Published Apr 27, 2022
2024 Recruiting: Two blue chip inside linebackers to monitor
Justin Guerriero  •  CUSportsReport
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Colorado still has much work to do within the Class of 2023, but already, some priority 2024 targets are beginning to emerge.

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Buffs inside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator Mark Smith in particular has already identified some 2024 players he'd like to pursue further.


1. Anthony Speca, four-star ILB from Pittsburgh, Pa.

Anthony Speca, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect out of Central Catholic High School, has already seen his recruitment take off.

He currently ranks at No. 184 within the Rivals250 and is listed as the No. 7 overall inside backer within his class, as well as the No. 9 2024 recruit in the state of Pennsylvania.

As a freshman in 2020, Speca won a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championship with the Vikings at the Class 6A level.

Both Pitt and Penn State have been heavily involved in the opening stages of his recruitment, as has Notre Dame, which owns a considerable recruiting footprint in Western Pennsylvania.

Michigan, South Carolina, Ohio State, Vanderbilt and Louisville are others in the picture at the moment.

As for Colorado, Smith got the Buffs on Speca's radar while ago, with his offer from CU dating back to August of 2021.

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2. Payton Pierce, four-star ILB from Lucas, Texas

While Smith's offer to Speca is about two-thirds of a year old, the same could not be said of Payton Pierce, who picked up a scholarship offer from the Buffs on Monday.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder's recruitment has looked similar to Speca's, with big-time suitors already lining up in the hopes of courting him.

Arkansas, Baylor, Missisippi State, Mizzou and Wisconsin are notable programs who have offered him, while he's also been on the receiving end os serious attention from Lone Star State institutions, as evidenced by his offers from Texas, Texas Tech and TCU.

Pierce, who plays at Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas, is listed as the No. 1 overall inside linebacker in the nation and ranks 56th within the 2024 Rivals250. Similarly, he is the No. 9 prospect in all of Texas for his class.

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Overview...

There currently is one Rivals FutureCast pick in for Speca to land at Notre Dame but as for Pierce, no speculations have yet been made as to how/where he's leaning.

While heavyweights from across Power Five are already in the mix for both players, for now, it seems premature to forecast too much on either of them.

Eventually, look at Speca and Pierce as potential unofficial visitors to Boulder.