Buffs add hard-working, resilient athlete in DJ Oats
On the weekend of January 11, the Buffaloes hosted Arlington (Texas) Grace Prep running back Daniel (DJ) Oats for an official visit, and he announced his commitment to Colorado that Sunday.
"I really loved the environment," Oats said. "The coaches showed me a lot of love. They were my first offer. They were the guys who took a chance on me. I feel like God led me to that situation. I really felt Colorado was the move."
Oats' recruitment with Colorado came together pretty quickly. He was offered by CU head coach Mel Tucker on January 5, and he came to contact with Tucker through Coach Mill, who is the National Director with Elite Talent Football.
Mill has known Tucker since he was the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator in 2013.
"(Tucker) let me know he wanted me to be there, and I want to be there," Oats added. "That's why I committed."
Oats path to being just a couple of weeks away from signing with Colorado has been one of perseverance, hard work, and emotion. He tragically lost both of his parents just a couple years ago.
"I lost my mom my freshman year and ended up moving to Chicago my sophomore year with my dad," Oats said. "I started playing football ... At the end of the season, I ended up losing my dad to a heart attack. I had to come to Texas and have been grinding ever since. It's been tough. I've had a lot of ups and downs, but I just kept it going every day."
Oats wants Colorado fans to know that he will continue his journey in Boulder, and his hard work will not cease.
"I want (Colorado fans) to know I'm a hard-working kid and I'll bring everything I got to that program and try to change things around," said Oats. "I'm going to grind every day and work hard."
As a senior, Oats ran for 1,155 yards and 14 touchdowns on 127 carries. He also caught 11 passes for for 130 yards and score. He could end up playing on the defensive side of the ball as a cornerback.
"They basically told me I'm an athlete -- I can play either side of the ball," said Oats. " Whatever I fit best and dominate at the most. That's what I'll play at."
Along with Colorado, Oats held offers from Toledo and Trinity International. Don't be fooled by his lack of offers though, as in the past couple of weeks, Oats has had over 20 schools express -- several wanted him to officially visit. Some of the schools that showed interest were Louisville, Maryland, Florida International, Tennessee, Syracuse, and Oregon.
"We just said, 'Nah. We're not interested. We're going to go ahead and be loyal to Mel and keep it moving,'" said Mill, who was closely involved with Oats recruitment. "He does have a lot of other interests out there. The kid runs a legit 4.25 (40 yard dash). We're just shutting it down."