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A Colorado prep star is returning to the Centennial State. Center Paul Thurston, a 2012 graduate of Arvada West High School, signed a financial aid agreement with Colorado State on Wednesday to join the Rams football program. A graduate transfer from Nebraska, Thurston will have one year of eligibility remaining, beginning this fall.
He spent the previous four seasons with the Huskers, playing in 23 games. In his final game at Nebraska, a win over UCLA in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl, Thurston helped block for 326 rushing yards. In addition to time at center, he also played every game on the Huskers’ kicking unit and punt team. He also saw extensive time at center in a win over Iowa in 2014, helping Nebraska overcome a 24-7 deficit – its largest road comeback in school history – and in the Holiday Bowl vs. USC. His largest impact in 2014 was again on special teams, however, with Nebraska leading the Big Ten in net punting.
Thurston did not play in 2013 and redshirted in 2012. Prior to his four seasons at Nebraska, he was among the top prep players in the state of Colorado. Rivals and 247 Sports listed him as one of the top five players in the state and among the top 150 prospects in the country coming out of high school. As a four-star recruit and first-team All-Colorado player, he had reported offers from Nebraska, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, Colorado, Northwestern, Kansas State, UCLA and more. He is a two-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll member who earned his degree in broadcasting.