Colin Meier Recruiting Report: Golden's Two-Way Safety Headed to Colorado School of Mines
Colin Meier plays both ways for Golden High School, carrying the ball at running back and filling alleys at strong safety. The Class of 2027 senior is committed to NCAA Division II Colorado School of Mines, the RMAC program in his hometown of Golden. Prep Redzone ranks him No. 178 in Colorado's 2027 class and No. 24 at DB/RB.
In his own MaxPreps bio, Meier describes his style as physical and downhill, pointing to his running and the way he fills alleys from safety. Below is what the public record shows, along with the questions his film still needs to answer.
Prospect Snapshot
Category | Detail |
School | Golden High School, Golden, Colorado (Class 4A) |
Class | 2027 (senior) |
Jersey | No. 3 |
Positions | RB/SS two-way starter; his 2026 MaxPreps profile lists RB, OLB, WR |
Listed size | 6-1, 180 lbs (Prep Redzone profile); measured 6-0, 167 lbs in Dec. 2025 |
Head coach | Matt McDougal |
Other sports | Varsity track and field; JV lacrosse (defensive midfield) |
GPA | 4.375 (MaxPreps bio); 4.3 (X bio); both self-reported |
Honors | First-team all-conference, 2025 (self-reported on X) |
Ranking | Colorado No. 178 overall, DB/RB No. 24 (Prep Redzone, Oct. 2026) |
Recruiting Status
Meier announced his commitment to Colorado School of Mines on X on Aug. 29, 2026. Prep Redzone records the commit date as Aug. 17, 2026. His first Division II offer came from Augustana University (SD) on June 11, after he attended the Augustana camp.
Prep Redzone's recruiting list also names Dordt, McPherson and Rose-Hulman. The available record does not show whether those schools extended offers.
About Mines: Bob Stitt is the head coach, and in January 2026 he hired Scott McLaughlin, a 19-season Wayne State assistant, as defensive coordinator. The Orediggers played in the 2023 Division II national championship game.
Production
As a junior in 2025, Meier made 69 tackles in 12 games while carrying 125 times for 549 yards and 6 touchdowns. His rushing yards rose from 478 as a sophomore to 549 as a junior, and in the three 2026 games indexed by MaxPreps he averaged 6.5 yards per carry.
2025 Defense and Special Teams
69 tackles (37 solo, 32 assisted)
1 tackle for loss and 1 forced fumble
1 blocked punt
6 kickoff returns for 155 yards
Source: Prep Redzone (Matt Tate).
Senior Season So Far
Golden was 7-1 after its Oct. 15 win over Centaurus. Meier's best documented senior game came Oct. 9 against Bear Creek, when he produced 207 yards from scrimmage, 2 touchdowns and 10 tackles.
Date | Opponent | Result | Meier's line |
Oct. 15 | Centaurus | W 40-3 | 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT (first career interception) |
Oct. 9 | Bear Creek | W 34-31 | 19 carries, 175 yds, 1 TD; 2 rec, 32 yds, 1 TD; 10 tackles (8 solo), 3 TFL, 1 QB pressure, 2 PD |
Sept. 25 | Boulder | W (score not found) | 79 rush yds, 2 TD; 35 rec yds |
Sept. 4 | Highlands Ranch | W 49-6 | 4 carries, 19 yds |
Aug. 27 | Frederick | L 14-15 | 10 carries, 56 yds |
The Oct. 23 result against Westminster was not found in available sources. Golden's schedule lists Monarch next, on Oct. 30.
A note on ball security: against Bear Creek in October 2025, Meier fumbled on Golden's opening drive, then scored four straight second-half rushing touchdowns of 7, 20, 8 and 9 yards, per the Golden Transcript.
Measurables
The only third-party testing on record comes from the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase: Colorado on Dec. 13, 2025. Meier ran a 4.70 40 there and finished 10th in the 40, 6th in the broad jump and 12th in the L-drill. His self-reported numbers on X are faster and longer.
Measure | Showcase, Dec. 13, 2025 | Self-reported (X bio) |
Height / weight | 6-0, 167 lbs | 6-0, 178 lbs |
40-yard dash | 4.70 sec | 4.5 sec |
Pro shuttle | 4.52 sec | Not listed |
L-drill | 7.18 sec | Not listed |
Broad jump | 9 ft 4 in | 9 ft 10 in |
Vertical | Not listed | 35.7 in |
Wingspan | 74 in | Not listed |
Hand size | 7.75 in | Not listed |
The showcase results do not state whether times were recorded by hand or laser, and the self-reported numbers have no listed event or date.
What the Scouts Have Seen
Prep Redzone scouts Matt Tate, Robert Davis and Elijah Bonner have covered Meier since 2024. Their evaluations consistently credit his quickness, change of direction and physical play. The notes below are their observations, summarized, and have not yet been confirmed through film for this report.
Oct. 14, 2026, Matt Tate (Bear Creek game): very good acceleration, change of direction, jumping and balance; strong vision; gains yards after contact. On defense, a strong tackler with quick reactions.
June 13, 2026, Matt Tate (Augustana offer): uses his backpedal and hip fluidity to stay with receivers in coverage; a strong, aggressive wrap-up tackler; called him an exciting two-way prospect.
Feb. 13, 2026, Matt Tate (2027 RB feature): smooth, controlled backpedal; fluid torso to match receivers breaking into routes; hard hitter.
Dec. 19, 2025, Matt Tate (Stock Up Showcase): good ball tracking and quick feet; stayed with receivers in man coverage during 7-on-7; good closing quickness and uses his length for pass deflections.
Dec. 18, 2025, Robert Davis (Stock Up Showcase): explosive; closed space quickly in one-on-ones, stayed in phase with receivers and batted passes away.
2024, Robert Davis (2027 RB rankings): makes the first defender miss, hits the hole quickly, good hands out of the backfield.
Prep Redzone states that Meier is a subscriber, which is why his evaluations are publicly visible. According to the site, subscribing does not change which players its scouts cover.
Projection: Strong Safety First
The published record supports strong safety as the starting point for his college evaluation, with running back as a second option. Mines has not publicly stated which position it recruited him for. This report assigns no numerical grade because his film has not been reviewed yet.
Why strong safety fits the record:
69 tackles as a junior
3 tackles for loss and 2 pass breakups in one 2026 game against Bear Creek
Repeated scout notes on his tackling and backpedal
His own description of filling alleys from safety
What the Film Needs to Answer
Coverage range: Can he carry seam routes and recover from depth? His verified 40 is 4.70.
Slot coverage: Can he match slot receivers in man, as Tate reported in 7-on-7?
Run fits: Does he keep leverage, shed blocks and finish in space?
Eyes and reads: Does he read his keys correctly and handle play action?
Ball skills: He has one career interception through Oct. 15, 2026. Does he track the deep ball and finish?
Ball security at running back: He fumbled early in the 2025 Bear Creek game.
Special teams: A blocked punt and 155 kickoff return yards in 2025 point to an early role.
Consistency: What do full games show beyond the highlights?
The next step is a review of two complete 2026 games, Bear Creek and Centaurus, both available on NFHS Network replay, to grade each of these items.
Numbers Still Being Verified
Size, speed and GPA differ across sources. The verified figures are the December 2025 showcase results. The rest are listed here as found.
Height / weight: 6-0, 167 (Dec. 2025 measured); 6-0, 169 (2025-26 roster); 6-0, 178 (X); 6-1, 175 (MaxPreps profile and an Oct. 2026 Prep Redzone article); 6-1, 180 (Prep Redzone profile)
40-yard dash: 4.70 (showcase); 4.5 (self-reported)
Broad jump: 9-4 (showcase); 9-10 (self-reported)
GPA: 4.375 (MaxPreps bio); 4.3 (X)
Commit date: Aug. 17 (Prep Redzone record); Aug. 29 (X announcement)
2026 stats: MaxPreps season totals covered three games when indexed
Sources
Prep Redzone: Colin Meier player profile (evaluations, testing, recruiting list, ranking)
Prep Redzone: Week 7 Offensive Performers That Turned Heads (Oct. 14, 2026)
MaxPreps: Colin Meier career stats
MaxPreps: Colin Meier career home and bio
MaxPreps: Game report vs. Centaurus (Oct. 16, 2026)
MaxPreps: Game report vs. Bear Creek (Oct. 10, 2026)
MaxPreps: Golden 2025-26 roster and all-time roster
Colin Meier on X (@colin_meier0)
Golden Transcript: Golden football dominates second half in win over Bear Creek (2025)
Colorado Springs Gazette: Mines coverage (McLaughlin hire)
Wikipedia: Colorado Mines Orediggers football
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