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Well, I would have put the over/under on the first commitment for the Buffs this year around July or August, one in April is a rarity for Dan Hawkins and coming off a 5 - 7 season, I would've guessed recruits would "wait and see." I also would have put the chances for Colorado prep Danny Spond committing to Colorado at 30% with 60% going to Stanford and the other 10% elsewhere, especially this early in the process. I should have learned, I should know by now that going against Dan Hawkins and Co. in Colorado recruiting is a bet I will lose most the time.Others may "wait and see" but Dan Hawkins may have picked up a piece of momentum today that may get others to start thinking seriously about Colorado.
Add quarterback/athlete/football player, Danny Spond, to the list of in-state talents that turned down programs outside the state to build up their home team. QB Austin Hinder might be ranked the top prospect from Colorado in 2010, I think Danny Spond is the top football player. Watch his highlight reel and words like versatility, athleticism, nose for the ball, playmaker and toughness come to mind. Last week at the spring scrimmage, I sat right behind Spond and many of my Stanford recruiting sources who were at the game pretty much put him in Cardinal red next year. Hawkins once again reeled him in. Those same sources are also the first people to say that having talked to Spond, he is one of the nicest guys they have interviewed. He is smart (3.99 GPA) and he is a football player, something that is always a welcome.
If you would have made a list after Gary Barnett left of the top three things that us the fans wanted in our next head coach it would have gone like this:
1) win
2) restore the program after the scandals and the bad publicity
3) recruit in-state
So far No. 3 on this list has been a success. After watching players like Lendale White, Casey Studdard, Zach Lattimore, Jeff Byers, Calais Campbell, Jon Cooper, Butch Lewis and others leave the state, Dan Hawkins has closed the borders.
A great win for the program. It sounds like the Buffs recruited him as a quarterback which could make things interesting for guys like Austin Hinder, Todd Heaps and other quarterbacks the Buffs are in on.
Here is some more information on Danny Spond, commit #1 in 2010 for the Buffs!
1) Scout.com: Listed as the #13 best MLB. 6'2, 230 pounds, 4.68 forty.
Rivals.com: a 4* ATH, 6'3' 230 pounds, 4.69 forty.
Max Preps Stats
2) Spond was offered by Stanford, Duke and Wyoming and was also in discussions with Oregon, Nebraska and UCLA.
3) Videos from Youtube and Prepticket