FORT COLLINS, CO. — We may still be a few months from the 2021 regular season but fall camp will be here before we know it. 

More importantly, at the moment at least, the recruiting trail never sleeps; and for the Colorado State football staff, this past week was a massive success as the Rams were able to add a Division 1 transfer at wide receiver and pick up a commitment from a first-team all district running back out of Texas.

Here’s everything you need to know. 

Jordan Kress II is coming home

It’s been a long journey for Jordan Kress II. The former Mountain View high school standout started his collegiate career at Butte Junior College, where he played two seasons under coach Rob Snelling, and led the team as a sophomore with 44 receptions for 863 yards and five touchdowns. 

Originally ranked a 2-star prospect coming out of JuCo, Kress signed with the University of New Mexico in 2018 and became an immediate contributor for the Lobos in the following season. 

Kress started all 12 games for UNM in the fall of 2019, leading them in essentially every major receiving category, including total receptions (28), yards (863) and touchdowns (6). Although the UNM passing offense left a lot to be desired, Kress managed to be their most consistent receiver with a team-high average of 45 yards per game. Ironically, the only game where Kress finished without a catch was against CSU, though he did record a tackle in the loss. 

Kress’ production as a whole dipped slightly under the new regime in 2020, but he still managed to finish third on the team with 12 receptions for 224 yards in four games played. He also paced the squad in yards per reception (18.67) and averaged the most yards per game (56). Kress didn’t get as many targets as 2019, however, he still served as UNM’s big play creator on the outside, much like did the year before. 

His best performance in 2020 came against the University of Hawaii on Nov. 7. Kress put on a show on the island, finishing with three catches for 93 receiving yards (31.0 per) and a pair of touchdowns. What stood out even more than the numbers, though, were the actual plays that he made. 

On his first touchdown reception of the game, Kress showed block early before releasing up the sideline and absolutely torching his man for the 52-yard score. It’s subtle but Kress demonstrated a really solid mental play clock as he released downfield just as his quarterback began to roll out and extend the play. He showed his solid speed as well, giving the defensive back absolutely no chance to recover. 

Later in the first quarter Kress hauled in his second touchdown of the night, this time, a 29-yard reception on a perfectly placed ball from QB Teveka Tuioti. While the defensive backs were certainly out of position, Kress did a stellar job of selling the corner on the inside hash before drifting back outside into the open space and out-running his man to the ball. 

After losing Nate Craig-Myers to transfer, adding a veteran like Kress into the mix is a really solid move for the CSU wide receiver room. You know what you have in Dante Wright — the guy is an absolute superstar — he could put up numbers in any league in the country. While there are high hopes for guys like Ty McCullough, Thomas Pannunzio and E.J. Scott, outside of Wright, there just aren’t a lot of experienced receivers on the roster, though.

Kress gives you a veteran receiver that has proven he can put up big numbers against Mountain West competition. He gives you a reliable option to target downfield — an area where the coaches are looking to be more explosive in 2021. Beyond that, it’s also just a feel-good story, as Kress gets to come back and reunite with his high school teammate Logan Stewart.

Malachi Medlock commits to CSU

In addition to Kress’ transfer, CSU also picked up a verbal commitment for its 2022 class. Malachi Medlock, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back out of Duncanville high school (Texas) announced his intent to sign with the Rams on May 8.

https://twitter.com/malachimedlock5/status/1391193838266593283

Medlock rushed 763 yards on 111 carries (6.9 YPC) and six touchdowns in 2019-20. He is the first known commit for CSU’s 2022 recruiting class, and according to 247Sports, currently holds offers from Alcorn State, Fordham, Marshall and UCONN.