Buffs Land Sixth Commit, DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe

The Colorado Buffaloes compounded yesterday's win against Wyoming with a commitment from a true sleeper in DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe from Corona, California. According to rivals.com's player page, Chidera's only offer came from the Buffs but he was being courted from Nebraska, Arizona, UCLA and Fresno State. Why only one offer? He has a noble excuse. Chidera has played in only one high school football game because he is a converted basketball player. Last year, he was added on the team late and only played in one game but his athletic ability and impressive work in summer camps has brought him a pretty big buzz.

The 6'3" 220 pound end/outside linebacker camped with the Buffs this summer and impressed enough to land his only offer. Many teams are probably waiting on more film to evaluate Chidera, who is still considered a project but his athletic ability makes him valuable. It will be interesting to see what other programs start offering Uzo-Diribe after they get some more information on him.

Chidera is only listed as a 2* but he has garnered enough excitment to get the attention of lead recruiting analysts like Jeremy Crabtree from rivals.com, who thinks Uzo-Diribe's stock may blow up this fall:

Two-star weakside defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe of Corona, Calif., is a player that could blow up this fall and is working hard to improve his stock as one of the best sleepers in the Inland Empire. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder already has one offer on the table, but is hoping to add even more to the mix. "It’s going good," he said. "I’m keeping in contact with a lot of schools, everything’s going good. I only have one offer so far, but I’ve been talking with several schools seriously. I still stay in contact with Colorado. UCLA, Colorado State, Arizona and Nebraska have been recruiting me mostly.

Rick Kimbrel of Yahoo! rivals.com also weighed in on Chidera:

While everybody is well acquainted with Corona, Calif., high school’s two four-star prospects running back, Jordon James and defensive back Demetrius Wright, but there is another prospect from Corona who is beginning to join the party in sleeper defensive end, Chidera Uzo-Diribe (6-4, 225, 4.75). Uzo-Diribe is mostly being recruited as a defensive end, but he may also log some time at outside linebacker in 2009. The reason why Uzo-Diribe is a sleeper is because he was playing basketball as a junior, but now he knows that football is his ticket for his future. Even though, Uzo-Diribe didn’t play a down of football as a junior, he still has racked up an offer from Colorado after a standout performance at Colorado’s full contact camp. The thing the Buffaloes liked about Uzo-Diribe was his quickness off the edged and his ability to put heat on the passer. He also displayed an outstanding nose for the football at the CU camp. "I felt good getting an offer from Colorado," Uzo-Diribe said. "It was the goal that I wanted to accomplish at the camp.

It will be nice to see some footage of Chidera but he sounds like a good athlete, something the Buffs can certainly use more of. He is the first defensive verbal of the 2010 class so far. Welcome to the Buffs, Chidera!