ESPN College Football Recruiting

Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming are desolate states in terms of population, typically resulting in more scenic views than top-shelf football talent. While it does not appear that Montana or Wyoming will produce a class with elite talent any time soon, Colorado and Utah are a bit more populated and regularly turn out a few higher-tier prospects.

Top '08 Colo., Utah, Mont., Wyo. prospects
Name	Pos	Grade
Jon Major	ILB	82
Nolan Brewster	OLB	81
Lynn Katoa	OLB	80
Jonathan Gaye	RB	79
Jack Elway	QB	79

2008 is the year of the linebacker in Colorado and Utah, following in their trend of conventionally producing non-skill positional prospects at the top of their classes. Jon Major (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) is currently the No. 4-ranked inside linebacker while Nolan Brewster (Littleton, Colo./J.K. Mullen) and Lynn Katoa (Salt Lake City/Cottonwood) are holding down the No. 9 and 14 spots, respectively, at the outside. The trio has impressively racked up over 100 scholarships between them, and all three are members of the ESPN 150.

Brewster has given a verbal to Mack Brown at Texas, his father Tim's former coaching colleague, while Major and Katoa remain two of the most highly sought-after defenders in the country. Both 225-plus pound, punishing linebackers have been concentrating on leading their teams to great records on the gridiron while also taking in a few official visits (both have visited Oklahoma and Colorado) to help narrow down the field of choices.

Jon Major, Inside linebacker
Ponderosa (Parker, Colo.)
Considering: Oklahoma, Colorado, Wisconsin, Oregon

Tough to fathom that Major will graduate high school at age 17, because he is physically one of the superior prospects in the entire country and maturely very poised. The No. 47-rated overall player in the 2008 class is a great representation of the state of Colorado from a football and student-athlete standpoint.

On the field, it is difficult to find many physical flaws in his game at linebacker; Major is big, tough and can run for a 6-foot-3, 232-pound high school linebacker. We like the flexibility and potential scheme versatility he will offer the fortunate defensive coordinator who lands him. The Under Armour High School All-American linebacker can play inside with his explosion at the point of attack, outside with his deceptive athleticism or potentially at a weak side defensive end position with his room for continued physical development and speed on the perimeter.

Colleges have taken notice. After racking up over 50 scholarship offers, Major informed us Sunday night that he has narrowed down his choices to just four.

"Colorado, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Oregon are my final four schools (in no preferred order). I have officially visited all them accept Oregon, but I may try and visit there the first week in December. I could be deciding as soon as my season ends."

Ponderosa High School is currently 5-3 and about to advance into the state playoffs --Major has posted an impressive 110 tackles on the season.

John Hickey , Safety
South (Denver)
Considering: Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, UCLA, Vanderbilt

Hickey may not light it up at the combine circuit as a defensive back prospect, but you cannot measure the speed and physicality this kid plays with on the football field. Hickey is inserted all over the defensive backfield for his current high school team, and while colleges may not be able to quite place a finger on where he will be employed at the next level (linebacker or safety), we find his versatile athleticism to be his best asset.

At 6-foot-1 and 205-pounds, the No. 33-ranked safety prospect utilizes his great size and sound instincts to effectively support both the run and pass. Hickey can fill strong at the point of attack when positioned near the line of scrimmage or pursue quickly through the alley trash and aggressively close on the football from a high-point position. The Denver native flashes a similar burst when attacking his underneath zone as a pass supporter; there are not many spots on the field he cannot cover and makes plays from.

Hickey's football intelligence and natural instincts allow him to locate the ball quickly and decisively; effectively masking his lack of great speed at the position. At this time, he might not project well as a prototypical safety prospect with the range and man-to-man coverage skills highly sought after at the next level, but he could be ideal for a team looking for a "bandit" or potential weak side linebacker with continued physical development. Look for a successful senior season to land this kid a much deserved Division I scholarship.

BYU, 16 commits
The Cougars have numbers and some good talent at the top of their 2008 commit list, led by No. 7-rated safety prospect Daniel Sorenson (Colton, Calif.) and 6-foot-6, well-rounded tight end Austin Holt (South Jordan, Utah./Bingham).

Air Force, 5 commits
We think Air Force commit Colton Floyd (McKinney, Texas) is a fundamentally sound backer who plays bigger than his listed measurables. Look for Air Force to stock up on most of its prospects on or after signing day.

Colorado, 8 commits
We feel head coach Dan Hawkins has the ship pointed in the right direction in Boulder, and recruits are starting to take notice. Seven prep prospects, led by quality running back Ray Polk (Phoenix/Brophy Prep), combine with one JUCO prospect at this point, and the Buffaloes still have some very good undecided prospects on the board as well.

Colorado State, 8 commits
All but one of the Rams' commits hail from Colorado. While CSU has decent numbers, it lacks a prospect rated in the top-75 at any position.

Utah, 8 commits
The Utes have some good depth and quality headed to Salt Lake City in '08 and has done a good job filling the interior offensive line with two good-looking prospects. Center Sam Brenner (Oceanside, Calif.) is a solid, versatile lineman, and Derek Tuimauga (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham) carries his 333 pounds very well at the guard position.

Utah State, 0 commits
Utah State is struggling with commitments as it tries to climb out of the cellar of WAC. It currently has no pledges for 2008 and only a handful of lower-tier prospect with the Aggies listed as an interest school.

Wyoming, 10 commits
Wyoming has gone into Colorado for five out of its nine commitments. Tackle Nick Williams (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) leads the class and could develop into solid lineman after attacking the Cowboys' full time strength and conditioning program.

Mountain Vista-Highlands Ranch (7-1) at Heritage-Littleton (7-1), Thursday, 9 p.m.
The Continental League championship is on the line. Mountain Vista's 14-9 loss to Douglas County (Castle Rock) last week gives Heritage hope heading into the regular season finale. Heritage has won seven straight after a losing to Highlands Ranch, 21-17, in the opener. RB Ryan Skogg has rushed for 978 yards and eight TDs and 3,264 yards in his career. MV's RB Eric Longoria needs 171 yards rushing to reach 3,000 for his career. The winner likely gets the fourth seed in the upcoming Class 5A playoffs behind Columbine, Mullen and Thomas Jefferson. -- Lawlor

Billy Tucker is a recruiting coordinator for Scouts Inc.