BOULDER — Mel Tucker showcased brutal honesty Wednesday when asked how the Colorado Buffaloes currently fit in the landscape of college football recruiting among the top high school prospects in the state and across the nation.

“We have to show progress on the field,” Tucker said. “We’re going to do that, and it’s up to us to put our best foot forward and sell our program to the point where they want to come here. … As they have grown up, they haven’t seen CU winning. They haven’t seen them going to bowl games. If you look at it from their perspective, why would you want to go (here)? Right?”

With the opening of December’s early signing period this week, though, it appears a newfound recruiting energy has befallen Boulder after Tucker’s 5-7 debut.

CU’s 2020 class is currently rated No. 34 in the country per 247Sports — the Buffs’ highest ranking since 2008 — with 21 players that Tucker said, “understand what we’re building here.”

Their 2020 crop is composed of 16 high schoolers, three junior college transfers and a pair of four-year transfers. And the class features two clear headliners: Alabama transfer defensive end Antonio Alfano (a 2019 five-star prospect) and incoming freshman safety Christian Gonzalez (a four-star prospect from The Colony, Texas).

“A lot of recruiting is momentum,” Tucker said. “This is a small recruiting world and it’s getting smaller. All these top players, all these guys, they all know each other. And they’re all looking to see who is going where and who is visiting where. They’re comparing notes on coordinators, head coaches, facilities and stadiums.

“When you get a guy like Antonio Alfano or Christian Gonzalez … it signals to other guys coming behind them: ‘You know what, I need to take a look at Colorado. Something is happening over there.’”

Locals will lament the Buffs signing just one in-state prospect during the early signing period in offensive lineman Carson Lee (Cherry Creek), although Tucker said it wasn’t for a lack of trying. CU spanned the nation to assemble its 2020 class with players brought in from Texas (six), California (five), Florida (two), Arizona, Massachusetts, Mississippi and New Jersey. Transfer punter Josh Watts arrives in Boulder all the way from Australia.

Tucker told reporters on Wednesday that his staff evaluated each player without consideration of star rankings or other schools in pursuit. It mirrors the approach Tucker witnessed on staff at Alabama during its run to the 2015 national title, and for three more years as Georgia’s defensive coordinator (2016-18).

He believes the seed has been planted in Boulder for similar success.

“We’re building our football team to win a championship and we’re building it through recruiting,” Tucker said. “You know who you’re going to have to play. It’s going to be one of the teams that’s in (the College Football Playoff) right now. … We know what those teams look like and I have experience with those types of teams. So, we’re building our team to be like those teams so we can win a championship.”

Quarterback competition. The graduation of quarterback Steven Montez opens the door for a new starter next season. CU signed quarterback Brendon Lewis (Melissa, Texas) to its 2020 class to likely compete with returning quarterbacks Tyler Lytle and Blake Stenstrom for the job.

“We’ll just see how it goes,” Tucker said. “It’s going to be fair, and it’s going to be intense, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. Competition brings out the best in everyone.”

Tucker added that he does not currently plan to use the transfer portal to potentially add another quarterback to the team’s roster.

Second deadline. Prospective student-athletes can sign with college programs during the early period through Friday. The traditional date for National Signing Day is slated for Feb. 5.

“We’re going to continue to recruit and we may continue to sign guys,” Tucker said. “How many spots we have and don’t have, that’s kind of a fluid deal. But the recruiting is nonstop and we’ll recruit all the way through that date.”