Stephens: CSU football recruiting centered on Marty English

Humility is a rare trait.

We all want to be valued, to know we're making a difference. Most of us want at least some public recognition of the effect we're having on our field.

Marty English doesn't look for the praise. We'll give it to him, anyway.

Sustaining a successful college football program begins and ends with in-state recruiting. Targeting the best local talent isn't enough. Teams also need to sign it. For four years under former coach Steve Fairchild, CSU failed to do that, instead focusing primarily on Florida.

Colorado State University signed 101 players in the four signing classes Fairchild was responsible for (2009-2012). Thirteen of them were from Colorado.

In the three classes since, 18 of the 65 players signed (28 percent) are in-state kids. That isn't so much Jim McElwain's doing as it is English's. He owns this state.

"Coach Marty English does an outstanding job in this state and is very well-known and respected, and has got a handle on Colorado and Colorado kids," CSU football coach Mike Bobo said Wednesday. "When I went on the road a couple days with Marty, you could tell he's very well-respected. Everyone in the state … knows who coach English is.

"I'm on the phone talking to guys who are real excited that he's still part of Colorado State. He loves Colorado State, he loves Fort Collins and he loves the players on this team."

English's passion for the area is undeniable. He's spent his entire 29-year coaching career as an assistant at Northern Colorado (1987-2002), Wyoming (2003-2011) and CSU (since 2012), cultivating relationships along the Rocky Mountains that have helped turn his teams, including the Rams, into winners. He's been the recruiting contact for every in-state player who's signed with CSU since the 2013 class, most notably Jake Bennett, who earned the starting center job as a redshirt freshman last fall.

While he excels at tapping most of Colorado's best talent, doing so the past three years with such dedication couldn't have been easy. After McElwain left, English was up for the head coaching vacancy at CSU. The Rams went with Bobo, and English was essentially demoted to linebackers coach, yet here he is, somehow dedicated as ever to CSU.

CSU should be grateful for an assistant coach that shows such commitment.

There were reservations, Bobo said, from some players in the 2015 recruiting class who had committed to CSU under McElwain. It was up to English to keep them on board. He did. Not one of the six players who pledged to the Rams under the former staff got cold feet on National Signing Day.

Now comes the challenging part: getting high school coaches and players across the state comfortable with the new CSU staff that has virtually no experience recruiting in Colorado.

"It's just that: relationships. (CSU coaches have) got to get around the some of the coaches in the state, and they will through clinics and ... camps in the summer and junior days," English said. "A lot of those coaches like to come up and meet with us.

"A lot of it is just like coach Bobo said; it's building the relationships and being yourself."

Colorado has never been heavy on blue chip football recruits. The elite players usually leave the state for schools like Nebraska (Eric Lee, Kenny Bell), Stanford (Christian McCaffrey, Brendon Austin) or another top Pacific 12 program, with the Rams and Buffaloes signing the best of what's left. Even tight end Mitch Parsons, ranked by 247Sports as the second-best player out of Colorado in 2013, signed with Vanderbilt before transferring to CSU.

The "leftovers" CSU has taken over the years haven't been scrubs. Though not highly touted prospects, Kivon Cartwright (Pueblo), Chris Nwoke, Joe Hansley (Highlands Ranch), Max Morgan (Greeley), Kevin Davis (Fountain) and Jared Roberts (Littleton) have been vital to turning the Rams into contenders for a Mountain West championship.

As the Rams' level of play continues to rise, so will the caliber of in-state recruits they sign.

"It really goes back to the Sonny Lubick mold. There are a lot of great kids in Colorado. If you can recruit the best ones, there's a lot to build your program on," English said. "It means a lot to kids in Colorado to play for Colorado State."

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports columnist Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.

CSU's top in-state recruits since 2007

Name High School Year State Ranking Olabisi Johnson Bear Creek 2015 5 Richard King Rangeview 2015 6 Max McDonald Rocky Mountain 2015 11 Tre Thomas Overland 2014 12 Marcus Wilson Valor Christian 2014 18 John Freismuth Loveland 2014 19 Blake Nowland Douglas County 2013 7 Jake Bennett Bear Creek 2013 8 Trae Moxley Roaring Fork 2013 11 Jordon Vaden Prairie View 2012 11 Joe Hansley Highlands Ranch 2012 13 Kevin Davis Fountain-Fort Carson 2012 20 Dorian Brown Thompson Valley 2011 4 Justin Hansen Longmont 2011 11 Joe Kawulok Monarch 2011 12 Max Morgan Greeley West 2010 14 Chris Nwoke ThunderRidge 2009 16 Joe Caprioglio Highlands Ranch 2008 5 Jonathan Gaye Mullen 2008 13 Luke Diehl Douglas County 2007 7 Phillip Morelli Mullen 2007 16

2012-15 rankings by 247Sports. 2007-11 rankings by Rivals.com.