CSU football recruiting tracker: Class taking shape before signing day
Jay Norvell's 2023 Colorado State football recruiting class is coming together.
The Coloradoan will track the recruiting class into signing day.
This list will be updated as new commits are announced. All star ratings, composite scores and offer lists are via 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
The CSU football 2023 recruiting class
List is organized with most recent commits at top.
DYLAN PHELPS
Position: Defensive back
High school: Spring Valley (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: Dec. 21, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
Notable: Phelps never announced a commitment but signed with the Rams on signing day. He had visited Hawaii recently. Phelps had had 51 tackles and an interception as a senior.
CALEB GOODIE
Position: Receiver
High School: Memorial (Port Arthur, Texas)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: Dec. 11, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 175 pounds
Notable: Goodie says he had 50 catches for 1,100 yards, 18 touchdowns and four kick return touchdowns this season.
JAVION SMITH-COMBS
Position: Defensive line
High School: Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colorado)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: Dec. 2, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 222
Offers: Smith-Combs has reported offers from Northern Colorado and has received interest from Iowa State, among others.
Notable: Smith-Combs just finished a four-peat of 5A state titles with Cherry Creek. He had 38 tackles and three sacks as a senior.
JETT VINCENT
Position: Safety
High School: Canton-Galva High School (Canton, Kansas)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: Dec. 1, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185
Offers: Vincent has reported offers from North Dakota, CSU and has received interest from Kansas and Kansas State.
Notable: Vincent does a bit of everything at Canton-Galva, a small-school who plays 8-man. As a senior he rushed for 697 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 368 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air. Vincent had 53 tackles and eight interceptions. The most stunning stat line? In Game 1 of this season Vincent ran 24 times for 344 yards and eight (!!) touchdowns. He threw the ball five times for 187 yards and two touchdowns, plus one catch in that game. Vincent finished with 36 career interceptions. Also a basketball player, Vincent averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds per game last season.
JAYLEN GARDNER
Position: Defensive back
High School: TMI Episcopal (San Antonio, Texas)
Star rating/composite score: 3/0.8263
Commitment date: Nov. 27, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot, 190
Offers: UTSA and CSU
Notable: Gardner is a great all-around athlete. He’s hit 6-foot-6 in the high jump and 21-5 in the long jump and helped his high school reach the basketball state title game last season. Gardner has done a bit of everything on the field in football. As a senior he had 459 receiving yards, 149 rush yards, an interception and a fumble caused and recovered. While recruiting sites list him as a receiver, the plan is for him to play in the secondary at CSU.
JAMARI PERSON
Position: Receiver
High School: Haywood High School (Brownsville, Tennessee)
Star rating/composite score: 3, 0.8356
Commitment date: Nov. 18, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Person had reported offers from Indiana and Marshall, among others.
Notable: CSU is looking to rebuild its receivers room and Person could be another piece of that.
CHRIS MAXEY
Position: Offensive lineman
High School: Bryan High School (Bryan, Texas)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: Aug. 16, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 290 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Maxey had shared an offer from Howard Payne University and had visited Sam Houston State.
Notable: Maxey looks like CSU's belief of a diamond in the rough. He doesn't have a stuffed offer sheet but is the size of the type of linemen the Rams are looking for. Following another trend, he's a multi-sport athlete, also playing center on the Bryan basketball team.
NIKO LOPEZ
Position: Linebacker
High School: Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)
Star rating/composite score: 3, N/A
Commitment date: Aug. 8, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Henderson had offers from Louisville and Nevada, in addition to CSU.
Notable: Lopez plays both sides of the ball at Santa Margarita Catholic but is being recruited to CSU as a linebacker. He had 65 catches for 693 yards and eight touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.
DAMIAN HENDERSON
Position: Running back
High School: Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, California)
Star rating/composite score: 3, 0.8767
Commitment date: Aug. 3, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Henderson had offers from Oregon, Arizona, Washington, UAB and San Jose State.
Notable: By committing, he becomes the top-rated commit in CSU's 2023 class. Henderson played last season at Jordan, compiling 1,023 rush yards with nine touchdowns on the ground. He had 300 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air. Henderson also had more than 500 yards in returns. He commits to CSU as an athlete, with a specific position to be determined later. Henderson is rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN and No. 260 on the ESPN 300.
WHITEFIELD POWELL
Position: Edge/defensive end
High School: Regents School of Austin (Austin, Texas)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: July 8, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Powell had reported offers from Arizona, Washington State and Pennsylvania.
Notable: Powell also has been recruited by Boise State, Stanford and Utah, among others. Powell runs a 10.9-second 100-yard dash and 4.51-second 40-yard dash. He was first-team all-state as a junior.
DREW RODRIGUEZ
Position: Linebacker
High school: Sprague High School (Salem, Oregon)
Star rating/composite score: 3 stars, no composite
Commitment date: July 5, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Rodriguez had offers from Montana State, Portland State and Northern Colorado.
Notable: Rodriguez plays both sides of the ball in high school and had five interceptions last season. He's spent time at receiver, defensive back and linebacker and is expected to be a linebacker for the Rams. Rodriguez was all-conference on offense, defense and as a kick returner last season. He also plays basketball for Sprague.
AITOR URIONABARRENECHEA
Position: Offensive line
High school: Chaminade College Prep (Los Angeles, California)
Star rating/composite score: 3 stars, no composite
Commitment date: July 1, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 295 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Urionabarrenechea had offers from San Diego State, Fresno State, Wyoming, Northern Arizona, New Mexico State and others.
Notable: Another example of the size and length this CSU staff is looking for in offensive linemen as the Rams land Urionabarrenechea over competition from several Mountain West schools.
SILAS EVANS
Position: Wide receiver
High school: George Washington High School (Denver, Colorado)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 30, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Evans had offers from Colorado, Oregon State and Northern Colorado.
Notable: CSU wins an in-state recruiting battle, grabbing a commit the Buffs were pursuing (Evans made several unofficial visits to Boulder). Evans had 16 catches for 468 yards and eight touchdowns last season as a junior. He also had 112 rushing yards. He also plays safety at GW and he led the team with 74 tackles (57 solo) and had an interception and five passes defense. While he plays both sides, the Rams view him as a receiver. Evans also runs track at GW.
CHRISTIAN MARTIN
Position: Offensive line
High school: Destrehan High School (Destrehan, Louisiana)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 30, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 250 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Martin had reported offers from Mississippi State, Houston and Louisiana.
Notable: Martin projects as a potential offensive tackle at CSU and the Rams were able to secure his commitment over a number of regional powers.
MASON MUAAU
Position: Tight end
High school: St. Louis High School (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Star rating/composite score: 3 stars, no composite score
Commitment date: June 30, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Muaau had an offer from Hawaii and reported interest from Washington State.
Notable: Muaau flipped his commitment from his home state of Hawaii (who is coached by Timmy Chang, who was an assistant at CSU before being offered the Hawaii job). He committed in early June but visited Fort Collins later in June and changed his commitment. He caught 22 passes for 505 yards and a team-high four touchdowns in 2021, according to Hawaii Prep World. Muaau also competes in track.
BUOM JOCK
Position: Linebacker
High school: Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 29, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Jock reported he had offers from Virginia, Pitt and Boston College, among others.
Notable: Jock has played receiver and safety in high school, but the Rams view him as an athletic linebacker. He's also a high-level basketball player who averaged double-digit points last season.
LAVON BROWN
Position: Wide receiver
High school: Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth, California)
Star rating/composite score: 3 stars, 0.8650 composite score
Commitment date: June 28, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Brown has an offer sheet stacked with Power 5 offers. Those include Arizona, Oregon, Florida State, Arkansas, USC and Utah.
Notable: Per his 247Sports rating, he becomes the top-rated commit in CSU's 2023 class and his composite score places Brown No. 11 in CSU's all-time rankings of commits per 247. He previously played at Desert Pines in Nevada.
JUSTIN MARSHALL
Position: Running back
High school: Merrillville High School (Merrillville, Indiana)
Star rating/composite score: 3 stars, 0.8550 composite score
Commitment date: June 28, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot, 180 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Marshall also had offers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Boston College, Indiana, Nebraska and Purdue, among others.
Notable: Marshall is rated as the No. 13 recruit in his state in his class. He had 43 catches for 1,088 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. He also had 440 rush yards and five touchdowns on the ground. While his offensive numbers were split, he's expected to be a running back at CSU.
DANTE SCOTT
Position: Safety
High school: Bonita Vista High School (Chula Vista, California)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 28, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Scott also had offers from UNLV, Hawaii, Bucknell and others.
Notable: Scott had 23 catches for 581 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games as a junior, according to MaxPreps. Included in that was a 98-yard reception. He says his 40-yard dash time is 4.4 seconds. While he has some impressive offensive numbers, he's expected to be a safety for the Rams. (Jay Norvell has said that he likes recruiting players for the secondary who have spent a lot of time on offense in high school.)
KENYON AGURS
Position: Defensive line
High school: Inglewood High School (Inglewood, California)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 27, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 235 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Agurs also had offers from UNLV and Idaho.
Notable: One of the most unique recruiting stories you'll find. Agurs has never played a down of high school football, per 247Sports. He has played basketball and starred in track in high school, not playing football as a freshman due to COVID and sticking with those two sports since. But now he's back to play football and was offered immediately in participating in a spring camp. He'll likely be a defensive end in college.
TJ CRANDALL
Position: Cornerback
High school: Skyline High School (Sammamish, Washington)
Star rating/composite score: 3-star, no composite score available
Commitment date: June 20, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Crandall also had offers from Arizona State, Army, Yale and Idaho State with Washington and Washington State among those showing interest.
Notable: Crandall also plays basketball at Skyline and runs tracks, specializing in sprints and the high jump. He's had campus visits to Washington, Washington State, USC and TCU.
KENNEDY MCDOWELL
Position: Defensive line
High school: Memorial High School (Frisco, Texas)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 19, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, McDowell also carried offers from nearly a dozen Power 5 schools. Those include Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Arizona State and Minnesota, among others. He has nearly 20 total offers.
Notable: McDowell's nickname is "Mayhem" and while he doesn't have a star rating from 247Sports and Rivals, he's a consensus 4-star from On3.com, an upstart recruiting site. He recently visited Purdue and Colorado. He competes in track as well, with a top time of 14.47 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. That would have been third in Colorado in 5A in 2022. He had three sacks early in the season as a junior before being sidelined by injury.
TANNER MORLEY
Position: Offensive line
High school: Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colorado)
Star rating/composite score: N/A
Commitment date: June 13, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 280 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, Morley also carried offers from New Mexico State, Portland State and Northern Colorado.
Notable: Kansas State has also shown interest, among others. Morley also competes in track and field as a thrower.
Offseason changes: CSU roster taking shape for 2022 season
ANDREW LAURICH
Position: Defensive line
High school: Yorkville (Yorkville, Illinois)
Star rating/composite score: 3 star, 0.8206 composite
Commitment date: June 13, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 250 pounds
Other offers: Has 17 reported offers from Group of 5 programs and FCS powers such as North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Mountain West rivals Wyoming and Air Force are among his offers.
Notable: Laurich had 41 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and five sacks in 11 games last season as a junior. He also forced two fumbles, recovered one and had an interception.
STEPHON DAILY
Position: Wide receiver
High school: Sierra Linda (Phoenix, Arizona)
Star rating/composite score: 3, 0.8256 composite score
Commitment date: June 12, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment he also carried offers from Washington State, Nevada, Hawaii, Army and Northern Arizona.
Notable: As a junior, Daily caught 51 passes for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine games (19.6 yards per catch and 111 yards per game).
JACKSON BROUSSEAU
Position: Quarterback
High school: Lehi (Lehi, Utah)
Star rating, composite score: 3, no composite score
Commitment date: April 30, 2022
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
Other offers: At the time of his commitment, CSU was his only reported offer, but he was receiving interest from Arizona State, Washington, BYU, Wisconsin and Boise State, among others.
Notable: Brousseau was the first commit in the class of '23. As a junior, Brosseau completed 66% of his passes for 3,255 yards (233 per game), 36 touchdowns and five interceptions.
De-commits
A natural part of recruiting is de-commits. Some are players who decided to go elsewhere, while sometimes the team will say a version of "thanks, but no thanks." Here are the players who were once committed to CSU's 2023 class but will go elsewhere.
Richie Anderson: The linebacker/defensive end de-committed in December and now says he'll sign with Fresno State.
Israel Polk: The receiver de-committed less than two weeks after committing in December and now plans to sign at Pitt.
Mapping out CSU recruiting
Here is a visual look at where Jay Norvell and staff are recruiting. Tabs show maps for each class.
Where CSU football recruiting ranks
Recruiting rankings are ever-changing, especially as we head into the senior year for these athletes. Some have hardly been scouted by recruiting services and many will see rankings change before signing day.
Of course, rankings are to be taken with a grain of salt. But that said, the better ranked teams in recruiting year after year tend to find success. It's not an accident that Boise State tends to lead the Mountain West in recruiting rankings and the Broncos are almost near the top of the league.
Here's where CSU ranks nationally and in the Mountain West as of Dec. 19.
247Sports: The site has become the standard across the country, although it has minimal presence in Colorado and isn't fully up-to-date on CSU's list.
Mountain West rank: First on total points and third (behind SDSU and Boise State) on average points.
Overall rank: 57th in FBS, second among Group of 5 programs in total points.
On3: A new kid in the recruiting rankings battle. On3 is still fairly new but has a growing presence.
Mountain West rank: First in total score and third in average score.
Overall rank: 63rd in FBS, fourth among G5 programs.
Rivals: The original king of recruiting rankings, but less relevant now than in the past but still an important part of consensus rankings used by other sites.
Mountain West rank: First in total points and second in average points.
Overall rank: 62nd in FBS, third among G5 programs.
Key dates, information to know
Signing dates: The early signing period for future college football players in the class of 2023 is Dec. 21, 2022. That's the earliest any of these recruits can officially sign to join the Rams.
The late signing period for football opens Feb. 1, 2023.
Open slots: The NCAA has done away with the limit of 25 "initial" signings per class. Now the requirement is teams must stay at or under the total of 85 scholarships per team.
What that means is recruiting class sizes can vary dramatically year to year. CSU coach Jay Norvell said he expects to sign around 40 players (high school and transfers combined).
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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado State football 2023 recruiting class tracker
