NICHOLAS "Nick" KASATight EndUniversity of Colorado Buffaloes#446:06.0-269Thornton, ColoradoLegacy High School
OVERVIEW
As his senior season began to unfold in 2012, Kasa would make his biggest contribution to the Colorado program when he took over tight end chores, starting 12 games while ranking fourth on the team with 25 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns.
Throughout 2012, Kasa showed explosiveness getting into and out of his routes. He also has the flexibility to come out of his breaks cleanly and the second gear to elude second level defenders after the catch. He developed as a lead blocker where his ability to stay low in his pads and cut block led to the senior delivering 47 knockdowns and seven touchdown- resulting blocks in 2012.
Maintaining the same physicality that he'd once used as a defensive lineman, Kasa is a strong, committed run blocker with straight-line speed.
CAREER NOTES
Kasa appeared in 24 games as a defensive end and tackle for Colorado, starting one contest. He also played in his final 13 games at tight end, starting his last 12 contests…Recorded 28 tackles (20 solos) with a 9-yard sack, three stops for loss of 13 yards and delivered three of his hits on third-down plays…Recorded a pair of knockdowns as a member of the kickoff coverage unit as a junior…On offense, he caught 26 passes for 399 yards (15.35 ypc) and three touchdowns.
2012 SEASON
An All-American Super Sleeper Team and All-Pac 12 Conference third-team choice by The NFL Draft Report, Kasa started all 12 games at tight end for the Buffs, leading the team with an average of 15.64 yards per reception…Finished fourth on the team with 25 catches for 391 yards, as 16 of his grabs gained at least 10 yards, including eight for 20 yards or longer…Delivered 47 knockdowns and seven touchdown-resulting blocks for a struggling unit that placed 116th among 120 major colleges in total offense, averaging just 302.75 yards per game…Scoring opportunities were also limited, as the Buffs ranked 96th nationally in pass offense (192.5 ypg) and 117th in scoring (17.83 ppg)…The senior tight end recorded his three touchdowns over the course of three consecutive games…He made his tight end starting debut vs. Colorado State, but did not have any catches…The next week, he set up a touchdown drive with a 40-yard snatch vs. Sacramento State…He sparked a fourth quarter rally in a 35-34 decision over Washington State with three grabs for a career-high 87 yards. In the fourth quarter, with 7:06 to play, the Buffs crept to within 10 points of the Cougars (31-21), when quarterback Jordan Webb found Kasa streaking into the open to haul in a 70-yard pass for a score. Then, less than three minutes later, CU pulled to 31-28 on Tony Jones' 84-yard touchdown run and the Buffs were within with points with 4:23 left in the game…Kasa closed out the scoring vs. UCLA with a 31-yard touchdown, as he tallied 41 yards on three catches…The tight end found the end zone with a 20-yard scoring catch among his four receptions for 71 yards vs. Arizona…Had four more catches for 41 yards vs. Southern California and 34 yards on three snatches vs. Stanford…Closed out his career by snaring five throws for 51 yards and recording a solo tackle vs. Utah.
2011 SEASON
Kasa appeared in 11 games, as he was listed third on the depth chart at right defensive end for the Buffs' first eight contests…Performed on special teams after shifting to tight end late in the schedule, finally stepping on the field with the offensive unit in the season finale vs. Utah, recording his first career reception, good for eight yards…On defense, he participated in 132 snaps, recording seven tackles (5 solos), with three coming on third-down plays…Added two kickoff knockdowns as a member of the special teams squad…Recorded a touchdown save, as his two solo stops vs. Oregon included a pair of third down stops and also leveled a ball carrier at the line of scrimmage for no gain…Had two more hits vs. Ohio State.
2010 SEASON
Kasa was the recipient of the Dan Stavely Award for being the most improved defensive lineman during spring drills as selected by the coaches…In the spring, he was the second fastest defensive lineman on the team with 4.67 speed in the 40-yard dash…Appeared in 12 games as a left defensive tackle… Participated in 286 plays, registering 18 tackles (12 solos) that included a 9-yard sack and two stops for losses of 10 yards…One of his hits came on a third-down snap…Produced a career-high four tackles (3 solos) at Oklahoma, with three more coming in the Missouri clash…Posted his first career sack and third down stop on the same play vs. Iowa State, good for a 9-yard loss.
2009 SEASON
Performed for 47 snaps in the four games, recording two solo tackles (one each at West Virginia and Texas), with the one vs. the Longhorns good for a 3-yard loss.
AGILITY TESTS
4.71 in the 40-yard dash…1.60 10-yard dash…2.65 20-yard dash…4.27 20-yard shuttle…12.07 60-yard shuttle…7.12 three-cone drill…31 ½-inch vertical jump…9'5" broad jump… Bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times…32 7/8-inch arm length…9 1/8-inch hands…77 5/8-inch wingspan.
HIGH SCHOOL
Kasa attended Legacy (Thornton, Colo.) High School, where in his four seasons playing for head coach Wayne Voorhees, the team compiled a 31-13 record (9-2 his senior year, 9-3 as a junior, 7-3 as a sophomore and 6-5 as a freshman)…He became the Lightning's all-time leader in both tackles for loss (46) and quarterback sacks (31½) and as the second- leading tackler (207, which included the third most solo tackles, 130)…Was also the school's backup punter…As a freshman, he had 17 tackles (11 solos) with three sacks…Earned first-team All-Front Range League performer his sophomore through senior years…In 2006, he made59 tackles (33 solos) that included 16 for losses, 9.5 sacks and a fumble recovery…Earned All-Colorado and All-State (5A) honors from both the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post as a junior and senior, with both papers selecting him as the state's defensive player of the year for 2008…As a senior, he was in on 59 tackles (40 solos) 13 for losses, including 10 sacks and had one fumble recovery. He also started at offensive tackle on offense, where he did not allow a sack and did not receive a penalty while averaging three pancake blocks per game…Received 2008 All-American honors from Prep Star and Super Prep, when he was a U.S. Army All- American and played in the all-star game in San Antonio…EA Sports also selected him to its All-America second-team that year and Super Prep ranked him as the fifth-best player overall from the Midlands region and the top player from Colorado, also placing him 41st on its Elite 50 list…Made the prestigious Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best-In-The-West team (the second of four defensive ends) and the Orange County Register named him to its "Fab 15" second-team…Was one of 14 defensive linemen named to the prestigious Tacoma News-Tribune's Western 100 list… Rivals.com slotted him in as the 42nd-best player overall in the nation, classified him as the best defensive end vs. the run, ranked him third on the list of strong-side defensive ends and the fifth-best defensive end nationally…Scout.com tabbed him as the fourth-best defensive end in the country while The Sporting News ranked him 68th (the eighth DE) on its 2009 Top 100 List…Lettered three times in track…Also played basketball as a freshman and sophomore but did not letter.
PERSONAL
Communications major…Father, Larry, played tackle and linebacker at the University of New Haven (1978, '80)…Last name is pronounced Cah-suh…Born 11/05/90 in Rochester, New York…Resides in Thornton, Colorado.
