Recruiting ROI, No. 10: Aaron Colvin
Every Tuesday and Thursday, SI Sooners unveils a new installment in the Recruiting ROI series. Over the course of 10 weeks, the series examines 20 Sooners over the last 20 years who dramatically exceeded expectations in the crimson and cream.
The 2010 recruiting class was nothing short of a boon for Oklahoma.
The Sooners picked up six national top-100 recruits, including a trifecta of elite San Diego prospects in Tony Jefferson, Brennan Clay and Kenny Stills. They landed Blake Bell, a Kansas native and the top dual-threat quarterback in the class. They signed outside linebacker phenom Corey Nelson out of Texas, and grabbed spark-plug scatback Roy Finch from Florida.
In terms of in-state recruiting, tight end Austin Haywood and offensive lineman Bronson Irwin represented the Sooners' biggest acquisitions. Nobody paid much attention to an unheralded cornerback from Owasso named Aaron Colvin.
Colvin, a three-star recruit out of Owasso High, had a handful of FBS offers. Missouri wanted him. Oklahoma State had a scholarship for him. North Texas, Tulsa and UNLV solicited Colvin's talents as well. But when the Sooners came calling, Colvin didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. He committed to Oklahoma in July 2009, prior to his senior year of high school.
Generally, three-stars aren't expected to start - or even play - as true freshmen. But as soon as Colvin arrived in Norman, he seized the bull by the horns.
Five months after graduating high school, Colvin earned his first career start in a Sooner uniform... and it came in the Red River Showdown. In a rowdy Cotton Bowl, Colvin delivered seven tackles (1.5 for loss) as Oklahoma outpaced Texas 28-20. On the season, he played in all 14 games and finished with 34 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Colvin shifted to safety for the 2011 campaign, and the change of position gave him an opportunity to put his relentless style on full display. He led the Sooners with 84 tackles, broke up six passes, and recovered two fumbles. Despite his outstanding production, his stint at safety proved to be a one-year experiment, and he returned to his natural cornerback position in 2012.
Colvin's junior campaign put him squarely on NFL scouts' radar, as he started all 13 games at cornerback en route to All-Big 12 first team honors. He recorded 61 tackles, two sacks, and four interceptions on the year. Entering 2013, Colvin appeared on Jim Thorpe Award watch lists all over the country.
Though the durable Colvin had never missed a game as a Sooner, a nagging injury cost him two contests as a senior. However, he still enjoyed a respectable season, posting 55 tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. He capped his career in crimson with six tackles in the Sooners' iconic Sugar Bowl upset of Alabama.
Unfortunately, Colvin's journey to the NFL hit an unexpected snag just three weeks after the bowl victory, as he suffered a torn ACL while practicing for the Senior Bowl. Prior to the injury, he'd been projected as a second or third-round draft pick. Despite the misfortune, he didn't fall too far down the draft board, as the Jacksonville Jaguars picked up Colvin with a fourth-round selection.
Colvin spent the first ten games of his rookie season on the PUP list, but made an immediate impact upon his return to action. In his second career game, he scooped up a Larry Donnell fumble and took it the other way for a go-ahead 41-yard touchdown, and the Jaguars topped the Giants 25-24.
Colvin enjoyed four successful seasons with Jacksonville, and parlayed his performance into a $34 million contract with the Houston Texans in 2018. The Texans released him just a week into the 2019 campaign, but Colvin soon found a new home with the Redskins. He re-upped with Washington for the coming 2020 season.
As they did with Gabe Ikard, Mossis Madu and Creed Humphrey, the Sooners lucked out with Aaron Colvin. Had he not grown up within state borders, he may never have found his way to Norman.
But because he did, Oklahoma can now lay claim to yet another standout pro career from a crucial in-state recruit.
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