SOUTHERN COLORADO — A little over a week ago, the Colorado High School Athletics and Activities Association announced they would delay the high school football season due to COVID-19.
"We where fighting for the opportunity to even give football a season," explained CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. "Everyone isn't looking for recruitment tape."
Then this past week Colorado, Colorado State and Air Force football all also delayed their seasons, which leaves us with this: What's next? How do we proceed until the spring? And the biggest question: college football recruiting and how will it be affected.
"Recruiting wise it was huge," said Air Academy senior linebacker Are'an Burr. "I was look forward to my senior year because this is the year I prove I can play. That junior year wasn't a fluke. Senior year was going to be the year where I show everybody, 'hey, I am here.' I am a forced to be reckoned with."
The standout Kadet already has 10 Division I offers, but not one of those offers are from a power five conference team.
Those teams wanted to see early season film from the 2021 recruit before offering him a scholarship, but Covid-19 delayed his season.
According to Adam Munsterteiger, the publisher of BuffStampede/247Sports, it's another recruiting class from Colorado who will see the biggest affect from this year's schedule change.
"What this really hurts is the 2022's," explained Munsterteiger. "So much recruiting is based off of junior year evaluation."
"Locally, you would love to get kids from the four corners area," added Bob Lopez, the Director of Recruiting for Colorado University football. "From Colorado, from Arizona, from Utah, Mew Mexico coming into your camp so you can see them for a day."
Lopez agrees with Munsterteiger, the 2022 recruiting cycle will be a challenging one, yet the buffs will plan to take an old school approach moving forward into uncharted waters.
"We got to do what we can do for the states that are playing, for those prospects that are playing and know that places like Colorado we are going to get out late," said Lopez.
As for Burr and his recruiting? He is keeping all of his options open, which includes even moving to another state.
"It is a possibility," said Burr. "I heard one of the CHSAA's rules is that if you move and come back, you can't play. But like if I move and comeback, who cares because I will just try to graduate early and commit to a school and go on from there."
The NCAA just announced this week that the current dead period, where school cannot speak or contract recruits, has been extended till September.
