Colorado State University Athletics
Rams ink impressive D-lineman Paulhus
12/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 17, 2010
By Zak Gilbert
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – CSU added strength and speed to its defensive line Friday, signing Colton Paulhus to a financial-aid agreement. Head Coach Steve Fairchild announced the move.
Paulhus, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive lineman from Granite Bay, Calif., comes to CSU from American River College in Sacramento, Calif., where he played as a true freshman in 2010. A first-team all-conference player this past fall, he is available to contribute immediately at CSU and has three years of eligibility remaining. He is the second member of the Rams Class of 2011, joining RB Dorian Brown, who also signed this week.
“He’s not your typical junior-college player because he has three years left,” said Fairchild, whose team added another JC transfer with three years of eligibility, CB Dominique Vinson, this past summer. “Colton is a high-effort, high-energy player that really impresses you when you throw on his film.”
After signing out of high school with Idaho State in February, Paulhus opted instead to play closer to home at ARC, which employed a 4-3 defense. In 2010, he helped the 10-1 Beavers capture the Mid-Empire Conference championship, as well as a victory in the Central Division Bowl Game, with 35 total tackles, 7½ sacks and 11½ stops behind the line of scrimmage, with three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. JCGridiron.com ranked the team No. 23 in its final “Dirty Thirty” national poll.
A two-year letterman at Granite Bay (Calif.) High School, about 20 minutes northeast of Sacramento, he earned first-team all-conference and all-city recognition as a senior in 2009, when he had 14 tackles for loss and three sacks among 87 total stops, with three forced fumbles and five recoveries. As a junior second-team all-conference player, he posted five sacks and 78 tackles, helping the Grizzlies earn a section championship and their first of two consecutive berths in the CIF state playoffs. In 2009, the team lost to the eventual state champion.
Paulhus (pronounced PAHL-us) chose CSU over an offer from Nevada. He also drew interest from Texas Tech and Arizona State. He will enroll in Fort Collins in time for the spring semester and join the Rams’ offseason conditioning program before taking part in spring practice. He plans to major in business.
With characteristics that fit both the 3-4 or 4-3 defensive schemes, Paulhus figures to be able to take up blockers with above-average strength (475-pound bench press) or rush the passer with impressive quickness. The 260-pound athlete’s fastest time in the 40-yard dash is 4.6-seconds.
