Tucker’s recruiting class shows well for short time

B OULDER» For a cat forced to hit the ground running at a full sprint, Mel Tucker made awfully good time.

Tucker’s first recruiting class as the Colorado Buffaloes’ football coach included only one four-star prospect (Jash Allen) and only three catches ranked among the top 10 in their respective states by 247Sports.com. And while a 2019 haul that ranked No. 44 nationally and No. 8 in the Pac-12 by 247Sports might not get your blood pumping at first blush, consider the context:

• It’s the highest national ranking for a class gathered by a first-year CU coach in the 21st century.

• It’s just the third class to finish among the top 45 in the country this decade and only the sixth to top that threshold since 2005. Mike MacIntyre’s first class in 2013 ranked No. 68; Jon Embree’s first group ranked 64th; Dan Hawkins’ initial class was 47th.

“I think considering how late Tucker was hired relative to other coaches, he showed well at the December signing period,” noted Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor at 247Sports. “Then added more depth in February.”

Tucker was hired from the University of Georgia, where he was the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator, on Dec. 5. That gave him two weeks, without a full staff in place, to try to hold onto the commitments in place and supplement that class before the early signing period that ran from Dec. 1921.

“I think Colorado fans have to be pleased with the way the class turned out,” Huffman added, “considering some of the players they lost after the firing of Mike MacIntyre.”

The Buffs saw nine players decommit after MacIntyre was fired last Nov. 18, according to the 247Sports database. The most notable defection was Ty Evans, a 3-star quarterback out of Palmer Ridge, who flipped to North Carolina State. Of 27 prospects in Tucker’s first class, a dozen are offensive or defensive linemen and 16 are listed as defenders, including six of the nine players added after the early signing period.

“I coached 10 years in the NFL, and as you know, the NFL is full of guys who are undrafted free agents or they were ‘2 stars’ or ‘3 stars’ coming out,” Tucker said at a news conference for national signing day. “And now they’re in the NFL making a living playing football. I’m not worried about how many stars guys have.”

And not all 3-star prospects are created equal, either. The marquee name of the nine players introduced Wednesday was La’Vontae Shenault, a receiver out of DeSoto, Texas, and the younger brother of Buffs star wideout Laviska Shenault.

“Where Laviska was bigger at the same stage, La’Vontae has a longer and A look at the players who have signed letters of intent with CU (Dec. 19 for first signing day; Wednesday for second): Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. School/town

Jash Allen LB 6-2 215 Jr. Riverside C.C.

Joe Davis RB 5-11 210 Fr. Valor Christian Jeremiah Doss DL 6-4 260 Jr. Hinds C.C. Marvin Ham II LB 6-1 220 Fr. Belleville (Mich.) Jalen Harris TE 6-5 255 Sr. Auburn B. Huffman-Dixon WR 6-2 180 Fr. Mater Dei (Calif.) Austin Johnson OL 6-4 285 Fr. Highlands Ranch Janaz Jordan DL 6-4 305 Jr. Hinds C.C.

Tarik Luckett WR 6-3 190 Fr. J.Serra Catholic (Calif.) Jaren Mangham RB 6-2 215 Fr. Cass Tech (Mich.) Jamar Montgomery LB 6-2 235 Jr. Independence C.C. Lloyd Murray Jr. DL 6-2 325 Fr. Hirschi (Texas)

D.J. Oats DB 5-10 180 Fr. Grace Prep (Texas) Trustin Oliver DB 6-2 200 Fr. Legend

Alec Pell LB 6-4 230 Fr. Cherry Creek Mark Perry DB 6-0 195 Fr. R. Cucamonga (Calif.) Quinn Perry LB 6-1 240 Jr. El Camino College Nikko Pohahau OL 6-5 275 Fr. St. Francis (Calif.) Na’im Rodman DL 6-2 295 Fr. St. John Bosco (Calif.) Va’atofu Sauvao OL 6-3 320 Jr. Modesto J.C. Valentin Senn OL 6-7 290 Fr. BHAK Hall (Austria) La’Vontae Shenault WR 6-2 190 Fr. DeSoto (Texas) Jayden Simon DL 6-3 300 Fr. Lincoln (Wa.)

K.J. Trujillo DB 6-0 165 Fr. Lutheran (Calif.) Jake Wiley OL 6-6 270 Fr. Eaglecrest Austin Williams DL 6-3 330 Fr. Tift County (Ga.) leaner frame with a little wider catch radius,” Huffman said of the younger Shenault, who racked up 1,421 all-purpose yards as a prep senior. “But not the same burst flashed.” Laviska