Woelk: Tucker Wraps Up First CU Recruiting Class
February 06, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Finish strong.
It's what every coach aims to do — and there's no question Colorado coach Mel Tucker did just that with his first recruiting class for the Buffaloes.
Tucker put the wraps on his initial CU class Wednesday morning, barely two months after taking the job as CU's 26th head coach. By all accounts, it is a top-50 class — no small feat when you consider the time in which he had to identify, contact and bring student-athletes on board.
But more importantly, whether you break it down into December and February signees or evaluate the class as a whole, the consensus is that Tucker and his staff put together a group that should help make the Buffs competitive in a hurry.
"In a hurry" as in as quickly as possible. As in next fall.
When Tucker took the job, he embraced the expectations and challenge of foregoing the "rebuilding" label and moving directly into the realm of winning immediately. His latest group of signees — nine as of Wednesday afternoon — combined with the 17 inked in December, include more than a few players Tucker and his staff believe will be able to step in and compete for playing time right away.
"They'll come in and they'll get what they deserve," Tucker promised at Wednesday's signing day press conference. "I would love for all of these guys to be able to play right away and have some type of role, whether it's a starting role, as a rotational guy, or somewhere on special teams. The more guys that have a role, the better chemistry you have on your team and the better morale you have on your team and the more depth you have on your team."
Tucker also made it clear that when the Buffs open practice — both in spring drills and again next August in fall camp — there will be no preconceived notions.
"Everyone has a clean slate," he promised. "We're going to play the best players and they're going to compete to earn that playing time."
If there is a main theme to the newest group of Buffaloes, it is that they are big. As soon as Tucker arrived, he evaluated the roster, identified needs — and then began the process of filling those needs. With a background from the SEC, where big men up front are the norm, he wanted to make sure Colorado will begin establishing that same identity.
"We're always going to have big guys in the trenches, on offense and defense," Tucker promised. "We're never going to be short in that department. I thought we needed to get bigger, we needed to gain depth, so that was a point of emphasis."
Overall, Tucker's first class includes 11 offensive and defensive linemen. Wednesday's signees added three to the group, two on defense and one on offense. The two defensive linemen, Lloyd Murray Jr. and Jayden Simon, are both high schoolers who already tip the scales at 300 pounds or more. The offensive lineman, Nikko Pohahau, is a 6-foot-5, 275-pounder who has plenty of room on his frame for another 25 to 30 pounds.
"All of the guys that we've signed are big men, and I think football is a game for big people," Tucker said. "Big, strong, physical guys – that's how we're going to play football. In order to play like that, you got to have guys that can get it done."
After signing four junior college transfers in December, the Buffs added two more Wednesday, linebackers Jamar Montgomery and Quinn Perry. Again, both are big — Montgomery checks in at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds; Perry at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds.
"When you sign JC guys, the expectation is they're going to come in and help you right away," Tucker said. "These are guys that we believe can do that."
The Buffs also added some skill position players, adding a pair of wide receivers and two defensive backs. The group includes wideout Vontae Shenault, the younger brother of current CU receiver Laviska Shenault Jr., and Tarik Luckett. Both are tall, long wideouts with room to add some muscle to their frames.
In the secondary, the Buffs added a pair of outstanding all-around athletes in Trustin Oliver and D.J. Oats.
"Big guys aren't just up front — we want big guys at the skill spots, too," Tucker noted.
While Tucker's first class is now signed, sealed and delivered for the most part, there won't be any time for him and his staff to rest. They will now begin the process of closely evaluating the current roster, meeting with current players and preparing for spring ball, which begins March 18.
"The cupboards aren't bare here," Tucker said. "There's really good players here on both sides of the ball that can make plays for us. We have excellent facilities, we have strong, experienced leadership, we have a great university to sell, great academics and you have the Flatirons."
All those things, plus the newest recruits add up to what Tucker believes should be a formula for a successful first season at the helm in Colorado — and it's worth remembering what he said when he was introduced at his first press conference in Boulder. Tucker met with his new team that morning, then the media.
"They want to compete for championships, they want to be relevant," Tucker said. "I promised them that if they follow the process, buy in and do the things that we're going to ask them to do, that we will achieve at a high level and they will reach their full potential, we will be able to compete for championships, be in that conversation year-in, year-out."
Given the looks of Mel Tucker's first class, CU's new head coach has taken another important step in that process.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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