Colorado Buffaloes Football: 2012 Recruiting Prospects

Georgia Wide receiver Going the Way of Demetrius Sumler?

Logan Gray was a four-star quarterback prospect in 2007, considered to be the No. 10 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. Gray was in a three-way battle for the starting job last spring, ultimately losing the starting job to Aaron Murray. Gray ultimately moved out to wide receiver, playing in all 13 of Georgia’s games, collecting nine receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Relevance?

Gray will graduate in May, and still have a year of eligibility remaining (under NCAA rules, if a player graduates in four years, and still has a year of eligibility remaining, they can transfer and play their final year without having to sit out a year. CU fans will recall that this is what running back Demetrius Sumler did last season). Gray announced last month that he would be leaving Georgia after graduating, and would be pursuing a master's program closer to his home in Columbia, Missouri. "I plan on playing my last year of football while pursuing my master's degree at another school," said Gray in a released statement. Gray's preference would be "close to home, where my family can attend all of my games."

There are about 20 graduate school options available at Colorado that are not available at Georgia, and the Buffs have another "in" - Gray's younger brother is a freshman at Colorado.

"That was a place that intrigued me," Gray told BuffaloSportsNews.net about Boulder, a place he visited as a member of the Bulldog roster in 2010 (one punt return for a yard; no catches). "Then I ended up getting in contact with some of their coaches and stuff, and they said that they want to bring me out there on a visit and go from there."

Gray will be in Boulder for the Spring game on April 9th. He is being "recruited" as a wide receiver, not as a quarterback.

"I'd say Colorado is probably the biggest Division 1 school that has shown a lot of interest so far," said Gray. "I honestly just want to get on the field and try to make an impact for whatever team I go to, and really just try to help them win games. I obviously have one year left, so I'm trying to have as big an impact at a school as I possibly can."

While Boulder is not particulary close to Columbia, Missouri, and the Buffs are no longer in the Big 12, having Gray's brother in town would have to be seen as a big plus for the Buffs. Plus, it's a "no lose" situation for Colorado. The Buffs need immediate help at wide receiver, and Gray has experience at the BCS level. If it works out, great. If not, Gray's scholarship will be available again come next February.

We'll see ...

Texas Wide Receiver Checks Out Boulder

Conner Crane is a 6′4″, 185-pound wide receiver prospect from Denton, Texas. He is attracting a great deal of attention,and has already made three unofficial visits to Texas A&M, Kansas…and now Colorado. Crane was in Boulder for the latter part of the week before heading to Breckenridge with his family for spring break.

Colorado was the first to make an to offer Crane, but several schools, including Kansas, Kansas State, Arizona,and Wake Forest, have already extended offers. Bobby Kennedy, Colorado wide receivers coach, has been in constant contact. “Coach Kennedy said he has been watching me for awhile, and he really likes what I have been doing, and just said that once he joined Colorado’s staff, he had to offer,” Crane told BuffStampede.com. “They don’t have a lot of receivers on scholarship right now, so I would have a chance to play early. So I like that.”

Kennedy and the Buffs, though, might be fighting an uphill battle. “Colorado and Kansas are probably the two schools where I have the best relationship with the coaches right now,” Crane told BuffaloSportsNews.com.

Kansas has the advantage of still being in the Big 12, so Crane would be playing close to home every season (”That’s definitely an advantage for Kansas”). Plus, Crane’s mother is a Kansas alumna (”She tells me how great it was…but she’s not really pushing me in any way”).

“I’m totally wide open right now,” said Crane. “I went and saw Kansas and I liked it a lot. They are probably my favorite school that I’ve seen so far, but I’ll be in Boulder a week during spring break.”

Buff fans will hope that he liked what he saw….

(Thanks to CU at the Gamer “Joe in Denver” for the tip on Crane’s visit).

Five-Star Wide Receiver to Check Out Colorado Spring Game

It’s often hard to keep track of official visits prospects taken to a given school (remember all of the unconfirmed ”sightings” of players on the Boulder campus this past January?).

It’s next to impossible to know for sure about “unofficial” visits—visits players make on their own time, and on their own dime.

Still, there is a great deal of buzz about the number of players who will be in Boulder for the Spring game on April 9th. One name which will likely receive a great deal of ink over the next few weeks is that of Stefon Diggs. Already afforded five-star status by Rivals (only one of 12 players in the nation so far), the Olney, Maryland prospect may wind up as the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the country.

And he’s coming to visit Boulder.

Before you get tooooo excited, please note that Diggs has received scholarship offers from over 30 schools, including Alabama, Cal, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and USC. He is making the rounds this spring and Boulder is just one of his stops. “I have been out to see New Mexico and Maryland this year so far, Diggs told BuffStampede.com. “And my sophomore year I went to check out Alabama and Miami. This upcoming spring break, I am going to visit Michigan, Florida State, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico again.”

The Buffs do at least have one small “in” with Diggs—2011 recruit Sherrard Harrington. “Sherrard is a friend of the family. He has told me about Colorado’s program,” said Diggs. “I actually talked to their head coach (Jon Embree), and he seems like a really nice guy, like a real man of his word. So I am excited to take a visit there to see what it is all about.”

Don’t look for any monster announcements on April 9th from Diggs, who plans on waiting until at least the All-American Bowl next January to name his choice of school, and may wait until signing day next February. “I have an open mind because this upcoming season, things might change as far as which programs have a bright future,” said Diggs. “Playing time is going to be a key in my decision, because I want to get on the field as soon as possible.”

While the Buffs’ chances at Diggs may be a longshot (Colorado hasn’t really had a presence in the mid-Atlantic states in terms of recruiting—the Buffs haven’t signed a player from Maryland since 1996), you do have to like that Colorado is even in the mix for such a top prospect.

Perhaps a raucous crowd on a beautiful spring evening at Folsom Field will work some recruiting magic….