Anthony Costanzo, a soon-to-be junior at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument, committed to Colorado back in late November, thus becoming the first pledge in the Class of 2022 for the Buffs.
His early commitment to the Buffaloes in large part came from resonating with what Mel Tucker is looking to do at CU in the immediate future as well as the direction he's steering the program.
Costanzo, a teammate of incoming Palmer Ridge senior ATH and Colorado commit Kaden Dudley, is a good example of how Tucker's manner of handling business at CU, namely recruiting and broadcasting his vision for the future of football in Boulder, is increasingly starting to take foot with Centennial state talent.
It was indeed Tucker's goal to bring prestige back to the Buffaloes that helped steer Costanzo in the direction of pledging his services to the Buffs.
"Honestly, from what I’ve seen from Mel Tucker and what he’s doing with the program, I can tell that with him being there, he’s changing the whole culture and I can see that everyone is sticking behind him in what he’s doing," he said. "That’s what made my decision so early. I wanted to be part of the family and be behind him.”
Interestingly, it was CU offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Kapilovic that served as Costanzo's primary recruiter, issuing his scholarship offer back in May.
Costanzo said that throughout his recruitment, he's become closest to Kapilovic.
“He just makes me feel like family," Costanzo said. "Every time I go up there, he gives me a big hug and just talks to me about life. I can really relate to him — he’s welcomed me like family.”
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Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds, Costanzo plays on both sides of the ball (FS and WR) for Palmer Ridge. He's said that Tucker more so envisions him on defense while assistant head coach and receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini sees him as a wideout.
As for Costanzo's own preference, he said he's just focused on being his best at both positions by the time he steps foot in Boulder and joins the Buffs. In terms of making a case for him on offense, this season he did set a Bears program record with 265 receiving yards vs. Discovery Canyon High.
As a sophomore, Costanzo busted onto the scene with Palmer Ridge, catching 16 passes for 433 yards and eight touchdowns, four of which came against Discovery Canyon. He led all Bears WRs with an impressive 27.1 yards per reception average.
“I definitely grew coming from freshman to sophomore year," Costanzo said. "Going into this year, I knew I had a bigger role to play than in my freshman year. I knew I had to step up and be a leader and role model; I knew what I had to do and I feel like I achieved that. I feel like I can only get better from here.”
For Costanzo, playing for his in-state, P5 institution is bigger than just himself. In part, it has to do with the perception around CU and its program status as well as the local players who decide to stay home and be a part of it — things that Costanzo hinted recruits are starting to talk about.
“Us guys that are local here in (Colorado), we just need to come together and all stay home, if that’s possible," he said. "Us staying home proves something, that Colorado football players — we can play football, too. We all get in each other’s ear about it and we all stay in touch, so we definitely push for each other to stay in-state.”
Knowing he'll get to join teammate and longtime friend Dudley up in Boulder to continue their college careers together has been the cherry on top for Costanzo.
“With Kaden, we’ve talked about playing together since I met him," Costanzo said. "He’s like a big brother to me and has kind of led the way for me. Me and him feed off each other and made each other better, day in and day out, with every rep we do. Right now, it’s a dream come true with both of us (going to) play at CU.”
