Heading into the offseason, Connor O’Toole was regarded as a prospect to watch heading into his senior season playing for La Cueva, but still needed time to develop for the college level.
That changed in a hurry. Now, as of Thursday, O’Toole has received six scholarship offers, five of which are from FBS football programs.
“Baylor was my first Power 5 offer so once they offered, it caught other schools attention. My 100 (meter dash) time also helped get me here,” O’Toole said when asked about the recent influx of offers.
A multi-sport athlete, O’Toole had a breakout season this past football season, finishing with 867 yards and eight touchdowns. His lengthy build, with him being 6”4” and 205 pounds, along with his athletic ability, have been what have gained him the most attention when he takes the field. So far, his six offers come from Baylor, Washington State, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, and Northern Arizona. That means his offers come from two Pac-12 schools, two schools from the Mountain West, one from the Big 12, and one from the FCS.
“I am extremely grateful for everyone that has helped me through the process to this point. I couldn’t have done it without all the help and support I get,” added O’Toole about who he wanted to thank for this continued process.
Moving back to that 100-meter dash that he ran at this year’s Metro Track & Field Championships, it certainly was an eye opener, finishing with a 10.78 time, earning him the title of Metro champion. Safe to say that that time didn’t just earn him the title of Metro champion, but also earned him these offers.
O’Toole will also compete in the state track & field championships that will take place on the 17th, awaiting which events he will be participating in. “(I’m) getting excited! Not sure exactly what I’ll be running quite yet, but I will go out and compete in everything I am in,” said O’Toole.
The trend may continue for O’Toole as he enters his senior season, but he is more focused on bringing another state championship to La Cueva’s trophy case, as the Bears look to follow up their undefeated, blue-trophy clenching season from a year ago.
“For this upcoming season, my goal is to win another state championship and be a leader on this team,” O’Toole had to say. He will surely become the leading receiver for this upcoming year for the Bears and their new projected quarterback, Austin Smith. With the combination of O’Toole and Prince “Nas” Robertson taking charge once again, the offensive unit is promising. “I’m super excited to go into next season with the group of guys that we have.”