4-star LB Christian Thatcher cuts his list down to ten schools ft. Deion Sanders’ Colorado

Christian Thatcher, 6'2", 205-pound, is a highly sought-after 4-star linebacker from Las Vegas and has recently narrowed his college options to ten schools. Hailing from Arbor View High School, he is ranked as a top 5 recruit in Nevada and a top 15 linebacker in the country. His decision on a college is expected before his senior season at Arbor View begins.

He released his final ten schools' list on May 28, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, UNLV, USC, Utah and Washington. Colorado, under the leadership of legendary coach Deion Sanders, has emerged as a strong contender in his recruitment.

Christian Thatcher's final ten schools are:

1. Arizona
2. Colorado
3. Kansas
4. Missouri
5. Oklahoma
6. Oregon
7. UNLV
8. USC
9. Utah
10. Washington

Ranked No. 313 nationally and No. 34 among linebackers, Thatcher’s recruitment surged over the past year. He has held offers from numerous power-five programs, including Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCLA, but has now narrowed his focus to his top ten.

The athlete's upcoming visits include Lawrence to see the Jayhawks on June 14-16, Washington from May 31 to June 2, Utah on June 8, and a pending visit to Colorado. He will also be in Columbia from June 21-23.

Christian Thatcher's April visits to Kansas and Missouri

Christian Thatcher visited Kansas and Missouri at the end of April, reconnecting with an area familiar to him, as his mother previously lived in Kansas City.

"Kansas is probably the prettiest campus that we've been on, just the architecture and everything of that nature," Christian told kansas.rivals.com

Thatcher has been building a strong rapport with Kansas linebackers coach Chris Simpson.

"Coach Simpson is fun to be around. He’s a person that I'd like to be coached by," he said.

They communicate frequently, three to four times a week, discussing his potential early competition in the linebacker room. The visit left a positive impression on Thatcher:

"He did a great job of just giving us the tours and doing everything, and everybody was friendly, and Lawrence was a really pretty town."

In Columbia, Thatcher explored Missouri’s completed facilities and was impressed by the program’s quality.

"It's the SEC and they were 11-2," he said. "They're friendly, they recruit me really hard, and they all know that I've got family back there."

Known for his aggressive playing style, Thatcher's on-field presence is formidable, amassing 327 career tackles—just 100 short of his school’s record.

Christian Thatcher, who dons the number 42 jersey, is a team captain and exhibits the physical prowess akin to Washington Huskies' linebacker Carson Bruener. He follows in the footsteps of Edefuan Ulofoshio, a Vegas native who became a first-team All-Pac-12 linebacker and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills.