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Signing day successes: 10 college football players from Northern Colorado who excelled

Chris Abshire, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·5 min read
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) in action during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field.
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) in action during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field.

The signing period for Class of 2024 college football players finally arrived this week.

It was a busy one locally, as Colorado State signed a strong class and Fossil Ridge lineman Gage Ginther officially signed with Tennessee as Colorado's No. 1 recruit, per 247 Sports.

But a signing class or individual player's impact doesn't always crystallize until several years later.

The Fort Collins area has had more than 100 players sign to play college football over the last decade.

Ultimately, our recent local standouts at the college level are mostly divided into two buckets: the prep stars who made an impact for Division I FBS teams and less-heralded recruits who carved out prominent roles at the FCS and Division II levels.

Here's a look at five Fort Collins standouts from each category over the past 10 years:

Star recruits who excelled:

Trey Zuhn, Fossil Ridge to Texas A&M

Nov 26, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; LSU Tigers defensive end BJ Ojulari (18) and Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) in action during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field.
Nov 26, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; LSU Tigers defensive end BJ Ojulari (18) and Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) in action during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field.

  • Signing class: 2021

  • Star ranking: 4

  • Notable: Zuhn's college story isn't finished yet with two years of eligibility remaining. But he's already proven plenty, starting 23 games at left tackle over the past two seasons for the Aggies in the rugged SEC. Zuhn announced that he will return for a fourth season at A&M, but he's already considered third-round level (or better) talent in early 2025 NFL mock drafts.

Wyett Ekeler, Windsor to Wyoming

Sep 30, 2023; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; New Mexico Lobos wide receiver Caleb Medford (4) is hit by Wyoming Cowboys safety Wyett Ekeler (31) during the second quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium.
Sep 30, 2023; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; New Mexico Lobos wide receiver Caleb Medford (4) is hit by Wyoming Cowboys safety Wyett Ekeler (31) during the second quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium.

  • Signing class: 2020

  • Star ranking: 3

  • Notable: The brother of NFL star Austin, the younger Ekeler has been a key Cowboys defender for the last two seasons after switching from his high school position at running back. Ekeler has 148 career tackles and just finished his best season yet, recording 75 tackles (5.5 for loss), two sacks, grabbing two interceptions and forcing two fumbles as a free safety.

Max McDonald, Rocky Mountain to Colorado State

Colorado State Rams linebacker Max McDonald (44) runs out to meet members of his family during the senior night presentation before the game at Canvas Stadium at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019.
Colorado State Rams linebacker Max McDonald (44) runs out to meet members of his family during the senior night presentation before the game at Canvas Stadium at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019.

  • Signing class: 2015

  • Star ranking: 2

  • Notable: McDonald was a fan favorite for his hometown team after starring for the Lobos, but he was also a solid contributor for the Rams. The linebacker had 84 career tackles, including 7.5 for a loss and two sacks. McDonald had his best season in 2017 as the fourth-leading tackler for CSU's last bowl team.

Alex Kinney, Rocky Mountain to Colorado

Colorado Buffaloes punter Alex Kinney (89) punts away from the end zone in the third quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field.
Colorado Buffaloes punter Alex Kinney (89) punts away from the end zone in the third quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field.

  • Signing class: 2015

  • Star ranking: 3

  • Notable: Kinney was a legendary kicker for the Lobos in the early 2010s and his success at CU lived up to his billing as a rare 3-star punter. He earned third-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2017, played in 54 career games (an all-time CU record) for the Buffs over five seasons and averaged 42.2 yards per punt with 97 kicks being downed inside the 20.

Spencer Lovell, Rocky Mountain to Arizona State, Cal and Kansas

Kansas redshirt junior offensive lineman Spencer Lovell (76) works through plays during a practice at KU's Indoor Football Facility in March 2023.
Kansas redshirt junior offensive lineman Spencer Lovell (76) works through plays during a practice at KU's Indoor Football Facility in March 2023.

  • Signing class: 2018

  • Star ranking: 3

  • Notable: Lovell is prime proof of the transfer portal's benefits. The former Lobos offensive lineman played in 10 games for a surging Kansas squad in 2023, his sixth year in college football. Overall, Lovell played 38 games for three different Power 5 programs and fought three injuries and a COVID season to carve out a solid college career.

The college risers:

Jack Peterson, Fort Collins to Colorado School of Mines

  • Signing class: 2018

  • Notable: Peterson really came on strong in the final two seasons of his six-year career that featured a redshirt plus a 2020 season canceled by COVID. The former Lambkins standout helped the Orediggers reach consecutive Division II championship games and earned second-team All-RMAC honors in 2023. For his career, Peterson had 112 tackles (26.5 for loss) with 14 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Hadyn Steffens, Rocky Mountain to Northern Colorado and Colorado Mesa

  • Signing class: 2019

  • Notable: The former Lobo spent his first three seasons at UNC in Greeley, only getting one real season of action before transferring to Colorado Mesa two years ago. After heading across the state, Steffens stepped up for the Mavericks, making 93 tackles over the last two seasons and earning him All-RMAC honorable mention. He finished his college career with 108 tackles (7.5 for loss) and five sacks.

Chase Lanckriet, Windsor to Northern Colorado and Lindenwood

  • Signing class: 2019

  • Notable: The former Wizard followed a similar path to Steffens, his '19 classmate at UNC. Lanckriet did make an early impact at UNC, catching 17 passes for two scores as a freshman. After a canceled 2020 season slowed that momentum, he transferred to Lindenwood and has blossomed. Lanckriet snagged 45 passes for 605 yards and four touchdowns over the last two seasons, leading Ohio Valley Conference tight ends in yards per catch.

Kielar Harpham, Fort Collins to Black Hills State

  • Signing class: 2016

  • Notable: The former Lambkins FRL Player of the Year also enjoyed six years in college, culminating with All-RMAC honors in 2021. The wide receiver/kick returner tallied more than 2,400 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns in his career, leading the Yellow Jackets with 729 receiving yards in 2019 and returning a punt for a touchdown.

Braxton Davis, Poudre to Colorado State

Colorado State Rams place kicker Braxton Davis (83) kicks the ball in the first quarter of the game at Canvas Stadium at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.
Colorado State Rams place kicker Braxton Davis (83) kicks the ball in the first quarter of the game at Canvas Stadium at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019.

  • Signing class: 2015

  • Notable: This is a special case, since CSU is, of course, an FBS program. But Davis fits the unheralded billing, joining the Rams as a preferred walk-on and basically locking down kickoff duty for five seasons. The former Impalas kicker booted 156 of his 297 career kicks for touchbacks at CSU while averaging 61.8 yards per attempt.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: College football signing period: NCAA stars from Fort Collins, Windsor