BREAKING: Rivals100 RB Ashaad Clayton commits to Colorado
THE SITUATION
The world is recruiting is unique and there is no better example than Ashaad Clayton.
The Rivals100 running back committed to Colorado minutes after touching down back in New Orleans after taking his first official visit to Boulder over the weekend. Clayton also held offers from Georgia, LSU, Alabama and Kansas, among others, but settled on the Buffs after an eye-opening weekend visit.
Clayton was a longtime LSU lean but flirted with schools like Georgia and Kansas as recently as this fall. The Buffs extended a late offer to the four-star back and were able to get him on campus. He intends to sign with Colorado in December, though he is still expected to officially visit Kansas on Dec. 7.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"It was beautiful. The coaching staff, Coach Mel Tucker, he really cares about his kids. Colorado, in general, everything you need is there. They care about academics, about the athletic program -- everyone from the ski team to the Zamboni team. Everyone is taken care of and they have all the resources you need. The coaches kept it real with me. They were straight up. Boulder is a beautiful city."
"They told me about their plan for using me -- the same way Easton uses me in the slot, at running back, and I know I can play for sure."
"They had a whole presentation based on me, the reasons why they wanted me, why they needed me. I met with all the coaches for an hour meeting with them and my mom, talking about how they would use. He said I could change the whole running backs room, which I think is true."
"You can feel the difference when coaches say they want you and when they show you they want you. There's a big difference. They showed they wanted me."
RIVALS REACTION
Clayton is coming off knee surgery but has regained his explosiveness, speed and power running between the tackles and making runs to the outside. He's a home-run threat capable of eating up yards in short-yardage situations and being an asset in the passing game.
At 6-foot and 200-plus pounds, Clayton is a straight-line runner with a frame designed to battle in the trenches. He can run over defenders or around them. He plays with a nastiness at the running back position and thrives off physical play. He could very easily change the dynamic of the Colorado rushing attack.
At his best, Clayton can run through contact and is a mismatch in the open field. He constantly falls forward to pick up extra yardage and is accustomed to being a featured back in his high school offense.
Clayton excels at exploding through holes and changing direction on a dime. He's a versatile piece added to an SEC-esque offense in Boulder and expects to play shortly.