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We haven't really ever thought of Air Force as a perennial power, and while very few would, they've put together a few solid seasons. Their most notable season was last season's in which they won the Mountain Division and went to the MWC Championship, falling to San Diego State. As Bronco fans, that's not much fun to watch, especially when we bring in some of the highest rated recruits in the Mountain West. Every team has their down year, even when they aren't expected to. While Air Force has recruited some not so notable recruits, it has paid dividends to them on the field. BSU will be back, but they obviously have competition.
Colorado State is another one of those teams that has slowly been climbing the ladder. While they haven't beaten the Broncos, they have certainly done a great job recruiting and 2015 was no exception. Let's take a look at the top plays the Rams signed last year.
Collin Hill, QB, Spartanburg, SC (Dorman) 6'4" 202
Collin was actually listed by Rivals as the #19 pro-style QB in the nation. His most notable offer was from Western Michigan (outside of CSU of course). Regardless, this kid knows what he is doing. He could very well be the second coming of Garrett Grayson for them. He has the height and the arm strength to throw all day. He threw for 3,505 yards, 35 TDs and 11 INTs, completing roughly 58% of his passes. Those are solid numbers for sure. He has great pocket presence/awareness, good footwork and, like I said, a solid arm.
Christian Colon, DT, Charlotte, NC (Independence) 6'3" 309lbs
Colon could be trouble for MW offenses for the next 4 or 5 years. He is a load, taking on double teams multiple times in his highlights like it was his job. He could easily play right away for the Rams as a true freshman, and we very well could see that. His stats at Independence his last year were great, with 74 total tackles, 46 solo, 6 TFL and 2 sacks. He had a stellar list of offers, including Notre Dame, Miami, Penn State and UCLA to name a few. He actually decommitted from Penn State. He was also listed as the #2 DT in North Carolina. How he ultimately ended up at Colorado State, I'm not sure.
Chris Gaston, DB, La Puente, CA (Bishop Amat) 6'2" 180bs
Gaston is a ball hawk. While his highlights show all of his INTs (3) along with the two that he returned for TDs, it's obvious that he has great field awareness and understands how to read the quarterback. At 6'2", he's also pretty big for a CB, at least as far as we are used to at BSU. He had 55 total tackles, 42 solo, 1 TFL and 1 sack to go along with his 3 INTs. Gaston had originally committed to UCLA in September, but opened it back up in December. He also had offers from Wyoming, SJSU and Idaho, but elected to head to Fort Collins.
Colorado State has done a great job the past few years. I think most of that comes from McElwain coming from SEC country and kids understanding what he could do for them. Dee Hart was a former 5* recruit that had some issues at 'Bama who elected to transfer. BSU hasn't ever had a 5* kid, and while we have talked at length about what the star system means, that's still pretty crazy.
Needless to say, CSU will continue to give us a challenge on the gridiron, and this 2015 recruiting class is evidence of that. This year on the Blue should be fun! GO BRONCOS!