FORT COLLINS, Colo. — It was a day to remember for the Colorado State coaching staff. The Rams received verbal commitments from three different players on Monday, including a pair of running backs from the east coast and a local wide receiver out of Eaglecrest High School.
Patrick Smith was the first of the two backs to announce the intent to sign with CSU. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back from Absecon, New Jersey, posted a video on Twitter that featured a variety of highlights from his life and ended with a still image of Canvas Stadium.
Throughout his junior season, Smith was extremely consistent as he finished with 1,338 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns for Holy Spirit High School. His biggest moment definitely came in the playoffs, though, when he scored seven total touchdowns in a 50-24 victory over Hudson Catholic High School.
According to 247Sports, Smith is presently an unranked prospect but does hold 10 other offers. Columbia, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Yale and Central Michigan are among the schools interested in his services.
While he is on the smaller side for a Division 1 running back, what Smith lacks in size, he makes up for with elite speed and excellent vision. Watching Smith’s tape online, it’s clear that he’s just about always the most electric player on the field and is definitely a threat to turn any touch into a big play. Considering the versatility that Smith can bring to the table, it’s not surprising to see why the CSU staff is intrigued by the dynamic athlete — especially when also factoring in that he’s smart enough to get offered by Ivy League schools.
The second player to verbally commit on Monday was Alex Berrouet, an unranked running back/linebacker from Acton, Massachusetts. Listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Berrouet has a significantly larger frame than Smith but still moves really well in-between the tackles and in the open field.
Aside from how physical he plays at linebacker, what really stands out about Berrouet on tape is how hard he seems to run on offense. There’s not a lot of wasted movement — when he gets the football in the backfield, Berrouet hits the hole aggressively and looks to get up field. Conversely, on the defensive side, he’s a heat-seeking missile that can absolutely lay the wood.
However the staff decides to get Berrouet involved, it’s clear that he’s a hard-nosed football player that does not shy away from contact. With Addazio emphasizing that the Rams need to be a tougher football program, Berrouet seems like he should be a perfect fit — regardless of how many recruiting stars he has or doesn’t have.
Finally, the third player to commit to Colorado State on Monday was local wide receiver Langston Williams. A multi-sport athlete at Eaglecrest High School in Centennial, Colo., Williams is absolute burner on both the football field and the track that surrounds it.
According to Williams’ Hudl page, the 5-foot-10, 155-pound wide receiver has a recorded 40 time of 4.4 seconds and a 100 meter dash time of 10.76 seconds. If you’re unfamiliar with how running works, the average male runs 100 meters in roughly 27 seconds, so simply put, Williams can move.
While he has not drawn a ton of major interest — likely due to his size — according to his Twitter page, Williams also has offers from Army and Wyoming. After watching him burn defensive backs on film, though, I can confidently say that Ram fans would not want this guy coming back to Canvas Stadium in a Pokes uniform.
And with that in mind, it’s definitely good to see Addazio staying true to his earlier commitment to try and keep local talent in the state. It’s clear that he will also take advantage of some of his previously established recruiting ties on the east coast but if the Rams are ever going to get back to consistently beating rivals, finding undervalued prospects in their own backyard will be a crucial factor — much like it always was for Sonny Lubick.
As of Monday night, CSU’s 2021 class features seven total commitments from five different states, including two local guys. According to 247Sports, the Rams currently have the No. 1 ranked group in the Mountain West for the 2021 cycle.
