Recruiting is, by nature, an imperfect science.
College coaches must be clairvoyant when selecting which 17 and 18-year old boys will develop into dominant football-playing young men at the NCAA level.
They have to assess the needs of the current makeup of their team and fill those voids as best as possible.
It's an incredibly important and arduous task for those in the middle of long tenures, a task that becomes even more difficult for a first-year head coach at a new university.
That was the assignment for coach McElwain though, and he made it his mission to meet as many high school studs as possible, flying to Dallas, Oakland, Atlanta and many more cities, compiling nearly 10,000 miles traveled in six weeks since he became Colorado State's head man.
And given the fact that McElwain had a tiny fraction of time to recruit compared to nearly every other coach in the country, he did a bang-up job.
“First of all, one of the most important things that we felt we wanted to do was to get a solid group of pacesetters in this class,” McElwain said at his National Signing Day presser Wednesday. “What I mean by pacesetters are guys that are not only successful on the field, but guys that were conference champions, state champions, and come from winning programs, guys that understand what it is and what it takes to be successful both on the field and off the field.”
Coach Mac wasn't kidding.
Colorado State's 2012 class compiled a record of 205-78 (72.4 %) during their senior seasons, 11 of which won conference or district championships, while four others were part of state championships. 13 Ram recruits were captains in high school, while 11 earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
McElwain brought in leaders, winners and intelligent young men from which he can build a winning team around.
“Character was a major tag as we looked at our major pacesetters in this group because we want guys that are not only good all around, but guys that push the rest of your team and I think that is really important,” McElwain said. “Especially, when you are developing an attitude and a direction for your program and your organization."
Most noticeable about Coach Mac's first class was their superior size, with an average height and weight of 6'2.5” and 233 pounds. That number may not seem huge, but when you look closer at the large linemen he brought in—eight in total at an average of 300 pounds—Colorado State will be loaded with massive men up front on both sides of the ball.
Coach Mac quipped to the media that he wondered “where are the linemen?” after assessing the team he inherited, and clarified many times how important it is for a team to be strong up the middle.
But beyond big bodies, McElwain's first class is full of all-around athletes.
Eight recruits played other sports along with football, with track being the most played by the newest Rams.
Coach Mac also addressed the Rams' need for speed with three wide receivers and three defensive backs. DB/KR D'Arric Thomas runs a 4.37 40-yard dash while WR Darran Hall runs a 4.41 40, the kind of elite speed Colorado state has lacked for years.
“The key component is roster management,” explained McElwain. “You want to have balance throughout your class so a program stays solid.”
The coach was balanced in his approach, picking up nine defensive, 14 offensive and one special teams player in kicker Keenan Adams. And he even eluded to the fact that players will be continually evaluated and they will be moved to a new position if it fits them better.
And while Colorado State added a great deal of talent in a broad range of areas, McElwain added, “We'll find out in about three years, and that is how it is, and that is how it should be. They need to develop in everything that we asked them to do and yet they have the character, they have the championship drive and they are prepared to be something special and they are prepared to be great.”
That being said, one would have to think some of the players in the 2012 class will make an impact on the field in the fall.
What it all means is McElwain did a great job to put together this strong a class in such a short window of time.
For a full list of CSU's 2012 football recruits, with bios and highlight videos, click here.
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist actively seeking a career in journalism. Along with being your CSU Rams Examiner, Kurtzman is also the Denver Broncos Examiner and writes for Blake Street Bulletin, Stadium Journey, Bleacher Report, and Mile High Hoops.
Follow Rich on twitter for breaking news, need-to-know retweets and interesting insight on the Rams and everything Colorado sports related.
Follow Rich on facebook to links to all his pieces and breaking news.
Comments