Mike Bobo on recruiting: “We've got to replenish this team with talent and speed”

Colorado State is on the verge of playing their third straight bowl game, which is exciting. They’re also on the verge of losing many talented players from the defensive backfield, which is why head coach Mike Bobo and his fellow CSU coaches have been working incredibly hard to, as he says, “replenish” his Rams team.

“I thought it was huge that we get some guys in,” Bobo said of the defensive back JUCO signings. “We’re losing six at the back end. The most notable are Trent (Matthews) and KP (Kevin Pierre-Louis) and (Nick) Januska, talking about the safeties. The three safeties and lose the one corner in DeAndre (Elliott). We were able to get two guys, two corners and a safety. We were able to get them in.”

He’s talking, of course, about A’Keitheon Whitner, Toyous Avery and Houston Haynes, who signed their mid-year National Letters of Intent on Wednesday as we reported here.

“We feel really good about these three guys that we signed and we’re still recruiting trying to improve our talent level and our depth,” Bobo continued. “That’s the big concern to me, is the talent level and the depth on this football team. To compete for 12 games on a consistent basis.

“I do not think we’re there yet and that’s why you’ve got recruiting and we’ve got to do a good job of not just filling needs…we’ve got to replenish this team with talent and speed. We’re not at the level of speed as San Diego State, that won the conference.”

In football, speed kills. Bobo knows it, he’s seen it in A.J. Green and other supremely talented football players at Georgia and in the SEC. The Rams need talented young men who are ready to compete right away, building that depth which will also increase the competition in practice, which Bobo has made clear is important to him.

“It’s one thing to talk about competition,” Bobo started. “But, if I’m going against you every day in competition, and I know I’m better than you, I’m really not worried about you. So, I’ve got to get some guys in there that are going to raise the talent level at practice every day. And guys that love football. I want guys that when I say, ‘Alright, we’re going to practice or we’re going to put the ball down in the parking lot or we’re going to see who can run the fastest 40,’ they’re ready to go, they’re ready to compete.

“That’s the mindset and the culture that I’m trying to create here,” he said. “Where everyday we’re ready to play. And we’re getting there. But you’ve got to get more guys that got that same mentality and we’re losing a lot of seniors that played a lot of ball. So, I want to replace those guys with similar guys who are good kids, represent the university well, but also love football and can’t wait. And they’re hungry! A lot of times you get guys from JCs, they’re hungry to prove a point and that’s what we’re looking for.”

For former head coach Jim McElwain, the importance was to “build the foundation” by recruiting almost only high school kids from Colorado, Florida, Texas and California. He shied away from signing JUCO players, but Bobo’s philosophy is different. It’s important to note the winning culture is already in place now, thanks to the former coaching regime, and that foundation of talented players was in place when Bobo was hired. So, signing JUCO players to supplement them, as well as getting a group of high school commits, seems to be Bobo’s plan of action.

But, why are JUCO players important to a program?

“We need to find some guys that can come in and play immediately,” Bobo explained of the signing of JUCO kids. “And, a lot of times when you go the JC route, that’s what you’re doing. They’re fully grown almost. Especially at defensive line and DB. Guys that can come in and play. And that’s sometimes where we can get a player that may be a higher caliber than we could’ve got out of high school.

“A kid who’s a JC guy, he’s got two years, he wants to go somewhere he’s going to have an opportunity to play. The recruiting and the facilities and the ‘Wow factor’ sometimes doesn’t matter to him. He just wants to go – and I think we can get a better caliber kid – from the JC ranks.”

Bobo and his fellow coaches have done well this week to bolster that depth. Besides the three junior college defensive backs, they also signed top Nevada recruit Anthony Smith, a defensive lineman, as well as Dominique Williams – a cornerback out of Tennessee – this week. The full list of commits will be announced on Feb. 3, 2016 during National Signing Day, and if these guys are any indication, Bobo and Co. have the recruiting thing down.