Months, sometimes years of hard work recruiting comes down to one day on college campuses: National Signing day. For Colorado State University’s football coach Mike Bobo, it’s a day that started bright and early.

“I got up at 3:50 this morning,” he said. “The problem was, I didn’t go to bed until probably 1:30. [I was] on the phone with a couple families late last night.”

Fueled by coffee and Red Bull, Bobo still took the time to join Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro during The Afternoon Drive on Mile High Sports Radio on Wednesday. There was a lot riding on his diligence, as he expects many of his recruits to make an immediate impact.

“These skill guys, we need them to play,” he said. “We played 14 newcomers last year. Offensively, we had 2,790 snaps played by true freshmen. I think it’s going to be the same this year.  We’re going to play these young guys; and it might not be game one, but by the end of the year, they’re going to be in a position to help us hopefully compete for that championship run of the Mountain West Conference.”

Lofty goals no doubt, but Bobo has reason to be excited about the class, which boasts playmakers like cornerback Christian Cumber, running back Marcus McElroy and, perhaps their most intriguing prospect: dual-threat quarterback Justice McCoy.

Defenses are so good, you’ve got to have a quarterback that can extend plays,” Bobo said. “He doesn’t have to be Michael Vick, but he’s got to be able to move in the pocket and create things with his legs, extend plays and throw the ball downfield. McCoy is a guy that can do that. He’s an excellent passer. That’s number one for me.

“I’m excited about the future, for him and for Colorado State.”

Listen to the full interview with Mike Bobo, including his thoughts on recruiting in-state, CSU’s new stadium and his affinity for Waffle House, in the podcast below.

Sorry – this audio content is no longer available.

Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.