Sting Factor: Carlton Madden decommits from Colorado
When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from 1-10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Carlton Madden Jr. was ruled ineligible for his junior season but Colorado continued to recruit the three-star defensive end from Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove and scored his commitment in February.
It was a big recruiting win for coach Karl Dorrell and his staff to dip into the Southeast for a player who would clearly have had more recruiting attention if he was able to play in his junior year.
Madden stuck with the Buffaloes until a few days ago when Georgia offered. Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and others have become more involved with him as well.
Right after the Georgia offer, Madden said he was re-evaluating his future, clearly a concerning offer for Colorado, which cannot be completely counted out of this recruitment just yet.
LOCAL REACTION
When Carlton Madden committed to Colorado in February, the Buffs were his lone Power Five offer. ... Much has changed since February. Madden has attended numerous camps this summer and has been rewarded with a multitude of new offers, including ones from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss.
CU was there recruiting him early when not many others were doing the same and Madden is known to have a strong relationship with Brian Michalowski. He has taken an official visit to Boulder and now knows what the Buffs and Boulder have to offer him following his recent in-person visit experience. The Buffaloes should at least have a shot to bring him back into the fold, but for CU fans, it is a bit of a stinger to see him being wooed by SEC programs closer to home. – Justin Guerriero, CUSportsNation.com
Sting Factor: 5
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NATIONAL REACTION
Colorado did the right thing. The coaching staff in Boulder went after a talented player who was flying under the radar because of no junior film, they landed his commitment and then did their best to keep him in the fold.
But once Georgia came calling it was going to be nearly impossible to keep the Ellenwood Cedar Grove standout. Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and others are poking around as well but Georgia might be the school to watch here. I’d be surprised if Madden did not stay in the Southeast and if Georgia really wants him in its class then that will probably happen as well.
Colorado tried its best and those coaches deserve credit for that but once coaches were able to see Madden, that pledge was probably unlikely to keep. – Adam Gorney, Rivals National Recruiting Director
Sting Factor: 7