University of Northern Colorado Football finalized its new recruit signings on Wednesday.
The Bears signed 23 new recruits to the football roster as they rebuild for next season.
There are plenty of shoes to fill and the coaching staff believes these young men and the existing players can get it done.
Of the 23 recruits 16 are defensive players as the Bears look to bring more muscle to next year’s defense.
Five linebackers, two “Buck” linebackers, five safeties, two defensive ends, one defensive tackle and one cornerback.
Nick Fulton’s new offense only gains seven new players as there are many sophomores waiting for a chance to play offense.
The new playmakers include two offensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two receivers and one tight end.
Which school are Colorado kids playing at?
UNC’s recruiting class consisted of 20 Colorado players out of 23 total recruited.
That means UNC recruited 86.9% Colorado players, but how does that stack up against the other Division I schools?
CSU had three Colorado players of their 19 total or 15.7% Colorado.
CU had five Colorado players of their 26 total or 19.2% Colorado.
Air Force does not release their recruiting until summer camp to process the recruits, but last year’s roster consisted of only seven Coloradans total.
It seems almost natural for Colorado players to become UNC Bears if they recruit at least 67.7% more Colorado players this year.
What the Coaches Had to Say
Head Coach Earnest Collins Jr., Defensive Coordinator Marty English and new Offensive Coordinator Nick Fulton were guests on The Hull Show to talk about the recruiting class.
The coaches had some meaningful and memorable quotes for what they looked for in the new recruits.
Coach Collins on what he wants players to think of UNC:
“We don’t want people to settle on UNC anymore, we want players who want to be here”.
Coach English on the values of the defensive recruiting:
“We want to get bigger and stronger… that was a priority not only for the new guys, but also for the older guys too. We are bringing in guys as big or bigger than them so they have to compete for their spots”.
Coach Fulton on what changes will come to the offense:
“We want to simplify it first… we want to tailor it to the talent we already have too”.
Coach Collins on what the extra four games redshirt players can play means to the coaching staff:
“The four game redshirt rule is fantastic… it gives us an idea of where the younger players stand. We can try them out against starters to see if they are ready or if they need more time to develop”.
They Choose UNC, But Who Was Told NO?
A bias against some smaller schools is that the recruits are sometimes the ones no one wanted, is that true?
First, UNC does recruit and “steal” decent prospects from other schools who are much bigger and more resourceful.
Second, not every star comes with a star rating or lengthy highlight reel from high school.
Many of the players who make it to the pros have their breakout moments in college.
One of the reasons signing day is so exciting is the prospect that any new recruit coming to the team could be the next big deal on campus.
Who did UNC “steal” players from? Check below for a full breakdown.
