Feb. 6, 2013

PDF of Full Release | Signing Day Central

FORT COLLINS, Colo.--Colorado State head football coach Jim McElwain on Wednesday unveiled his 2013 recruiting class after receiving 18 letters of intent, bringing the total class to 24 student-athletes.

COMPOSITE WINNING PERCENTAGE: During the players' senior year of high school, the new signees compiled a 177-98 record (.643). During their junior years the figure was 165-92 (.642). The four Junior College players combined for a 32-11 record (.744) in their four combined JC seasons.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Four signees won a total of six state championships during their high school careers--Josh Lovingood (2011), Adrian Robinson (2012), Nick Stevens (2011) and Justin Sweet (2010, `11, `12). 

Kiel Robinson and Nick Stevens competed in their respective title games in 2012 but fell just short.

During Justin Sweet's three-peat at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev., the Gaels won by an average of 58.3 to 12.6. The closest contest came in Sweet's sophomore year as Bishop Gorman shut out McQueen High School 40-0.

LaRyan King, who compiled a 10-2 record at City College of San Francisco, came up just short of California Community College Athletic Association Championship, as the Rams lost 35-14.

PLAYOFF APPEARANCES: Wednesday's signees come to Fort Collins with a combined 48 high school playoff appearances. Below is a breakdown of appearances per year:

Senior - 19
Junior - 17
Sophomore - 10
Freshman - 2

ALL-COLORADO SELECTIONS: The class includes four players who were named to the prestigious Denver Post All-Colorado team, as well as those sponsored by other organizations:

Jake Bennett: Denver Post 2012 All-Colorado honorable mention; First-team All-Colorado in 2011;
Zack Golditch: Denver Post first-team all-Colorado honors and ROOT Sports all-star first-team defensive line in 2012;
Austin Berk: Denver Post first-team All-Colorado in both 2011 and 2012;
Blake Nowland: Denver Post, MaxPreps and Mile High Sports first-team All-Colorado in 2012.

IN THE CLASSROOM AND COMMUNITY: The Rams' 2013 class also holds its own off the field, garnering a number of academic and community service awards.

Nick Stevens -- 4.21 GPA
Adrian Robinson - 4.18 GPA. Advanced Functions Math Highest Grade Award. National Spanish Exam Honorable Mention. 2010 Distinguished Christian High School Student Award for Athletic Achievement. Honor Roll Cum Laude - 3 semesters. Honor Roll Magna Cum Laude - 2 semesters.
Elroy Masters - 4.0 GPA. Scholar Athlete in 2010, 2011 and 2012
Austin Berk - 3.82 GPA. Academic All-Colorado in 2011 and 2012
Jake Schlager - 3.73 GPA. Academic All-Nebraska in 2011 and 2012
Zack Golditch - 3.71 GPA. Honor Roll (5 semesters). Academic Achievement in Physical Education in 2010-11.
Blake Nowland -- 3.33 GPA
Tyree Simmons - Honor Roll and Make a Difference Award
Kapri Bibbs - Honor Roll

CAPTAINS: Overall, 12 student-athletes in this year's class were chosen to be team captains for their teams. Tyree Simmons (Gardena, Calif.) was a three-time captain, and both Elroy Masters (Peoria, Ariz.) and Trae Moxley (Carbondale, Colo.) were captains in basketball as well as football.

Team Captains

Jake Bennett
Deonte Clyburn
Evan Colorito
Zack Golditch
Terry Jackson
Josh Lovingood
Elroy Masters (also in basketball)
Trae Moxley (also in basketball)
Bryce Peters
Jake Schlager
Tyree Simmons (three-year captain)
Adrian Robinson 

STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN: The 2013 class hails from 14 different states, with California the most plentiful (6), followed by Colorado (5) and Texas (3).

California: 6
Colorado: 5
Texas: 3
Arizona: 1
Illinois: 1
Kentucky: 1
Mississippi: 1
Nebraska: 1
Nevada: 1
North Carolina: 1
Oklahoma: 1
Oregon: 1
Washington: 1

POSITION BREAKDOWN: The Rams welcome 1 QB, 2 RBs, 4 WRs, 3 TEs, 3 OL, 5 DL, 3 LBs and 3 DBs. It is significant to note the average height and weight of the signees at several positions:

WR (4) -- Avg. height: 6-2 3/4 | Avg. weight: 193
TE (3) -- Avg. height: 6-4 1/3 | Avg. weight: 265
OL (3) -- Avg. height: 6-5 | Avg. weight: 278
DL (5) -- Avg. height: 6-3 | Avg. weight 250

In addition, the average "wingspan" of the entire class is 6-7 3/4.

HIGH SCHOOL FOES: In 2010 and 2011 Jake Bennett and his Bear Creek Bears met Zack Golditch's Gateway Olympians. In their sophomore year of 2010, Gateway made the 20-mile drive west for the matchup against Bear Creek and the Bears defended their home turf, winning 40-0. A rematch in 2011 ended in similar fashion as Bear Creek traveled to Gateway and left with a 48-0 victory.

QB Nick Stevens (Visa Murrieta) faced off against WR Xavier Williams (Cathedral Catholic) in the fourth week of the 2012 season. Stevens threw for 78 yards and rushed for 105, while Williams hauled in a career-high five receptions for 61 yards. The Stevens-led Broncos won the game 21-10.

BRIGHT AND EARLY:  By the time Colorado State made its first announcement the names began to come fast and furious. Who was first? LB Deonte Clyburn (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) faxed his National Letter of Intent to the CSU football office at the first possible moment he could, at 7 a.m. ET, 5 a.m. MT.

THE GENIUS: Rams signee Kiel (pron. "KYLE") Robinson, from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif., has excelled playing football, which exercises the hands, feet and mind. His late grandfather also excelled using his hands, feet and mind, but took his talents to the piano. Robinson's grandfather was Ray Charles, the winner of 25 Grammy Awards, and the voice behind songs Georgia On My Mind and Hit The Road Jack to name just two.

RAM FAMILY: Three of Colorado State's new signees will be with a familiar mascot, as they were previously a Ram. LaRyan King was a member of the Ram Family at City College of San Francisco, Terry Jackson was a Ram at Owasso (Okla.) High School and Trae Moxley's high school mascot at Roaring Fork also was a Ram.

JET-SETTER: During the peak December and January recruiting months, CSU head coach Jim McElwain took to the air frequently to impress upon this year's class how strong he was in his desire to make them Rams. In all, McElwain flew nearly 25,000 air miles over the two-month period, and drove thousands of miles on top of that, both in Colorado, and in many other states between some of those flights.

CONNECT THE DOTS: On another mileage-related note, the reach of Colorado State's Class of 2013 stretches from Lakewood, Wash., to San Diego, to Houston, to Charlotte, N.C. and up to Chicago. If one were to drive the complete loop and hit every location, he or she would drive approximately 8,565 road miles.

MULTI-SPORT STARS: Eighteen players in this year's class excelled in at least one sport besides football. One, Kiel Robinson, played four sports (football, baseball, basketball and track & field), while six--Kapri Bibbs (football, bowling and track & field) Rashard Higgins (football, basketball and track & field), Sammie Long (football, basketball and track & field), Elroy Masters (football, basketball and track & field), Adrian Robinson (football, basketball and lacrosse) and Tyree Simmons (football, basketball and track & field)--competed in three sports.