FORT COLLINS, CO. — Colorado State’s 2021 recruiting class is stacked with local talent and that’s just the way Steve Addazio wants it.

In a virtual meeting with the local media Wednesday afternoon the Rams head football coach explained that while he wants to recruit well in football hotbeds like California and Texas, it’s Colorado that needs to provide the foundation for the program.

“Our commitment to the state of Colorado is real,” Addazio said. “I think we have diamonds in this state.”

Addazio explained that with the direction college football is headed — with so many players transferring and choosing to move around over the course of their careers — finding guys that are committed to the program on a deeper level is paramount. As “Daz” sees it, when Power 5 programs start sniffing around, an unfortunate product of the modern college football system, it’s best to have the foundation of the roster be built with people that bleed green and gold because they’re less likely to leave you high and dry. 

“It’s critically important that you have guys that are vested into your university, into the state, and into the area. It’s not just a place to go play football,” Addazio said. 

Of CSU’s 19 signees for the 2021 cycle, six are local players: QB Luke McAllister (Palmer Ridge), TE Tanner Arkin (Fossil Ridge), OT Justin Michael (Poudre), DE Clay Nanke (Regis), Mukendi Wa-Kalonji (Grandview), and DB Langston Williams (Eaglecrest). 

Two more were born in Colorado and have family ties to CSU.  

Jack Howell, son of legendary Rams safety John Howell, played the first three years of his career at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, before moving to Arizona this fall to play at Hamilton HS. He’ll now enroll early at CSU this spring and start his career in the same place his dad was a star. 

Grady Kelly, a defensive end out of Navarre High School, has ties to the area as well. Originally born in Greeley, Kelly lived in Fort Collins until he was 8 years old. Additionally, both of his grandparents are alumni. 

“I just don’t believe in recruiting haphazardly from all over the place,” Addazio said. “We have some cross section from a pretty wide area here but every year there needs to be like 5-10 players from the state of Colorado in my opinion.”

Steve Addazio on the areas where @CSUFootball needs to recruit the hardest. #NSD21 pic.twitter.com/d60NycCPmA

— DNVR Rams (@DNVR_Rams) December 16, 2020

Addazio continued, explaining that over the course of four years, CSU should have around 35 local scholarship players at the very minimum. If they’re able to do that, Addazio believes it will set the program up for success because they won’t have to recruit random players from all over the country, whose only reason for coming to CSU is it was their one offer. 

“You recruit these kids from Colorado — they’re so proud to be from Colorado,” Addazio said. “They understand the history of Colorado State University and they have a passion for that.”

“You’ve gotta have some glue and some investment. I think that’s your best shot,” Addazio continued. “Furthermore, holding that boot has gotta have real meaning to you. I promise you with those Colorado kids, they’ve grown up hearing about the boot — and they know all about Wyoming vs. Colorado State.”

The Colorado State Rams raise the Bronze Boot, a traveling trophy for the winner of the annual Border War football game between Colorado State and Wyoming, after winning the game at Canvas Stadium.

With seven local signings (including Howell) so far for 2021 and five more from 2020, Addazio is well on his way to establishing the strong local foundation he wants for his roster. In fact, he said that the Rams may still very well sign another local player or two for the 2021 cycle, in addition to the 10+ local walk-ons that will be joining the team.  

With the way Wyoming has been able to establish a winning culture using an extremely similar recruiting model, the Ram faithful will hope the Green & Gold have similar success in the coming years. Bringing the Bronze Boot back home was the right start but the journey to building CSU football back into a consistent winner is not something that can occur overnight.

“To me there’s no secrets in recruiting,” Addazio said. “It’s just evaluation and having principles that you believe in in the recruiting process.”