at every

Position to be able to do a true spring game where you kind of split the team up I think that adds to the entertainment value a little bit but there there might be a situation especially if you have some injuries at a certain spot you have

A few guys hit the portal that you know things could could thin out a little bit this spring but how how would you like to see the recruiting calendar layout I mentioned that it’s changed drastically whereas the first Wednesday in February was it now you get this early signing

Period uh I’m curious if you were in charge of the way that this calendar was set up how would you like to see the signing dates would you go back to the way it was or kind of tweak the way it is now no I’ve always liked having the

Early period you know it’s like um I don’t know I think a lot of guys got I think this opens up things a lot for for guys and they don’t I I don’t know it’s hard to say it’s it’s so confusing anymore with what’s the windows for the

The for the transfers and and then you got the two days for the high school guys whatever but I’ve always liked the two days the two different days and the two different times of the year you know the February days maybe for guys that that that get hot a little bit later and

Develop and then you feel your needs see what you still need coming up to that point it’ be I I I I think it’d be nicer to maybe have that that second day a little later even I don’t know let some guys really uh uh showcase themselves

Between the two and and I don’t know it’s hard to say um I think it’s I think it doesn’t make a lot of sense in ter you got to wait for that spring period and kind of see how guys play out you know see how your your new guys from

Last year develop and what have you before you really know what’s going on I like the early signing period but I’d kind of go to more of the basketball model they’ve got their early signing period in November then those guys play their senior season and then you have um

The regular signing period in the spring and if you sign and and an example all throughout there is McKinley right he signs with Dayton and then Miller goes and leaves their staff and McKinley Wright was allowed to get released from his National letter of intent and Rego through the recruiting

Process and he ends up at Colorado I I would like that for college football and again you gotta you gotta allow these guys to get LED out of their n Li if their position coach or their head coach leaves I think you know during that

Course of time which will be quite a few guys but some of these recruits just want to get it out of the way and they prefer to make it official and so have a signing period in Late July then let the coaches focus on the season a little bit more and let those

Players focus on their season and then have a regular signing period the first Wednesday in February kind of the way it used to be again so you would say like a a the the early signing date would be before the season yeah I’m I’m thinking you have official visits from like March through

Mid July yeah Late July and then you have a signing period like third week of July um I know there are coaches that that try to uh schedule their vacation time in July um so maybe there would be some push back there I I just maybe maybe you could even have that early

Signing period early July so those coaches get a true vacation that month before camp starts but um the reason I don’t like the December signing period is because you’ve got College programs that if you’ve had a successful season you’re preparing for a bowl game you might be preparing for a college

Football playoff in the future and um you’re having to deal with all the loose end with recruiting and then you look at the player side of it if their team is doing really well in high school their team’s playing deep into the playoffs in December so it’s hard for them to get

Out on winter official visits uh and so the timeline just seems a little too crunched in there um that’s kind of how I feel about it I just I think you’d have to be careful about who you signed in the early period because a lot of guys are going to blow

Up and develop in their senior year and then other guys you know that senior year they drop off and don’t play as well you know so um I don’t know there’s some risks either way you do it I think but yeah that right right in the middle

Of December kind of puts it in the middle of playoffs and bowl season what have you so that does that does create an issue but you know not an issue we’ve had in a long time unfortunately yeah I’m still optimistic that’s going to change though I I’m not making uh

Holiday plans what aside from I I really do think I’m G to be traveling around Christmas this coming year what do you think well I think you know we didn’t have that on our plan but let’s go there I think it’s it’s it’s quite clear with

The difference in the in the SK with the difference in the schedule and the and the conference that we’re in you know we’re not going to be playing as many top ranked teams and we’re we’re talented as most of the teams will play this year and we’re going to be

Significantly more talented Still Remains to be seen what we do offensively and defensively with our new coordinators but you know man we might be the most talented team on the field more than half of our games this year and and there’s really no reason not to

To expect or you know shoot for eight or nine wins quite frankly I mentioned we both mentioned that the recruiting process has become so accelerated so on the other side of that is even though 2024 might be kind of quiet in terms of additions on the regular signing period because uh most

Of the work had already been done uh you’re seeing a lot of traction uh with 2025 recruiting five-star quarterback Julian Lewis was recently on campus and I put up some other notes on a few other 2025 recruits to keep an eye on on Buff stamp.com so make sure you check out

That we’re already trying to you know tackle that coverage as best as possible like I said I I’ve heard that it’s probably going to be about a dozen guys uh which would be almost double what they did from the high school ranks this year if they if they do that in 2025

Yeah I would have thought they’d had you know like maybe a little more traction with a top quarterback this year to come in one year on the campus behind Shor but clearly that’ll be an open spot next time around and I don’t have the I don’t

Think we got the error parent on the campus right now so you know it’s going to be wide open that that that could be a little bit crazy uh quarter recruiting for next year yeah they were hoping that was going to be Antoine Hill right he was going to be reclassifying to 2024

And being shadur understudy this past year and and now it doesn’t even sound like uh you know Colorado and and uh him are really looking at each other so uh they’re going in a different direction there I mentioned Julian Lewis they’ve offered some other 20 25 quarterbacks

But right you know I think there will be impatience if this is the strategy but you could probably get a really good transfer quarterback next year oh yeah yeah I mean you would think is like you look at look at look at this past year and the transfer quarterbacks and what

They did with some of these teams and and you’re going to be looking at that kind of a guy which youor leing yeah did you have any thoughts on the schedule release uh i’ I’ve already shared my thoughts to the point where if I say any more I’m going to be repeating myself

But uh I’m curious if you had any thoughts uh W with the 2024 schedule I mean I guess I’m so Rel I’m so happy to not see any of these no good good stinking Pack 12 places anymore I’m I’m so sick of those teams just makes me

Want to scream except for my boyfriend up in in Eugene can’t wait to see him me and him hey I I I didn’t steer you into that one I can’t take the blame this time me and him got a date he got some dental work coming but uh no I I I don’t

Know I mean you know what I’m I’m excited to be back playing in the in some of those teams that that I grew up with playing and um like I said before I mean I look at that schedule and and man that’s that’s a lot more reasonable

Schedule than we had to play last year it seems like to me so so I’m pretty excited about it and uh I think we’re going to have fun with it and and um you know play some teams we haven’t played in a while and go to some places we

Haven’t played in a while and really kind of get a fresh new start at at a at a really good time Matt Smith is trying to get you and I out to uh Disney World before the UCF game what are the odds on that happening uh well I don’t know I

Got to talk to the wife and I got to I gotta Mark that off and uh is he is he hosting is he buying the tickets and I think he really just wants a you know a picture with you Mickey Mouse and himself and he’s gonna frame that put it

By his bed nice nice yeah or goofy or something like that yeah I don’t know no I I actually am going to try to head out there I I don’t know can you do parts of Disney World one day I mean we got three kids I can’t really justify leaving much

Before probably uh Thursday night maybe get a day in out there I don’t I’ll hop on a few roller coasters and feel like I’ve done it I don’t really need to see everything yeah no I mean Disney World you walk around with the kids and um what’s the other one Universal Studios I

Think is is depending on what you’re into and what you like is is a lot of fun or whatever but there’s there’s so many different places to go in the Orlando area you know with a month you couldn’t see everything so you sort of

Pick out pick and choose a a way a way to the things that that matter most to your kids and you and do a half day or a day and knock it out and have fun so I would imagine based on previous stories uh you’re not going to be making the trick to

Lincoln ah it’s not gonna be a priority no let me just put it that way although although you know um our kid is going to nursing school in Omaha so who knows you know maybe we can make it a on on the way sort of a thing you know and then

She goes to see the kid and then on the way back she bails me out of jail and we come home well I was going to say what if you were setting uh odds on uh you going to that game and what are the odds on you getting arrested or detained on

Some level well you know I’m a much more calm person than I was back in the day so you know especially if you got to go with the wife um she was actually born in Nebraska so uh she claims no allegiance to a big red anymore but uh

That that could be fun I don’t know her grandparents left were on a farm she I got to go to my grandparents farm and it’s you know typical Nebraska get off the interstate at some Road and Drive North you know before we get into our 2024 signing

Class picks which is going to be fun I’m going to share some of my picks from from previous years and some of them are really good some of them are are pretty laughably bad so we’re gonna have some fun with that but on a serious note William since we last recorded our last

Show uh Larry Zimmer a longtime voice of the Buffs also did did play-by-play for the Broncos for a number of years and did a lot of other sporting events passed away at the age of 88 I got to know Larry a little bit not all that well actually knew his wife Bridget I

Know her a little bit more she uh while Larry would do uh the broadcast she she’d come in the The Press Box and watch the game with the regular media a lot of the time uh with your past at Colorado what what did Larry Zimmer mean

To you um he’s kind of a you know for the folks that were around during the Glory Days you know his voice was kind of Sy with with a lot of those big plays and big moments that happened in the program yeah back in the day I mean you

Know he sort of uh you know replaced by Mark Johnson and that voice becomes more uh recent but um you know Larry Zer was just sort of the guy that was always there and you know through all those great times and great things that happened and and uh you know through the

Bad times in the early 80s and what have you was just sort of a fixture and and became synonymous with CU football I think think um you know some you you’d hear the his calls nationally when things really big exciting things happen and what have you so uh that’s a loss to

To the CU football community and um he was a huge part of the of the program and and uh just somebody that we’re gonna miss definitely rest in peace Larry all right the 2024 signing class picks and this is going to involve unlike a lot of

The times in the past it’s it’s going to include both high school signes and transfer commits because um it would be hard to make our signing class picks with just High School guys uh there’s six that have been announced at the recording of this there’s going to be

Another one so uh let’s include the transfers there as well and the first category here is top offensive s last year my pick was Omarian Miller that turned out to be pretty good I’m looking back through the year some other guys that have won this ward in the past Jordan Tyson Brenan

Rice Tim lenot Jr shaffield seha Lou Nelson Spruce Ryan Miller those are the good ones let me try to pick out I one year had jiren Mangum is my my top offensive pick that didn’t turn out so well yeah you wasn’t wasn’t wasn’t a bad pick at

The time G what you knew I mean he did pretty well as a freshman yeah Shane Dylan he was an Elite 11 guy just never really panned out uh Maurice career was my first ever top offensive pick back in 2005 that’s when I started doing this he never even

Made it to campus that goes way back huh yeah holy cow wow but with this 2024 class uh I gotta go chalk here but are are you do do you have a a pick yeah what did you say you uh I’m gonna go chalk it’s gonna be Jordan seedan okay

Chalk what do you mean is that the expected you know he’s the top rated guy in his class you know sometimes you want to maybe think outside the box a little bit in a segment like this but Jordan seedan is the most college ready offensive lineman that I’ve ever seen comeing in

The program and we’ve gotten some glimpses of of the work he’s putting in uh and yeah he’s got work to do and and he’s not going to be a polished product even by the time they they start the season but I I feel better about even better

About him being the starting left tackle now that he’s been in the program and you know just seeing the work he’s putting in and how he’s fitting in even you know fitting in with that group you know he’s uh personality-wise really really adjusted quickly yeah uh

To Colorado football and and I you know I mean I’m going to go the same direction with a different name and and I get I’m going to go with Tyler Johnson who I think could also be that left tackle but who’s also played at this level and then this conference at

Houston uh brings that size and experience and and quite frankly I’m I’m you know I feel like I could pick any one of these you know I almost I could go with Justin Mays because I think that guy’s going to be a stud you know khil Benson is another offensive tackle

That’s played at the at the um Power five level and so uh I don’t know that it’s an automatic that uh uh Satan wins that spot but I like that we have competition and so I’ll put my marker down on Tyler Johnson um having played in this conference and

And uh having the size to play tackle and and offensive guard um I think you wouldn’t go wrong you know you know like this the the trying to think of the name the speed that a guy like Wester brings is exciting to see um you there’s a lot

Of guys that that could really be something special that are coming in but I think those if you’re on offense you got to man being a CU fan for the last 10 years you got to love the offensive linemen that are coming in there year

You know if we can’t get her finally get an offensive line this year I don’t know what to tell you I like that you know Tyler Johnson isn’t he hasn’t been as vocal on social media as as Mayors and khil Benson um so maybe he doesn’t get talked about as

Much as a result but um no he’s uh you know clearly one of the guys this offseason that’s expected to come in and start right away top defensive s last year I picked Corman mlan I’d say say maybe the jury’s still out there but um you know it does sound like he’s much

More comfortable with this being his second full semester on campus looking back at past previous picks Trevor Woods was my pick for top defensive sigy in 2021 Christian Gonzalez in 2020 Mark Perry 2019 so I had a good run in there um chido B wer back in the day yeah chid

Uzo JBE was a sleeper pick of mine back in the day as well John Major in 2008 there’s some other guys that didn’t pan out so well Dylan Dixon was my pick in 2022 he’s no longer in the program uh who else do I have in there Michael Matthews never really panned out

No Yuri Wright was the one oh boy yeah in 2012 you just you you can have the the god-given gifts but if you don’t have a passion for the game right you’re not going to be successful right he’s done well in life since then so I I’m

Not trying to be to yeah and you know what it ain’t for everybody and there’s not a problem with that you know that this level of work and commitment it’s it’s got to be it’s like that the you know some of the guys I’ve coached over the years that went on

To the next level had tremendous talent and and the guys that really made it big in the game are the guys that need the game you know and and I always I always look at Nate lamman it’s like he needed football man you know I don’t

Know how to how to explain that or to put it in better words but but his need for the game it’s beyond a love for the game it was a need for the game you know and if you don’t have that you’re not going to be successful successful because you’re

Not going to put in the work level to be that great that to have that greatness you know so um it’s hard and that’s the hardest thing to know you know and um that that’s I think a big part of of my pick in this category this year who is

Your pick we’ll let you lead off here did you say yours not yet okay there’s only one guy there’s only one guy man and if you’ve seen him in the weight room in some of these videos and seen what he did last year for Houston it’s

Chido and wanko and that guy I don’t think he can be blocked and and I think he’s gonna be I don’t know you know I’m trying to think of superlatives but I I think he’s going to be a guy that just blow up the middle like nothing we’ve seen you know

I’m trying to think back and go back to Joel Ste almost but uh you look at that guy and and he’s got the chip on his shoulder because everybody says he’s too short and blah blah blah and he’s another one of those guys got that need

For the game um and and just has a town and he’s already done it to this level and he’s Jesus I keep saying every time I think about it was like imagine trying to block a Volkswagen you’re not going to win very often yeah he’s he’s got the leverage

Advantage on pretty much uh anybody he goes up against hang with me uh because I like your pick there but my top defensive addition is gonna be BJ green uh and there are a few guys I kind of debated here but I just I look at how impactful he is a

Pass rusher not just sacks but his hurries and quarterback hits I mean those numbers are just off the charts right last year and and he’s big Stout enough to hold an edge On The Run yeah and it’s not like teams can just focus all their attention and trying to block

Him you mentioned uh Nano on the interior there and you bring in okola who can play on the edge as well and is a really good pass rusher and you bring back ardan walker you’ve got a lot of pieces at Edge and so I really like

Him as kind of the the top guy in that group but last year when Jordan Dominic was kind of that top guy and you know there were other guys that were transferring that were right rotating in there and had moments here and there but there was a pretty big drop off between

Him and those next guys right right I think with some of these guys getting extra seasoning in the program and then you bring in okola and BJ green and it’s going to be a group that’s going to be much more consistently getting after the other quarterback but that Segways me into my most

Underrated Edition here William and that is cheet dozi wank quo he’s a got an 87 transfer rating I mentioned it’s almost criminal uh this this this is a guy that based on what he did at Houston and uh we’ve seen coach Prime really take him under his wing and and uh expects big

Things out of him uh and he’s going to be a face of this program you see him already featured a lot on social media so that’s that’s who I had as my most underrated s uh so I kind of fell in line with you a little bit there but uh

Different category there well and I think you know for mine we’re going to kind of do a mirror thing here you know and and I would go back to the edge and talk about Quincy Wiggins you know who who Who’s Who any other year would be a

Guy we’ be looking at and go holy crap look at this guy right and then he kind of Falls you know you look at a a uh a BJ Taylor a BJ green and and um uh Oak Lola and and this guy sort of fall you

Know falls behind them and you think and he and he gets lost track of by people but I think he’s a guy who come in and make an immediate difference on that defensive line both on the edge and some interior play too as well so uh he’s a

Guy that stands out to me um you know if we at the offensive side CLE Benson would be one you know so that I I there there are quite a few guys you just go down this list of guys and and I think um if we’re talking underrated you know what Eric

Brantley Michael welz are running back there’s a couple of guys nobody talks about and I think they’re both going to do big things and and and soon early um so there’s a lot of guys I think you could look at legitimately in this category yeah I think Michael Welch is

Clearly underrated and I had talked so much about him being underrated during the early signing Peri I think for this exercise I just wanted to talk about somebody new because yeah we we did talk a lot about that last year’s underrated underrated pick was Taj McCoy so I did

Oh yeah I did pretty well there yeah and and I think he’s I think he’s the guy that everybody’s forgetting about at that edge position as well because he he’s just a natural born pass rusher and you know I think you know one of the questions about him will be how do he

Stack up on the run defense but I think he’s going to be another guy that people forgot about because of all these other names at Edge there’s some guys that have pinned out pretty well from previous picks going back past last year this is a real mixed bag here you ready for this

William these are my most underrated picks from 2022 going back to 2005 just GNA list off a bunch of names and couple of these guys panned out but not most of them starting in 2022 Xavier Smith Jackson Anderson Montana lonus Craig Alec pel Hassan hippolyte Dante spaco Anthony jul

Steven Montes Dylan Keeny Michael Atkins Dante abon Brady day cordary Clark Devon Thorton Rodney Stewart that was a good one Chris Perry Wes Simon and Kevin moyd I’m pretty hit or miss with this category if you go back lot those guys a lot of those guys I don’t even remember

Even ever hearing of yeah that’s that’s yeah you know and Xavier Smith and Dante baraco still playing out there somewhere in his 15th transfer season I’m going to leave that one alone uh but yeah I I’m proud of the the Speedy Stewart pick in there um I the Montes I remember

Watching him at a summer camp and it was like this this kid’s got an NFL arm uh but yeah some of those have not panned out as well Anthony jul me is the one I’m like dang like he showed a lot of Promise yeah get into the whole legal

Thing because I don’t know all the particulars but it didn’t seem like something that should have ended a college athlete’s career yeah I don’t know you know you know and there’s always something else going on behind the scenes it’s it’s hard to say uh yeah all right let’s move along to top

Athlete who you got here well I think this is a tough one I want to hear what you had to say but I think there’s it depends on how how we’re Define an athlete in terms of just playing speed if if if if we’re just talking speed then it’s probably

Uh Wester um if we’re talking you know more like all the various different aspects uh like uh um like um like like Hunter uh I don’t know then maybe you’re talking like a like a uh um lost my train of thought here all a sudden maybe a will Shepard out of

Vanderbilt maybe um you know maybe Cameron Michael or Dron Miller um from the high school ranks so uh I’m having a hard time picking one I I I think I think maybe Cameron Michael okay so yeah I Al also have a category most versatile and and so they’re very similar most versatile I’ve

Kind of gone more with the thought process this could be a guy that could end up playing at a multiple positions on offense and defense and uh a good example of that is my pick last year in my last my most versatile last year was Adam Hopkins he comes in as a receiver

And actually played defensive back uh this past year and could end up playing either side of the ball it sounds like cornerback right now um so that’s why I kind of picked him for that and and last year my top athlete was Dylan Edwards and it it went down to that just Next

Level speed and so they’re very similar in that regard um and so we can kind of do them together my top athlete was leonte Wester yeah uh a guy that what was the there was a description of him something about how his ankles are like rubber made of

Rubber and and that he can Juke guys out and still maintain his acceleration and that’s why he was an allamerican kickoff returner and a guy that you know they they had some moments on special teams last year but that that’s an area that they definitely need needed a Shore up

Even Beyond just the kickoffs and so I think he gives you he’s going to make a play or two in the rur game that’s going to change momentum in football games this year and he he was on that list I don’t know if you saw that uh yesterday

I think the list of top 20th fastest players in college football this year he he and he and um Dylan Edwards were both on that list you know so that that that kind of speed is obvious as pure athleticism you know and just gamebreaking kind of craziness so yeah

That’s exciting to see back you know have those kinds of guys back in this program that we used to have all the time you know it’s like our your pick for top athlete was cam Michael is that correct well I don’t know I guess that that was my most versatile because this

Is a guy that was a quarterback running back defensive back in college I think he might be best suited at running back but he says he’s going to play Receiver right away but he could end up at a lot of different spots yeah let me let me

Pick him for The Versatile thing because I’m not a like again I’m not 100% sure where he’ll play but but I would have to join you with Wester for the for the best athlete cool and uh we will go back Beyond on both these categories for for newer bus

Fans this doesn’t mean a whole lot but I think people that have been following the program for a while get a kick out of uh how poor some of my previous picks were well you know but but look at the quality of the recruiting too you know I

Mean not entirely your fault it’s like you got to do the best you can and make a not to call anybody a Sal ear make a silk first out of a saler but uh you know some of the guys we had to work with were not top

Quality yeah yeah a lot of these guys didn’t pan out I had in 2022 and going back from there Victor ven Ty Robinson ashad Clayton lante Chanel wait wait wait did you say a shot three Heisman Clayton yeah like I said I I don’t hide from from really bad picks that I’ve had

In the future now I’ve nailed a lot of these but uh again you gotta like you gotta have more than just the the god-given ability and he did not have that but you don’t really know that until they’re tested right he was superb just unbelievable late in his

Senior year of high school I mean he was Unstoppable and there’s no High School in the country that really you know works the way you do at this level so you don’t know until they get here and do it do do you remember uh so Mitch

Rhri comes in as oine coach and he loved to cook and that’s awesome he would cook jumalia and you know gumbo and uh he gave Asad Clayton uh a serving of it and he never brought the the B back and he would not let that

Go yeah well you know I guess he got even selling all of his triple jumbo siiz buff gear online so all right we’re GNA keep rolling down these names Deion Smith that was a good pick back in 2018 Katie Nixon pretty solid in 17 Ronnie Blackman in 2016 I

Had Patrick Carr Lee Walker Devin Ross Gerald Thomas Rashad Hall Donnie Duncan Andre Simmons Rodney Stewart Maris Seamus man guy had a lot of talent Sherman Lang and Gardner McKay so I’ve botched this award a few times as well but the you know part of this is a

Lot of these guys have been like track guys and it does add to the point of you know just because you’re a track star uh not going to always translate to the football field into your point of you know they weren’t pulling in top 25 classes like they are with coach pran

Now so it’s a little different any of those names uh bring up any memories for you beyond yeah well not not happy ones I mean I don’t know you know you’re not gonna throw out a lot of names from the last 20 15 years and go

Hey thank God Bless America we got that guy holy cow but where did that work out Devin Ross in there he was a guy that he he had issues with drops from time to time but issues he kind of hung around in NFL practice squads for a long time

Played uh uh overseas I think a little bit too I I don’t even think he’s hung them up officially and he was a 13 tin well when you can run like that you’re going to get a lot of chances you know and everybody thinks they could teach

You to catch a football but I don’t know at the end of the day you are what you are yeah that kind of speed is going to get you a lot of opportunities oh boy most versatile doesn’t look a whole lot better last year again hey you you give me top 25

Classes I can make a good list here Adam Hopkins very versatile that fits the mold here yeah uh Beyond before that oh boy okay a couple of these are are fine but this is pretty rough okay 2022 was Oki saliva before that Nico Reed good player Chris Carpenter trust and Oliver

Demitri Stanley good player Chris Miller Trey yofa Nick fiser Donovan Lee Kenneth ol bod that was a good pick yeah there’s some good ones in there Marcus Mosley Kyle Washington Harold Moy Josh moton Ray pulk Anthony Wright Nate Solder look at that look at that yeah there you go

Ryer gear in 05 I I had yeah some really good one actually fairly good didn’t ryer gear you know spend a little time at the next level he led the team in receiving his ret your freshman year as a tight end and yeah had a good career Anthony Wright had medically retire Herod

M uh called a teacher a name that you can’t call a teacher that name and he wasn’t in the program any longer uh whoops Nick fiser was he had a really fun moment in that 2016 yeah season do you remember the week where uh yeah playing was it mhler it was some guys

Got injured in front of him and he got thrust into the Nickelback role and he made a play on fourth down that basically won the game for him yeah it was it was it was uh uh Washington State game and it was home game and I was

Standing next to his parents when he did it we that’s awesome what was their reaction oh but we were hugging and jumping up and down and it was exciting because he had actually it wasn’t just that play he had a pretty good game that week and and it was just exciting I

Don’t know how I wound up you know sitting there uh with his folks but um you know they all sit in that same section and they were at the very back row of that section right where the walkway was that particular year and I

Don’t know why I wound up there but uh a lot of fun I will I’ll stand up for my pick of Chris Miller in 2017 I think had injuries not yeah you know Time After Time sidelined him right he would have been a really really good buff and a guy that folks

Would have remembered for a long time but man he could just could not stay on the field all right our next category is it used to be titled most ready to make an impact and that it was when it was with high school guys right probably now

Rephrase it to ready to make the biggest impact yeah and I I’m also think you just leave it for the high school guys but uh because every one of those transfers is presumably a guy that you expect to make an impact yeah you know but I had will Shepard here just because

Of what he did in the SEC and I know he’s not getting on campus until this summer but uh his body work at Vanderbilt and I think he’s going to be bring a lot of what Z Weaver did to the table this past year so I and he’s going

To be a visible visible part of this program a guy that’s making a lot of plays part of a lot of highlights that uh you know are getting people to tune in to Colorado games do you have a a different guy here well I mean I kind of

Just applied it to uh because a lot of the a lot of the guys you know it’s almost the same um sort of criteria really as we talked about the top s and the most underrated whatever and sort of who’s going to make the biggest impact

But uh so I I kind of apply it to the to the six High School guys and I think that’s a good spot to stick in Jordan Sean you know um as most ready to make an impact uh in sort of an unexpected way as a as a true freshman

And a at a position where freshman don’t play a lot it’s who I would go with you’re never gonna guess who I picked last year for most most uh ready to make an impact yeah now this was only with high school and Joo signes last year because I we didn’t do the

Transfers yet I had Jack wilty as my pick there so well do it that as you wish started the first game and played really well and then the dumb some [ __ ] didn’t play him anymore I don’t know what to tell you about that one probably not let’s so then uh nice weather we’re

Having what’s the next category let’s go back through the years with my most ready to make an impact again these are all high school guys from 2022 dating back from there Ashton Logan Trustin Oliver guy Thomas vatu Sao Darien Jones Javier Edwards Jawan Winfrey Alex Kenny a Kella Witherspoon

Bryce Bobo kisma jagy man I have not thought about that name in many years did any of these guys ever actually play put on a see you uniform will Oliver Tony Jones Edward Knuckles Shawn Mohler PT G hell wow P Jimmy Smith and George hippolyte so again just uh some great

Picks in there and some guys that just never even really did anything Ed knuckles I can still remember because he was like a four or five star and the guy looked like he was 35 40 years old price sakes man he was like 65 320 and my God

He just looked like he he just looked like he was about to turn 40 and and I don’t know was academics or something I don’t know that he ever actually put on a CU uniform the first pick that I ever had there back in ‘ 05 George hippolite one

Of my favorite Buffs of all time not only because of of his personality which is a great personality one of the best interviews we’ve ever had on the CU and he’s a lawyer now he he would talk back to Dan Hawkins and there were open practices back then

That was really entertaining I I really respect him for uh sniffing out the fact that his head coach was kind of I don’t want to put words in his mouth but he would talk back to the to Dan Hawkins I I enjoy what like what kind of things

Well one day so fights were not allowed in practice with Dan Hawkins yeah even even a a small scuffle would result in them stopping practice having the whole team go over and they would have to run 15 gassers and Dan Hawkins theory on that is it was one

Gasser for every yard you cost us in the game and it’s it’s a penalty for all of us if you get in a fight so George hippolite just refused to to to run he’s like I was in the right I’m not gonna do it and so they got he’s a and he’s a

Lawyer now you say what do the odds defense lawyer I’m sure right oh yeah if I see him in court I’m gonna give him a hard time he is a sharp as attack you know it’s funny too because one of the years he was at CU I’m sure you remember this

William is they had the South Park characters introduced the starting lineups for a Colorado game it was a home game against Nebraska and when they went to the defense was it Cartman what I forget what character it was he said and on the defensive line starting is George the

Rabid goldfish hippolyte yeah and it stuck and so we went up to George afterwards and we’re like is that a nickname we’re just not aware of and he goes I have no idea it was just completely made up by the writers and and uh it did stick and was it Tyler

Zkin that that made T no it was somebody else that made t-shirts rabid goldfish t-shirt I got I got a uh a shirt I think I used to do yard work with my rabid goldfish t-shirt yeah that’d be great for nil era but yeah that was a lot of

Fun yeah all right what do we have left here biggest surprise last year was Jaden milliner Jones he was committed to SMU until Colorado made a late run at him and that ended up being a really nice late edition for Colorado because he played quite a bit as a true freshman and seems

To have a really bright future some versatility he adds to the secondary so I like that pick this year there’s a pretty obvious pick uh I’ll let you lead off if you want to well I mean it’s I and I guess it depends on how how would you define the category biggest surprise

To pick us or bigest yeah I mean it’s got to be it’s got to be either BJ green or Jordan Satan right it’s got to be Sean because even though this was kind of the plan and The Works behind the scenes he did not include Colorado amongst his list of

Finalists yeah so I don’t know there really haven’t been bigger surprises in Colorado football recruiting history than that you know and the way that was orchestrated and then you had the extra drama during the early signing period and all all the people that uh probably

Had hair now look like us as a result so I think he was just having fun with it the whole time whole whole time but uh yeah that seems pretty obvious yeah Daryl Scott was one of the guys back in 08 that won that award in

The past not many of these guys are even worth mentioning Davon Taylor was an interesting one in 2018 he was really under the radar yeah and we came to find out later that because of religious reasons he was not allowed to play high school football and so he was super

Talented uh he just didn’t get a chance to to Showcase himself till he got to the J level and you know Colorado was the first school that was in on him they saw that potential real early on and he ended up uh I think he’s still hanging

Around the NFL he was with drafted by the Eagles and had a really nice career Terence Lang is another one to mention there in 2017 he was committed to USC and he flipped late in the process Jay McIntyre was my pick in 2014 I don’t know I mean that must have been

Just cu did and that’s until signing day but yeah and tedric Thompson 2013 folks expected him to follow his brother to Minnesota and he ended up uh was a big right piece of that Mike McIntyre class that that really turned things around and Boulder all right and then lastly best

Story and you can interpret this however you want right right last year my best story pick was Kofi Taylor Barracks I love the story of how you know growing up in England he caught so much flak for because he just loved football and everybody’s telling him that he’s needs

To play soccer and uh he went out of his way he traveled overseas and went to camps across the United States to get those scholarship offers and was in NFL Academy and that shut down to co D due to co he had many reasons to stop playing football to never even start and

He just kept uh kept going and hopefully he he’s a guy that uh as Andre Hart the linebacker coach says he’s kind of in the incubator right now hopefully at the very least he should be a really good special teams guy for them right for sure certainly certainly got

The size and the athleticism to do that so I’m not sure I’m I’m kind of looking down the list I’m not sure that anybody stands out to me did you have one this year yeah I I like Justin mayor’s story quite a bit because he was a true under

The radar High School recruit two star you know there aren’t a lot of two stars out there it seems like they SLA three stars on on most guys and so he was a true under the radar guy put in his work and at UTEP he just wasn’t on the radar

Of college football fans and so I think coming into Colorado we we’ve seen his personality uh really stand out in that locker room in the weight room and is going to be one of the the key leaders I think on this football team when you you pair Justin Mayers with a Tyler Brown

And khil Benson you’ve got a lot of Personality a lot of maturity right in that room and so I like his story of of I really think Justin Mayers is gonna end up being drafted next year and so to to come from that start of a two star

Guy at UTEP and then to bet on himself come to Colorado uh and so I I like that story that that would probably be my pick this year yeah that’s exciting too and I and I think you’re right in that that people think people probably immediately think an offensive lineman

Good drafter from CU well you know some of these guys were’re bringing in are a whole different breed um than than what we’ve had before you know but um I’m I’m looking looking down and listen like some of like some of these guys like like a um you know Preston Hodge or even

Le jante Wester you know came out of nowhere we not ranked out of high school and then a lot there’s so many schools in Florida you know like like uh um Wester was at Flor at Florida Atlantic right and then um uh HJ was at uh well

He went to Liberty I think but um you know some of these guys coming out of nowhere and making a name for themselves and showing up are a good story and then I I think um uh trying to make sure I get the right guy here one guy I would I would

Nominate for best story is because of his mom um uh leil Benson yes right yeah who who who she seems like a lot of fun and I did that long interview and uh uh so that that’s a lot of fun to me you know yeah there’s been some some fun

Stories as I’m looking over this list in 2022 I had Isaac herado I love the story of how Colorado was trying to offer him a scholarship but he was like in his shift at Target and he wouldn’t leave it to to to take the phone call so they had to

Wait until later in the day because he was just this hardworking kid yeah um who else do I have in here 2019 valenton sen he was from Austria right a cool story 2018 Daven Taylor I just talked about we just talked about him um 2017 James Stephano um what how old was

He when his career at Colorado oh my God yeah I don’t know close to 30 W he such a great personality yeah uh who else do I have on here Philip Lindsay in 2013 obvious yeah that was a great one right I he jacked up his knee and and there

Was a coaching change and he didn’t know if he was going to able to his dream of going to play at CU but Mike McIntyre staff honored that commitment and he got it worked out Chader uzo Dube in 2010 was a good story he was uh late to playing

Organized football he came out to Boulder the summer between his Junior and Senior year and they did full contact camps back then and no one knew who this young man was because he didn’t play high school football his junior year uh by the end of that three-day two

Or three day well contact Camp he got a scholarship from Colorado uh became a priority and he got other offers later on as he played that senior season but he stayed loyal to Colorado and yeah now he’s one of the the top defensive assistants in college football right

Down at Georgia who who was the big outside linebacker that played with Nate lamman um from Florida uh starting outside linebacker was our leading sacker there for a couple years Derek McCartney No no no no white kid um from down in Florida had the same

Similar sort of story came up to the CU camp and was the fastest guy in the camp oh yeah yeah Carson Wells Carson Wells yeah yeah came up and was the fastest guy in Camp and I remember you know one of the first things I ever saw from him

Was was him jumping from the ground up onto the side of the bed of a of a full-size pickup I’m like holy crap who who could do that that was a good story yeah that’s another one you know said you know who ever heard of Carson Wells but the guy

Came out here and just was a Flatout crazy athlete you know he he’s been a guy that in that class certainly was the best athlete um so lots of those kinds of stories of guys that did that didn’t get that kind of and and I think a lot

Of those guys are gonna in in today’s ERA with the open transfer portal and such you’re going to see a lot more of those kinds of guys like Justin Mayer and who kind of got missed and then came out and were really good in the game and

And get better opport OPP unities my best story back in ‘ 09 was Parker orms and it’s still kind of a cool story I don’t know if you followed this William but he’s got a a hat store now he sells cowboy hats custom cowboy hats and um actually coach Prime’s oldest daughter

Came out and got fitted for a hat for one of the home games this year and they did a a video series on YouTube with that it was really cool and I’ve run into Parker at a bunch of charity events he’s definitely a big time CU fan and he

A guy he was just smaller in in right uh when he was at Wheatridge high school he was just incredible but you didn’t know if he was that next level athlete and so it wasn’t until the state championship game when he took that touchdown run on fourth down to win the

Championship that Colorado extended the offer um and it’s it’s unfortunate for him that he tore his ACL four plays into his college career because he was a really good buff and he played on a lot of games but think he would have been a really really good player if it wasn’t

For that injury yeah for sure in 07 I had Anthony Perkins as my best story and this is mostly because before he committed to Colorado during spring ball and this is back during the Dan Hawkins era there was a major blizzard and I remember BG Brooks was the only other

Writer that day that was willing to Brave this snowstorm to cover this practice and we’re standing out there in as many layers as we own in our our closet and there’s this high school kid over here watching it and they I remember that practice was so crazy they

They they stopped it at one point to do a sliding competition because they just weren’t getting enough done on the football aspect of it this is uh before the bubble was up and pre all that indoor practice facility and all that stuff and I introduced myself to the

Young man and it was Anthony Perkins and I went home and did research on him and he had a Colorado offer and I just remember thinking there’s no chance he’s going anywhere else this kid was out here in a blizzard watching this football team practice he’s definitely

Going to be a buff yeah those are those are great stories lot lots of things like that back you know I have to think about it but you know back in the late 80s and early 90s you had stories like that with some of those guys that end up later on

Being Superstars you know yeah kind of coming in and being nobody’s at the first so cool William well there’s again not going to be a ton of fireworks during the regular signing period but uh if you need if that’s making you down you just kind of have to look back through some

Of the guys they’ve already added this offseason you know again the work has kind of been done already and then there’s going to be another stretch in Spring it’s just the calendar change it’s no longer uh as big a deal as it used to be right and the standard

Signing day is just not that big of a deal anymore if you you know pretty much if you know you’re just looking for under the radar kind of guys I guess really that have that you you’re just not going to see big surprises on this day anymore I don’t think yeah William

It was fun to to recap everything that’s been going on I appreciate you as always for sure I guess we’re going to dinner on Thursday night yeah we probably don’t want to give out the details like I said on the last show we don’t want Paparazzi showing up showing up you know and

Trying to get trying Dan Lanning trying to get my autograph things like that you know no that that will be fun to to recap on on the next show we’re getting the wives together and we’ll have a nice Mexican meal and uh we’ll uh we’ll recap

It on the next show everybody watch the newswire the next morning make sure you know nothing happened all right all right William appreciate you and I appreciate everybody out there tuning In