Dante Sparaco

BYU

Sep 27 (Sat)

8:15 PM

Height:
6-5
Weight:
250
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Englewood, Colo.
High School:
Cherry Creek
Prev School:
IMG / CU / Montana State
Major:
Neuroscience

AT COLORADO: Originally a member of CU’s 2017 recruiting class, he played as a true freshman that season before transferring to Montana State, where he played in 2018; he decided to return to Colorado for the 2019 spring semester, this time as a walk-on … Entering 2020 he has two years of eligibility remaining.

2019 (Jr.)—Sat out due to NCAA transfer rules … He was named the Defensive Scout of the Week six times ahead of the Air Force, Arizona State, Arizona, Washington State, USC, UCLA and Stanford games … In two scrimmages and the spring game, he had three tackles and one third down stop.

MONTANA STATE IN 2018 (Soph.)—Played in 12 games for Montana State … Totaled 15 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry for the Bobcats … Had four tackles against South Dakota State including one sack … Had three tackles each against Northern Colorado and North Dakota State … Had a sack and fumble recovery against Cal Poly.

COLORADO IN 2017 (Fr.)—Gained quality experience right out of the gates to his career, playing a total of 32 snaps on defense in the first four games and he recorded four tackles, one for a loss, a half sack and a third down stop in that early action … He ended up playing in a total of seven games overall counting his special teams contributions before a broken hand sidelined him … He was credited with three special teams points on the backing of a trio of knockdown or springing blocks on kickoff returns … Had a half sack and a third-down stop in his first collegiate appearance, becoming the third known CU freshman since 1984 to record a sack in their first game (joining Addison Gillam in 2013 and following up classmate Jacob Callier, who had a sack the play before his) … He enrolled at CU for the spring semester and participated in spring drills with the Buffs.

HIGH SCHOOL—He played for three different high schools in his prep career; as a freshman and sophomore at Glenwood Springs High School, a junior at Cherry Creek High School and a senior for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. … He was a two-way player for his first three years of high school, playing defensive end/outside linebacker on defense and quarterback/receiver on offense ... Over the course of his prep career he recorded 156 tackles, 28 for losses, had 14 sacks, six force fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 25 quarterback pressures and four pass breakups ... His senior season at IMG Academy he helped lead his team coached by Kevin Wright to a 12-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking by USA Today ... A starting defensive end on the Ascenders undefeated team, he was a first-team Blue-Grey All-American selection ... As a senior he recorded 71 tackles, 11 for losses, six sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, nine quarterback hurries and one pass breakup ... In a nationally televised game on ESPN against Grayson High School, the then No. 2-ranked team in the state of Georgia, he had three tackles for a loss, two sacks and one fumble recovery in a 26-8 victory ... In the Honor Bowl against No. 7 Corona Centennial, another nationally televised game on Fox Sports, he recorded 11 tackles and a sack in a 50-49 victory ... IMG’s third nationally televised game of the season was also on Fox Sports, this time against Long Beach Poly, which IMG won 34-0 ... In that win he posted 12 tackles, three for losses and he had two sacks ... In the Armour Bowl against No. 18 St. Johns College, he recorded eight tackles, two for losses and one sack in a 35-14 victory … Spent his junior season at Cherry Creek High School playing under head coach and former Buffalo Dave Logan, a season in which the Bruins went 10-3 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Colorado Class 5A playoffs ... That year he was named a USA Football National U-16 All-American and played in the International Bowl versus Team Canada, where he was a team captain ... Was also named to Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report Preseason All-America team entering his junior year ... Playing quarterback his freshman and sophomore seasons at Glenwood Springs High School he was 200-of-330 passing (60.6 percent) for 2,429 yards and 14 touchdowns versus six interceptions ... He also ran 177 times for 1,072 yards with 17 TDs, giving him 3,501 yards of total offense with 31 total touchdowns ... Glenwood Springs went 8-4 his freshman season and 6-5 his sophomore year, advancing to the Colorado Class 3A quarterfinals in the playoffs both seasons ... Garnered Denver Post All-State honorable mention accolades his sophomore season and was named to Tom Lemming’s Prep Football Report All-American team ... Prior to high school he played with fellow Buff signees Jake Moretti and Jonathan Van Diest on Team Colorado at the 2013 FBU National Championship, which is a 64-team single elimination national football tournament with sixth, seventh and eighth-grade brackets, culminating with Championship Weekend in Naples, Fla. … Won the 2013 National Prep and Youth Football Association National Championship as a member of the Creek Red Nation Football Club.

ACADEMICS—He is majoring in Political Science at Colorado … He carried a 3.8 GPA in high school.

PERSONAL—He was born on Sept. 15, 1998 in Raton, N.M. … Hobbies include hunting and fishing … His father, Dino, played linebacker at Montana State while his grandfather, Mike Sparaco, played football and wrestled at Trinidad State Junior College and Eastern New Mexico … His grandfather was inducted into the College Wrestling Hall of Fame ... He was the 1967 NJCAA 191-pound weight class National Champion ... Mike coached football at Raton (N.M.) High School for 24 years, 17 as head coach and he was the 1993 New Mexico High School Coaches Association Football Coach of the Year … He was a VFW Patriots Pen Essay National Finalist. (Last name pronounced spuh-rock-oh)