BOULDER — Jordan Seaton had his pick of college football programs. All he had to do was say “yes” and doors would have opened — anywhere.

Name the school and Seaton would have been welcome.

But Seaton, one of the nation’s highest-ranked offensive linemen last year, didn’t take the easy route. He didn’t take the path where victories would be a virtual guarantee and where he would be just the latest in a seemingly never-ending parade of five-star recruits.

Instead, Seaton took the road less traveled. Never one to back down from a challenge, he chose to go to a school where he could be a difference maker, a player who could help turn the tide and make the program a winner.

Seaton chose Colorado, where Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders convinced him that he could leave a legacy as a cornerstone of a turnaround.

That was a challenge that appealed to Seaton’s competitive nature. He didn’t want to be just one more brick. He wanted to help build a  foundation by playing an integral role in making Colorado football relevant again.

Of course, that risk didn’t come without some possible downsides. Earlier this week, Seaton — who possesses a refreshing streak of honesty — raised a few eyebrows when he said in a post-practice meeting with the media, “I actually thought this place was going to be really, really bad … But I took a risk, and then me coming in and having Coach Prime — everything he told me that he was going to do he did.”

Simply put, Seaton discovered that national perception and reality were vastly different.

Colorado did have good facilities in a beautiful setting. The potential for success does exist and Sanders is rapidly putting the pieces in place to realize that potential.

“You go to other universities like the Big Ten, SEC, they have $10 billion contracts, all that crazy stuff,” Seaton said. “I thought I was taking a risk but then coming in here it exceeded expectations. We actually have a great facility. We’re actually spending a lot of money on food … And everything just exceeded expectations, from the littlest things to the biggest thing for me.”

Seaton knows a thing or two about expectations. As one of the nation’s highest-ranked recruits a year ago — and the highest-ranked O-line recruit in CU history — he carries with him expectations that match his massive frame. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound true freshman has already settled in as the starting left tackle on a rebuilt Buffaloes offensive line, and he now has perhaps the most important role on CU’s team this season — providing blindside protection for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

He’s learning. Quickly.

“Everybody struggles,” Seaton said. “I have bad days in practice, but I would rather they happen in practice than on the big field. I’m not perfect at what I do. But I’m gonna try to chase perfection, so that’s really where I’m at right now.”

But Seaton’s “bad days” are still usually much better than most linemen’s good days. He’s learning, adjusting and quickly becoming a dependable force on Sanders’ blind side.

Meanwhile, he is taking full advantage of the facilities and assistance available to CU student-athletes. He’s been on a strict fish diet for the last several months and has already managed to add more lean muscle to his frame without losing any weight.

That transition, along with developing a sense of continuity with his O-line teammates, is one big reason the Buffs should have a legitimate shot at dramatically improving on their 4-8 record from a year ago.

“I feel like the O-line last year lacked passion and right now we got a lot of it,” Seaton said. “We got a lot of dudes. We’re just going at it. One dude might have a bad day today and the next day is, ‘Oh I’m getting back at that guy.’ So I feel like passion is what this offense and defense has the most, and integrity. Self integrity.”

Risk? No doubt. But the foundation Seaton is establishing for future five-star recruits is being put into place every day — and that’s a reward he clearly treasures.

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Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.