Tough decision on horizon for Junior College middle linebacker

Five FBS programs offered Jordan Kunaszyk a scholarship after he racked up 118 tackles as a redshirt freshman at American River College last fall.

He just did not see himself fitting in at any of those colleges (UNLV, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, New Mexico and Fresno State) so the Northern California native decided not to sign in February.

“I was actually going to come back to American River for another year. That was my plan. And then Cal and Colorado came in late because they have a need for a linebacker,” said Kunasyzk. “It is a great opportunity for me to come in and compete at a Pac-12 school and play against some of the best talent in the nation.”

Kunasyzk was in Colorado for an official visit this past Thursday through Saturday. What type of impression did the Buffaloes make?

“The city of Boulder is beautiful, the campus is beautiful, and the facilities had me speechless," he said. "I liked the culture there, the program is definitely on the rise. The coaching staff has the players believing. The players have fully bought into what it is going on there, and that is something that is important to me, and something I definitely noticed.”

Kunasyzk measured in at 6-foot-2.75, 226-pounds during his trip to Boulder. He was hosted by defensive tackle Jordan Carrell, who is his best friend, but only has one year of eligibility remaining to play for the Buffaloes.

“We actually went to middle school, high school and Junior College together so it was really nice going out there and spending some time with him,” Kunasyzk said of his relationship with Carrell. “I have talked to him numerous times about Colorado before my trip but it was nice seeing it myself and experiencing it.

“He jokingly tells me I need to go out there but ultimately I know he wants me to make the best decision for myself and will be supportive in whatever I chose. But I know he wants me to be a Buff.”

Kunasyzk said he wants to make a decision as soon as possible but he also wants to take an official visit to Cal before making the call. The Golden Bears will still be on spring break this coming weekend, so his official visit to Berkeley is on hold for a bit longer.

“I went up to Boulder and I loved everything about it. It is a great place, it is a place that I could definitely see myself playing at,” he said. “I have taken two unofficial visits to Cal and I love it up there, too. It is close to home, which is nice. But I can't give a full comparison from the unofficial visits to Cal. I need to take an official visit to get the full picture and see how they practice. After that, I will make a decision from there. It is close.”

Although Colorado and Cal run different defensive schemes, both programs project Kunasyzk for their Mike (middle) linebacker position. He prides himself on his motor, as well as his “high football IQ.”

“I am eager to learn,” Kunasyzk said. “I think I am definitely more strong in the run game than the pass game but I think I am a three-down linebacker at the Pac-12 level. I just need to work on a few things. I know once I get to my school, everything is going to work out fine.”

Kunasyzk was a non-qualifier out of high school despite having better than a 3.0 grade point average. He simply was not placed in enough core classes. Kunasyzk is set to obtain his AA degree in Social Sciences from Armerican River College later this spring with three years of playing eligibility remaining.

“Colorado and Cal are my top two schools. Those are the two schools that I am planning to decide between,” Kunasyzk said. “Patience has worked out for me and now I have two great opportunities at two places I could see myself playing at. It is going to be a tough decision.”