Van Diest adding more offers, continues to be intrigued by Buffs
After spending a day on Colorado's campus last Tuesday, one of the top in-state prospects from the Class of 2017 will return to Boulder this coming Sunday.
Jonathan Van Diest has been a top priority for Colorado and Colorado State since last year, and he has recently added offers from Louisville, Washington State and Nebraska.
“I am enjoying the process, but I'll be honest, it can be a little overwhelming,” admitted Van Diest. “I try to focus on the fact it is really cool to be appreciated for your abilities. It is an honor to have coaches from states that don't typically recruit Colorado look and go, 'Oh, we like this kid from Colorado.' So it is an honor and fun to have that attention.”
Van Diest has been up to Boulder countless times since his recruitment began. He recapped his most recent unofficial visit to Colorado: “I started off by watching the team workout. Now when they workout in their new weight room, they can open up the garage door and go right into their indoor facility. So it was fun watching that. The new indoor facility is amazing. We toured the Champions Center again, and saw the training facilities and recovery area more in-depth. Then I went to a Business class for an hour and talked to the professor afterward. I also went to lunch and linebacker meetings, and I talked with [head] coach [Mike] Mac[Intyre] for a while. It was a fun visit up there.”
Aside from another trip up to Boulder to attend the Buffs' recruiting event this coming weekend, Van Diest does not currently have any other unofficial visits set in stone.
Van Diest recorded 28 quarterback sacks and helped Cherry Creek to a total of 21 wins in 2014 and 2015 season. After playing both defensive end and linebacker for the Bruins last season, Van Diest is most focused on honing his skills as a linebacker this off-season. It is the position most colleges, including Colorado, project him to play at the next level.
In Cherry Creek's semifinal loss to eventual 5A state champion Valor Christian this past season, Van Diest suffered an arm injury that delayed his off-season work slightly. But he has been able to start bench pressing and doing push ups recently.
“It was frustrating at the beginning but the recovery process is at its last leg right now,” he explained. “I am working to get my arm strength back to where it was. Also, I want to work on my lateral movement, dropping back into coverage, change of direction, basically everything that is involved with transitioning from d-end to linebacker.”