Utah commit wavering to Big 12 school

It's less than a week until the start of the Signing Period and that means the usual last minute scrambling is going on, as some colleges frantically work to steal players already committed and all try to hang on to the ones already in the fold.

Such is the case for the Utah Utes, which is seeing a verbal from Chino (Calif.) High running Back R.J. Stanford grow more shaky each day.

Stanford, a 5-11, 185 pound all-league back, admitted last night he's looking at taking a trip to the Univ. of Colorado this week, but it may come at a heavy cost: his solid offer from Utah.

"I have a scheduled trip set to Boulder this Friday," the Southern Calif. senior admitted, "and the coaches there have offered me, but I'm not 100 percent sure I'll go. Utah's not happy about it and said if I go, the offer (RB position) is up for grabs, it'd be a first come, first served to get my offer slot."

Stanford explained that he used to live in Colorado before moving to California with his family and "I used to think growing up I'd like to go back there some day. Utah was my only trip and it'd be nice to have something to compare to, plus it's the Big 12 conference."

Yet on the other hand, he understand Utah's unhappiness with his continued looking at other schools. "Colorado and Boise State (several new coaches at CU were at BSU at that point) were looking at me last summer, but then I got in an incident at school (suspended for two games for an altercation with a fellow student) and Utah was the only school that stuck with me. The coach recruiting me at Utah, Aaron Roderick (receiver coach), has showed me a lot of love and it'd be hard to go against Utah's loyalty to me."

Stanford even has his confusion quantified: "I'd say 80 percent is for Utah and 20% for Colorado, but a trip could help me make it more clear either way. I'm going to pray for the right answer and make my decision by Thursday night... I have to: the Colorado trip would be Friday."