Tucker's First Buffs Recruiting Class Has Plenty Of Size In Trenches
December 19, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It didn't take long for new Colorado coach Mel Tucker to put his stamp on his first recruiting class with the Buffs.
Tucker welcomed the signing of 17 players on Wednesday, the first day recruits could put their names on national letters of intent in the early signing period. The group includes 12 high school players, four junior college transfers and one graduate transfer, representing eight states, one U.S. territory and one European country (Austria).
But much more telling than the geographical representation is the position breakdown: the latest CU recruiting class includes eight linemen — four offensive and four defensive —  with the majority of them at or near the 300-pound mark.
Tucker's intentions are clear.
"We have to get stout in the trenches," he said during a brief break Wednesday morning. "We wanted to get bigger. We want to be able to run the ball on our terms on offense and we need to be able to stop the run on defense. Both of those things start with the offensive and defensive lines."
The Buffs appear to have found the players to fit those needs. Two of the junior college players are already listed above 300 pounds, including Modesto JC offensive lineman Va'atofu Sauvao (320) and Hinds CC defensive lineman Janaz Jordan (305). Also already at or near the 300-pound mark from the high school ranks are defensive linemen Austin Williams (320) and Na'im Rodman (295), along with offensive linemen Austin Johnson (285), Valentin Senn (290) and Jake Wiley (270). Meanwhile, JC transfer defensive lineman Jeremiah Doss is currently listed at 260, but added 40 pounds in his first year at college and coaches believe he has room for more weight on his 6-4 frame.
Along with adding some muscle up front, the Buffs also added help at other positions. Wednesday's list includes two running backs, a receiver and a tight end on the offensive side of the ball, as well as three linebackers and two defensive backs.
"We identified some needs and addressed them," Tucker said.
Wednesday marked Tucker's two-week anniversary on the job, a period that has been a virtual whirlwind. He hosted recruits in Boulder his first two weekends on the job, and also spent as much time as possible on the road meeting with players who had already committed as well as new recruits.
"We had to hit the ground running," Tucker said. "We know where the good players are. We had some guys committed, and we wanted to secure those commitments and we wanted to add to those guys. I thought our staff did a really good job of going out, being aggressive, selling our school, selling our program, selling our vision. … We were going a hundred miles an hour, trying to make sure we saw as many good players as we could."
Some other notes and quick analyses of the latest class:
EARLY ENROLLEES: Eight of the 17 players who signed Wednesday are expected to enroll at CU in time for the spring semester, which will give them the chance to participate in spring ball. That includes five high school players — running backs Joe Davis and Jaren Mangham, offensive lineman Austin Johnson, linebacker Alec Pell and defensive back K.J. Trujillo — along with JC transfers Jeremiah Doss (defensive line) and Sauvao, and Auburn grad transfer Jalen Harris (tight end).
Sauvao played at Modesto JC, the same program that produced current Buffs defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson, and two of the junior college signees, Janaz Jordan and Doss, will arrive as sophomores and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
GRAD TRANSFER: Harris will be the second grad transfer in as many years for Colorado, following running back Travon McMillian last season. Tucker is familiar with Harris, as he saw him three times in the last four years as Georgia's defensive coordinator.
"He's an excellent player," Tucker said. "He's got great size, he's an excellent blocker, he's got really soft hands and he's a mature guy. Very instinctive, a leader and a team guy. He fills an immediate need for us at the tight end position."
Tucker also stressed that he wants to make tight end a bigger focus in CU's offense. Last year, Buffs tight ends caught just six passes for 56 yards.
"We really need to use the tight end," Tucker said. "The tight end, when used properly, can give the defense fits. That's what we sold Jalen on."
IN-STATE SIGNEES: Wednesday's list included four Colorado prep products: running back Joe Davis (Valor Christian), offensive lineman Austin Johnson (Highlands Ranch), linebacker Alec Pell (Cherry Creek) and offensive lineman Jake Wiley (Eaglecrest).
"It's critically important that we keep those guys here," Tucker said. "We want to keep the best players in the state here at this university. These guys that are in this state, they grew up as Buffs. They've grown up all their lives wanting to play here. We've identified those guys as guys that can help us win championships and it was important that we went out and go sign those guys."
GRAYSHIRT FROM 2018: While he doesn't count toward this year's recruiting class, the Buffs will also welcome linebacker Joshka Gustav to campus this spring. Gustav, from Cherry Valley, Calif., was a signee last year but delayed his enrollment until the 2019 spring semester.
QUICK HITS: Coaches say junior college transfer linebacker Jash Allen, a converted tailback, is in the mold of current Buffs outside linebacker Davion Taylor, with excellent closing speed and explosiveness. He was rated by 247Sports as the No. 6 JC player in the country. … Coaches think defensive back Mark Perry can play several positions in the secondary. A 6-0, 195-pounder, one assistant said he is a physical player who has Chidobe Awuzie-type skills. … One of the highest-rated players in the class is wide receiver Braedin Huffman-Dixon from Mater Dei High School in California. A top-50 receiver in the nation, coaches say he has the speed to get downfield in a hurry and the ball skills to go up and make tough catches. … The Buffs plucked a pair of players from Michigan — running back Jaren Mangham and linebacker Marvin Ham II. Both are four-star prospects. Mangham is a big — 6-2, 215 pounds — back who has speed and power while Ham is a player coaches believe has the speed and size to be an inside or outside rusher.
ONE MORE SIGNING DAY: While the early December signing day is now the headliner, it's worth remembering there is still a February 6 signing day on the horizon. If the current list of signees stays at 17, CU could sign six to eight more in February.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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