ESPN College Football Recruiting

If you look close on the plateaus, plains and foothills of the mountains, you can find football fields. In some areas the sport may not be as popular as skiing, hunting or fishing, but it is extremely important to the communities where the gridiron is the happening place on Friday nights. There may not be as many schools, especially in Montana and Wyoming, as in most other states, but you will find the football players are tough and determined athletes who play hard and take the game seriously.

The bulk of the football talent is found in the heavily populated areas and towns in Colorado. As a matter of fact, the top ten players from the region and 17 of the top 20 are from the Centennial State. Speed is not the name of the game, even though there are some skilled athletes in the area; the region prides itself in linemen on both sides of the football. It's no surprise that the tight end position emphasizes run-blocking first and receiving second.

One of the players that almost worked his way into the top 10 is safety Dayton McMillan (Cody, Wyo.). He is a versatile athlete who lines up as a running back, defensive end and safety, which is where he will play at the next level. What McMillan lacks in pure speed is made up for in toughness and sound fundamentals.

The top player in the Big Sky Country of Montana is quarterback Brock Osweiler (Kalispell, Mont./Flathead), who has a solid over-the-top delivery. The sun sets behind this tall, pocket-passing two-sport star. The 6-foot-8 Osweiler dropped his commitment to Gonzaga basketball for Arizona State football.

As good as these two skilled players appear to be on the field, the cream of the crop from this region falls with the interior positions. Six of the top 10 players, counting tight ends, are offensive linemen.

Terry Alletto, center
Ponderosa HS (Parker, Colo.)
Verbal commitment: BYU

For the second year in a row, the top player from the region hails from Ponderosa High in Parker, Colo. Last year's No. 1 was inside linebacker Jon Major (Colorado). Alletto just missed out on being an ESPNU 150 player, but is the nation's third-ranked center.

Even though Alletto isn't the biggest center around at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, he is an excellent fundamentalist and a high motor lineman. He is quick enough to reach a 3 technique defensive tackle and has the agility to handle a shaded middle guard. He has a low center of gravity and doesn't lose balance as he works to maintain leverage on defenders. Alletto does a very good job of keeping his shoulders square when he chips off to level-two linebackers.

Alletto, unlike Major, has decided to take his football talents out of state and has committed to Brigham Young. He fits perfectly with the Cougars' affinity for quick, aggressive offensive linemen.

Kendall Gregory-McGhee, tight end
Cherokee Trail HS (Aurora, Colo.)
Considering: Colorado, Minnesota, Colorado State, Boise State, TCU

McGhee is a tweener at this point; he doesn't have the size yet but definitely has the frame to put on some bulk and develop into a very solid college tight end. He is athletic, possesses good foot quickness and is a very good stalk blocker in the open field. He also displays soft hands as a receiver and will go up in the air to high point the football.

McGhee has all the tools to build on for his position. As he gains weight and continues to improve his interior offensive line blocking skills, he can be an exceptional tight end. He has the versatility to play the traditional aligned position or be a flexed "Y" receiver.

Colorado, four commits (Oct. 3)
The Buffaloes need to pick up their recruiting, especially in-state. So far, all of the commits are from Texas or California. Even though the state is loaded with talent, the Buffs are losing some of the best to schools like BYU, Stanford and Arizona State.

Air Force, five commits (Oct. 3)
Being a military academy with height restrictions, Air Force arguably has the toughest recruiting task of any Division I football school. That doesn't stop the Falcons from recruiting high-motor prospects fitting their proven system. A national recruiter, all of Air Force's five commitments reside outside of Colorado.

Wyoming, five commits (Oct. 3)
The Cowboys have lassoed four players from nearby Colorado. These two linebackers and two defensive backs are a good start for head coach Joe Glenn and staff.

Colorado State has only one known soft verbal commitment at this time.

Colo.: ThunderRidge-Highlands Ranch (5-0) at Highlands Ranch (5-0), Friday, 9 p.m. ET:
The joint should be jumping when these unbeaten neighboring rivals meet for Class 5A Southern Conference supremacy on South Cresthill Lane. Both are ranked in Colorado's 5A top 10. The ThunderRidge Grizzlies have shown dominance in throttling two teams; and savvy, claiming three wins by six points or less. Chris Nwoke is the leading rusher and scorer.

The Falcons, too, can put points on the board, averaging nearly 33 points. The main weapon is wide receiver Jace Davis, but the defense is built around linebacker Luke Mueller (6-2, 200) and end Mike Purcell (6-4, 260). -- Christopher Lawlor

Bill Conley is a recruiting coordinator for ESPN Scouts Inc. He previously worked at Ohio State for 17 years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.