Pookie Maka pulls the trigger
During a sit down meeting with Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre on Sunday, Pookie Maka ended his recruitment. The highly regarded outside linebacker from Murray (Utah) Cottonwood Senior chose Colorado over 11 other programs.
Pookie Maka was still in Boulder on his official visit when he announced his decision, but BuffStampede.com was able to catch up with Mike Tidwell, his coach at Cottonwood Senior, to get more insight into the latest prospect to join Colorado's commitment list.
“It was a combination of Colorado and Jim Leavitt,” Tidwell said when asked what sold Maka on being a Buff. “Bringing him out to Colorado with Fua Pututau and Taniela Pututau to visit and attend their camp in June was big. Had they not come out, I don't know where Pookie would be with recruiting right now.
“I just know Pookie had so much fun with Coach Leavitt and has continued to develop a great relationship with him since then. I have been around a lot of coaches and a lot of big time players and I have never seen a coach that is better at showing kids he truly cares and wants them than Coach Leavitt. Credit to Coach Leavitt.”
Maka's other finalist was Utah. Arizona State, BYU, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon State, Utah State, Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin and Wyoming are other programs that offered earlier in the process.
“Pookie is a real good get for Colorado,” Tidwell said. “It is a miracle that he got that ACT score to qualify. All of a sudden, it seems to have clicked for him. He got all As and Bs in Physics and all these core classes, so he has the gray matter in his head to be very smart. He is a good kid and if he keeps his head on straight and keeps working hard and grades don't become an issue, that kid is going to be one heck of a football player. He is a four-star recruit in my book.”
Maka visited Boulder this weekend with Fua Pututau, who is expected to announce his decision between Colorado, Utah and BYU in the coming days.
Projected to play a hybrid outside linebacker role in the Buffaloes' 3-4 defensive scheme, Maka is ranked by Rivals.com as the fifth best prospect in the Beehive State this cycle. He has a lean 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame.
“I really think when gets in that college weight room and gets a proper diet, and if he is able to get up to 245-pounds while keeping his speed, sky is the limit for Pookie,” Tidwell said. “He is so raw but he has all the intangibles. He will thrive after getting the proper technique training from Coach Leavitt. Coach Leavitt has been in the NFL and he sees things in Pookie that you can't coach. I have had other coaches say the same thing.”