Earlier this week, Colorado State received a verbal commitment from defensive end Patrick Massey (6-5, 210 lb) from Class 5A powerhouse Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. According to Massey’s high school coach Derek Long, the Rams are getting a good one.

“He has a motor that won’t quit,” said Long, whose team went 9-2 this season, but lost in the first round of the state playoffs. “He’ll keep going until the whistle blows. He’s a rah-rah guy that really gets fired up and gets after it. You really need those types of guys on a defense.”

Westlake is the school that produced Drew Brees in 1997 and Long said he expects more than a half dozen or so of his players to play at Division I schools next year.

According to Long, Massey is among the best of the group. His slender frame is reminiscent of current Ram defensive end Jesse Nading, who in 2004 also came to the Rams at 6-5, 210 lb. But, like Nading, who is now up to 252 lb as a true sophomore, Long said Massey will quickly grow into his frame after getting into CSU’s weight training program.

“He’s got a great frame and they’re going to put weight on him,” Long said. “He’ll come back (to Austin) weighing 250 lb next December and I’ll be upset because he was never that big here.”

Massey plays defensive tackle position in Westlake’s 3-4 defense, but with his size and quickness, projects as a defensive end for CSU.

“There are times when we have him rush as well as keep contain on the quarterback, and when we’re playing against an option offense, it’s Pat’s job to contain the quarterback on the option. You’ve got to be quick to do that.

“He’s athletic enough and fast enough (to play end at CSU).”

Massey played in just eight games his senior year due to having his knee scoped prior to the season, but still collected 68 tackles (8 for a loss) and six sacks, and caused and recovered a fumble. He was recently named first-team all-district.

Massey took trips to Texas A&M and TCU, and camped at Texas Tech. He was also receiving interest from such Big 12 schools as Kansas State, Kansas, and Texas. Massey visited CSU last weekend and committed shortly thereafter, which is a bit of a surprise considering earlier in the summer, he told the PurpleMenace.com (a TCU website) that he wanted to stay in Texas, saying, "I don't want to leave the state, I love everything about it. I just like the hot weather and the fact that there's not ice everywhere." However according to Long, Massey’s enjoyable trip to Fort Collins last weekend sealed his decision to leave the Lone Star state and attend college in Colorado.

“I think (his visit) was outstanding,” Long said. “He loved the campus and loved the area around the school. He’s an outdoors guy and loves fishing and hunting. From what I understand, you’ve got a good area for that.

“He really liked the coaches and they were real upfront with him. That, and things are done the right way (at CSU), and that’s real important.”