Top 10 highest-rated Colorado HS football players since 2000

8. Andrew Walter, QB, Grand Junction – 0.9671

Walter is one of the most-recognizable names on this list, and also one of the guys whose football career went the furthest. It began at Grand Junction High School where Walter became a four-star recruit and a top-10 quarterback in the Class of 2000. Across his final two seasons with the Tigers, Walter threw for just shy of 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns, becoming an honorable mention all-state and honorable mention All-American quarterback.

Coming out of high school, Walter decided to return close to where he grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona to play at Arizona State. The 6-foot-6 quarterback saw action right away as a freshman for the Sun Devils, and flourished in his final three seasons under center, throwing for 3,000 yards or more in each of his final three years in Tempe, giving him 10,617 yards, as well as 85 passing touchdowns, in his college career.

Walter went on to be selected 69th overall by the Raiders in the 2005 NFL Draft, and started games in each the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons for the silver and black. The most notable was 2006 in which Walter made eight career starts, throwing for 1,677 yards and three scores. After being released by Oakland, Walter had a cup of coffee with the New England Patriots in 2009 before the conclusion of his NFL career.