The Ralphie Report Sits Down With Buff Recruit OT Nik Abele

I first heard of Nik Abele about two weeks before the Iowa State game. You look at his rivals picture, which is only a head shot, and you know the kid is built. Not until the Iowa State game when I saw him in person did I know that he was massive. I never thought I would say what I said that day: "That Nik Abele kid is bigger than Nick Kasa both in height and bulk." Although Abele will probably need to add some size to his frame, he has all of the intangibles to be a strong player. The first thing I read about Abele was this from rivals:

The biggest surprise of the camp's first day was Irvine, Calif., defensive end Nik Abele. The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder has become a hot target with college coaches lately, but he is still unknown on the national scene. That could change if he keeps dominating this summer like he did Wednesday. Displaying a strong but still lean frame, Abele has amazing building blocks to work with in that department. He also has a good motor and had a very nice day in the one-on-ones. He also got some special attention from the USC coaches for his efforts.

His stock has been on the rise ever since. Luckily for us, Abele became a member of the Ralphie Report and of course we emailed to see if he would give us some insight into how he was feeling about his game, the recruiting process and Colorado.

Right now, Abele hasn't taken any other visits since his Colorado trip and he currently does not have any scheduled. He doesn't know of a future timetable yet but he did say that "CU is probably number 1 right now (for his signature) because they're the only school I've visited so far." When asked about what differs from the Colorado coaches compared to the other coaches he has talked to, Abele said that "I felt like the coaches were more like family than coaches, which is pretty cool." This seems to be a common answer among all the recruits who visit Colorado. The words "tight knit family", "more than teammates" and "caring coaches" are frequently used to describe the program and how it differs from others.

From Nik's playing style and pictures, you can tell he has a little extreme sports in him which is another reason attending school in the state of Colorado appeals to him: "Their is snowboarding 30 minutes away and their is riding for dirtbikes all around."

Like most recruits, he finds that "the recruiting process kind of gets annoying once in awhile because of all the phone calls I have received." He added that he will be excited for the process to conclude so he can get on with his decision and the rest of his senior year. You watch the films of Abele and you notice his motor and tenacity. He agrees that his biggest attributes are his" hard work (ethic) and strength" but admits to "need(ing) to improve (his) speed" to be successful at the next level. 

On one of his pre-camp videos, Nik was seen playing defensive line exclusively. He is listed as a offensive tackle at the next level but we were surprised at how good of a "get off" Nik had on film against big time offensive lineman. When asked about schools recruiting him to play defense as well, he said "SDSU and ASU said I could play defense if I wanted to, as well as CU but, yes, most the schools are recruiting me for offensive line."  But Nik does have a big interest in possibly suiting up on the defensive side of the ball which could be a good option for the Buffs considering his motor as well as the possible depth issues that may reveal it's ugly head next year for the Buffs.

Thanks for the interview Nik and we look forward to hopefully seeing you wear the Gold and Black next year! We feel the Buffs have a good young core that will only be enhanced by your presence in Boulder!