Colorado Mesa University (CMU) head football coach Tremaine Jackson announced the signing of ten new recruits for the upcoming Fall 2021 season.
The offensive side was the priority, with seven of the ten recruits coming in on that side of the ball.
“[I’m] really excited about these guys, especially the high school guys in this mix. I feel like we hit a home run,” said Jackson.
There were six high schoolers, three Juco signees, and one four-year transfer player in total.
Out of Parker, Colorado is Alexander Bruns, offensive lineman, at 6’3 and 285 pounds. Through high school he played for the Regis Jesuit High School Raiders. He made the Sports360AZ All-Academic Team, First Team All-Conference and was selected for the 6A Premier All Conference, while averaging 1.3 tackles per game his junior year.
From Seguin, Texas, is offensive lineman Branden Knox, 6’1, 275 pounds, of the Seguin High School Matadors. He made the All-District Second Team, All Area Second Team and Academic All-State.
At wide receiver and tight end is Tyson Splinter, 6’4, 205 pounds out of Mt. Prospect, Illinois. Splinter’s 40-yard dash is recorded at 4.63 seconds, which compares to NFL players at his positions.
Coming out of Hawaii is Kia’i Keone, 5’11, 170-pound quarterback. He played his senior year at Skyridge High School, in Lehi, Utah, where he made the Academic All-Region selection and was the Team Offensive MVP his senior year.
Over ten games so far in the 2020-2021 season, he has thrown three touchdown passes and 148 yards, with only one interception.
One of the Juco signees is Emari Smith, 5’9, 175 pounds, wide receiver, out of Los Angeles, California. Smith played two seasons at the College of the Canyons where he had eight catches for 53 yards, including one five catch game. His recorded 40-yard dash is 4.48 seconds.
The four-year transfer player is Dwight Blakey, a 5’9, 180-pound wide receiver from Detroit, Michigan, who is transferring out of Central Arkansas University. During the 2019 season with the Division 1 Central Arkansas Bears, he caught 36 passes for 291 yards.
In recruiting this class, Jackson and the coaches prioritized more than just on the field performance.
“We tell guys that you have to be disciplined, you have to be obedient, you have to have a lot of grit to be one of us. That’s what it takes. And so guys that have done that on the field and off the field in the classroom [is who we recruit],” said Jackson.
COVID restrictions preemptively ended the 2020 Fall season, but Jackson and company are excited for the team’s future.
“This football team has changed. We flipped this roster upside down and inside out. We look different walking around. We got guys that are the size of a bull outside. We got guys that can run. We’re going to compete for it. And as soon as they put the championship back on the market, then we’re going after it. At no cost,”said Jackson.
