Donta Abron

Wyoming

Sep 20 (Sat)

8:15 p.m.

Position:
Runningback
Height:
5-10
Weight:
190
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Upland, Calif.
High School:
Upland

AT COLORADO: This Season (Soph.)—Enters the fall tied for third at tailback, but should again fit into the rotation as well as contend to return kicks on special teams. A tad leaner, dropping 10 pounds from his freshman weight of 190.

2012 (Fr.)—He played in all 12 games, including two starts (Oregon, Utah) in finishing third on the team in rushing. He gained 256 yards and scored two touchdowns on 51 attempts (he was thrown for losses on just three occasions, as his gross total was 261), with his 5.02 average per carry second best among the regulars. He had 20 runs of five yards or longer, with seven covering 10 or more and earned seven first downs on the ground. His top two games came in those he scored his touchdowns: he had 14 carries for 84 yards against Utah (5-yard TD) and 13 attempts for 83 yards at Arizona (10-yard TD). All his carries came on first (29 for 133) or second (22 for 123) down. He also caught nine passes for 35 yards, though three earned first downs, and he returned 20 kickoffs for 380 yards (a 19.0 average), with a long runback of 48 yards.

HIGH SCHOOL—As a senior, ESPN.com ranked him the No. 34 running back in the nation, the No. 65 prospect out of California and the No. 94 player overall in the West Region. After attending and playing at Alta Loma High as a sophomore, he transferred within the Baseline League to Upland. A three-time first-team All-Baseline League selection, he was the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the league as a senior when he was also a first-team All-CIF Inland Division selection (he was a third-team member as a junior and second-team performer as a sophomore). For his career, he racked up 4,242 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns on 627 attempts (6.8 yards per carry), with 23 receptions for 177 yards and one touchdown (he could even throw it, as he completed a pass for 30 yards while at Alta Loma). He also returned kicks at Upland, averaging well over 25 yards per kickoff return with a long of 70 yards. As a senior, he rushed for 1,754 yards on 252 carries (7.0 per), reaching the end zone 33 times with a long of 80. As a junior, he led the Highlanders with 1,132 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 149 carries. Top games as a senior included a second round playoff win over Charter Oak, when he rushed 32 times for 191 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Scots to a 51-13 victory. In a 49-21 win against Los Osos, he had 26 carries for 195 yards and five touchdowns, while in a 59-21 victory over Murrieta Valley, he tallied 14 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Over a three-game stretch of his senior season (against Serrano, Norco, and Loyola), he produced 609 yards and 10 touchdowns on 73 rushing attempts. As a junior, his best performance came in a 40-35 win over Chaparral, when he rushed 18 times for 177 yards and two scores. In his one season on varsity at Alta Loma, he rushed for 1,356 yards and seven touchdowns on 226 attempts, with his top game coming in a 45-21 loss to Claremont, when he had 30 carries for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Upland was 12-1 (Baseline League champions) as a senior and 8-4 as a junior under coach Tim Salter; Alta Loma was 0-10 his sophomore season.

ACADEMICS—He is undecided on a major, though has an interest in Business (Finance).

PERSONAL—He was born February 20, 1993, in Los Angeles. He earned the nickname “A-Train” in high school because he was hard to bring down. He has volunteered as a security guard at his church, and enjoys playing Madden and rock climbing in his free time. His father, Donta, played cornerback at Northern Arizona. His high school teammate, Marques Mosley, was also a member of CU’s 2012 recruiting class. (Name is pronounced DON-TAY ABE-BRUN)