Recruiting report: January 10

It was a busy week on the recruiting trail this week for CSU-Pueblo. The NCAA Division II program had a number of athletes announce their commitment to play for the ThunderWolves this week, including a handful of local prospects. Here is a look at the local athletes who announced plans to play for CSU-Pueblo this week. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="58946" first="Zack" last="Rakowsky"], 2021, 5’10, 150, RB/WR/DB, Loveland</strong></h3> Rakowsky, the Class 4A Player of the Year in Colorado, announced his commitment to CSU-Pueblo this week. https://twitter.com/ZRakowsky/status/1347763752473554947 He had a dominant senior season, which ended with 169 rushing yards and three touchdowns on offense and two interceptions on defense in the Class 4A state championship game versus Palmer Ridge. Immediately after the game, CSU-Pueblo offered him a scholarship after seeing what he did on their home field in that game. Rakowsky may have been overlooked before due to his size and frame, but the senior played big and was routinely the top player on the field every time Loveland played in 2020. He showed he could run between the tackles but has plenty of speed to get to the outside and break for some big runs. His previous experience at quarterback also gave him an edge in the secondary to break down route concepts and make plays on the ball. In addition to his dominance on offense and defense, he helped the special teams with his punting and returning kicks. Regardless of the position, Rakowsky shined on the football field, and CSU-Pueblo will look to see the same from him at the next level. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22553" first="Leslie" last="Richardson III"], 2021, 6’3, 210, QB, Smoky Hill</strong></h3> Richardson announced that he was not only committing to CSU-Pueblo to play football, but that he would enroll in school early to join the program. https://twitter.com/lesliedrich3/status/1348004661085827075 Richardson is the No. 6 ranked quarterback and a top-50 prospect in the state of Colorado as per Prep Redzone Colorado. While many quarterbacks ahead of him were getting attention, he was the one who finished the season leading the state in 11-man football with 2,534 passing yards in 2020. He completed 57 percent of his passes and did a good job taking care of the football with 31 touchdown passes to just six interceptions. The senior showed the ability to escape pressure in the pocket as well and is an athlete who can tuck the ball and run when called upon, evident by his 394 rushing yards and two rushing scores. His quick release and great arm strength allows him to make all the throws, and she showed it over the course of his high school career where he was a three-year starter. CSU-Pueblo will look for him to add depth to a young quarterback room with the program. <h3><strong>Luke Guarienti, 2021, 6’0, 180, WR/DB, Pueblo South</strong></h3> A local kid staying home to join CSU-Pueblo will be Guarienti of Pueblo South, who announced his commitment this week. https://twitter.com/LukeGuarienti/status/1347725320481353730 Guarienti had a solid senior season in 2020 where he played both ways and contributed for a Pueblo South team that made it to the semifinal round in the Class 3A state playoffs. The senior caught 20 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns from his wide receiver position, and in the secondary on defense he recorded 29 total tackles and an interception. There were some flashes in the return game as well with his limited chances, including an 87-yard kickoff return in a win over Vista Ridge this season. The highlight film showcases how Guarienti is a fast-flying, hard-hitting safety who seems to find his way around the football. He is not afraid to lay a hard hit on an opposing player and is a great fit to play in the box and help stop the run. His physical tools made him a valuable blocker on offense and an athlete who can play special teams at the next level. <h3><strong>Bijah Cornell, 2021, 6’5, 205, TE/DL, Florence</strong></h3> A small-school local recruit announcing he would join CSU-Pueblo this week is Bijah Cornell of Florence. https://twitter.com/BijahCornell/status/1347742131448807424 Cornell is a solid prospect from a lower-level school in Colorado based on the 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame he possesses. His long arms allows him to take on blocks and set the edge from his defensive end spot. He showed the ability to be a factor against the run and the pass, whether it was crashing in the gap and getting to the back or getting around a tackle and pressuring the quarterback in the backfield. On offense, he caught three passes for 54 yards, but his biggest impact was in the run game as he was a good blocker who looked more like an extra offensive lineman at times in the offense. The three-sport athlete is expected to play at defensive end for CSU-Pueblo and could be another late find to watch for the program. He announced his offer from CSU-Pueblo back on Dec. 14. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22623" first="Domingo" last="Prince II"], 2021, 6’3, 287, OL, Cherry Creek</strong></h3> A big addition for CSU-Pueblo was getting Prince from Cherry Creek this week. https://twitter.com/Domingo7602/status/1346689565776441344 A two-time state champion for the Class 5A Bruins, Prince excelled at his right guard position. He has good feet and did a good job with pull  and stretch blocks at his size and was a force in the run game. He drives his feet well and can get push off the line of scrimmage when going one-on-one with a defensive tackle. Combo blocking was another strong part of his game, working well with his fellow lineman to get a double-team on the down lineman and then passing off the block to get a hat on the linebacker. While his strength is in the run game, he showed he can handle his own in the passing game. With great size and a pedigree of success, Prince will be a nice find for CSU-Pueblo on the offensive line this week. <h2>Other recruiting notes</h2> CSU-Pueblo also gave an offer to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22589" first="Vann" last="Schield"]</strong> of Rock Canyon this week. https://twitter.com/vannschield/status/1346203193009602560 The No. 80 overall prospect in the Class of 2021 according to Prep Redzone Colorado is a two-way player who had a big senior season for the Jaguars. He had 116 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards and two touchdowns as Rock Canyon tried to get the ball in his hands in multiple ways. From his linebacker spot, he recorded 14 tackles and caused two fumbles. Schield was a bright spot for Rock Canyon and has garnered plenty of attention on the recruiting trail so far. His latest offer from CSU-Pueblo comes with other offers from Valpo, Drake, Colorado Mines, Minot State, Chadron State and Washburn that he has shared so far. In other recruiting news not related to CSU-Pueblo, three athletes announced offers or commitments to play at the next level this week. Berthoud linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22651" first="Cooper" last="Hidalgo"]</strong> announced that he is committed to Dordt University from the NAIA level. Hidalgo is a three-year defensive starter for Berthoud and recorded 199 tackles in his high school career, 66 of which came in 2020. The edge rusher also had four sacks this season. He announced his offer from Dordt University back on Dec. 12. Ralston Valley lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="20931" first="Austin" last="Brown"]</strong> announced that he is getting some looks from the NCAA Division II level this week. The recent schools offering a chance to play at the next level were Chadron State, who offered a scholarship, and Colorado Mesa with a preferred walk-on opportunity. The latest offers join previous offers from St. Olaf, Nebraska Wesleyan, Minot State, Western Colorado and Fort Lewis (PWO). Brown was the team’s starting right tackle and could be a valuable find for schools at 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds. One final commitment announced came from former Regis Jesuit football and baseball star <strong>Geno Macias</strong>. A 2019 graduate, he announced that he would be playing football at Colorado next year. In his high school career, Macias was a defensive standout for Regis Jesuit with 290 total tackles, six sacks, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. The Aurora Sentinel reported that Macias was an baseball commit for Air Force before joining the Colorado football team.