[This is the first post in series that will look at where the CU program is after almost one year under Jon Embree. Look for an overview of the returning Buffs position by position after the Utah game, and some follow up posts about next year’s outlook while we wait on the recruiting class and try to get over this season.]
I stole the term “Hawkruiting” from someone else, who stole the term also, but it is so fitting, it had to be in the title. It covers all of the stupid, naïve, ridiculous tactics he employed to actually leave the program “burned to the ground.” His Boise St. approach just didn’t work in the big time (Chris Peterson is smart and staying put).
Earlier in the year Dave from AllBuffs.com wrote: “Someone coined the term ‘hawkruiting’…and the issues start there. [Former Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins] recruited 2 types of people: great students who were decent athletes and character risks that were monster athletes. Unfortunately most of the latter never made grades and got kicked out of school for discipline issues. Of the 4 and 5 star recruits Dan pulled in we have a tiny handful left. Failure to keep those guys and to develop other talent is at the root of our issues”.
§ First, the long list of guys who were expected to contribute but instead transferred, were kicked off the team or just disappeared: OT Bryce Givens was supposed to man a tackle position for four years but couldn’t stay out of trouble and on the field; LB Lynn Katoa got in a fight and never even got on the field; we all know about Darrel Scott; his uncle Josh Smith actually left the program first for UCLA followed shortly by stud G/C Kai Maiva after he was asked to move to FB?! Meanwhile, two of Hawk’s touted TE recruits, Harold Mobley and Henley Griffon were both asked to leave the program after Embree’s first spring; likewise DE Forrest West couldn’t cut it and left for NC State. Projected starter this year at center Mike Iltis quit the team to focus on getting his degree.
§ Many of the 4 and 5 stars never panned out and some never even played a down. Of those who did stay and play, outside of P-Rich, most would be considered underachievers. A class by class look at those recruits from Hawk’s years:
2007: 4-star JC RB Patrick Gates never even qualified and made it to campus; 4-star JC DE Drew Hudgins, hardly played; 4-star WR Marques Simas was given numerous chances but never could keep it together, left program (twice); 5-star OT Ryan Miller, as has been stated previously, although a major contributor over 5 years, was really an underachiever for what he was projected to do, but looks like a Rhodes Scholar/All-American next to the rest.
2008: This was the top-15 ranked class after signing day in February with: 5-star RB Darrel Scott, basically a bust, now at South Florida; 5-star OT Bryce Givens, major problem child, finally dismissed by Embree; 5-star LB Lynn Katoa, got in a fight and never even got to practice; 4-star JC LB Shawn Mohler, played a little; 4-star LB Jon Major, a Colorado kid who wanted to stay home (read: Hawk probably couldn’t have chased him away if he tried) obviously still contributes as a Jr. captain.
2009: Only 5-star DE Nick Kasa, originally committed to Florida made big news switiching to CU, but we all know he would have never gotten off the bench down south as he has now switched positions to TE.
2010: 4-star WR Paul Richardson was a serendipitous, late score when Neuweasel jettisoned him from UCLA for “pursegate” and Hawk had no qualms scooping him up, but I am sooooo glad he did. Everyone gets lucky once in awhile.
§ Overall the 2007 class included nine offensive linemen that were supposed to give depth to a weakened position and lay the foundation for the future. Of the nine, two are no longer in the program (Maiva and Iltis), three have not played much due to injuries and other issues (Blake Behrens, Shawn Daniels, Sione Tau), a walk-on who didn’t really play much (David Clark), one moved to TE and plays sparingly (Matt Bahr), while Ethan Adkins and Ryan Miller have been mainstays at the guard spots, although Miller was supposed to be an All-American left tackle. Not exactly what they had in mind for that group that year. The offensive line situation has been exacerbated by further losses in Givens, Eric Richter never panning out as a O-lineman and moving to D where he doesn’t contribute either, as well as chronic knee problems keeping Max Tuioti-Mariner from continuing to play.
§ Another thing Hawk didn’t understand about the academics at CU was how JUCO players have difficulty succeeding here (very different from Boise St. academics) and he stubbornly brought in numerous JC transfers, hoping for a quick (K-state) fix and most never did a thing for CU. Besides Hudgins, Mohler, Gates, we also had stellar bench warmers (or non-players) from JCs like OL Eric Fataagi, RB Thomas Perez (like Gates never even qualified), DE Chris Perri (kicked out for fighting with model citizen Michael Sipili), scout team QB Nick Nelson, WR Andre Simmons, OL/DL Eric Richter (one more year of scout team duty for him); LB/FB Evan Harrington contributed a little on offense as senior at least.
§ Hawk also didn’t bother to recruit kids that hard early in the process, a practice that worked at Boise St. and with the athletes they could compete with there, but not here. He never learned and lost out on a lot of great prospects, from in state and all around. He also lost out on a lot of former Buffs’ kids because he so estranged himself from the former members of the program (Taylor Embree and Joseph Fauria at UCLA among others).
§ There were also a ton of 2-3-star guys who committed, signed, but never qualified, or if they did, didn’t last very long. When I looked at the recruiting lists from years past I was amazed at how many names I had never really heard of and how many had left. They are too many and too unimportant to list.
§ Hawk’s kids who had great overall GPAs were just not good (usually not fast) enough to compete at his level (see many members of this year’s senior class like Mahnke and Sandersfeld).
§ However, all of the academic and off the field issues left some APR problems as well, limiting a few scholarships at one point. All of these issues added up to a team that not only lacked team speed but was also short on any decent depth, with some really bad holes at some positions.
§ This was exacerbated by bad or limited coaching that showed up and still shows up on the field. This was especially true for the seniors that dominated this year’s lineup. I was never a big fan of Hawk’s “Never too high, never too low” attitude that never lets young guys show any emotion never seemed to work. The roster was not prepared for the new approach and new conference.
With only a handful of juniors who were fully tainted by the previous staff, next year’s team should be able to make a big step forward.
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