Colorado University Athletics
George Frazier's versatility makes him a valuable commodity in CU's offense.
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Irwin, Frazier Could Be Big Components In Buffs' Offense
August 08, 2016 | Football, B.G. Brooks
TEs/H-Backs Have Plenty Of Experience, Talent To Lend
(First in a series of position-by-position previews of the 2016 Buffs to be posted on CUBuffs.com during the preseason. Today: Tight ends/H-backs)
BOULDER – On a football team being touted as the most experienced in the Pac-12 Conference, Colorado's tight ends/H-backs are a hand-in-glove fit with that description.
How big a factor is experience? Even if it doesn't singlehandedly win games it more often than not can be a huge factor in not letting them slip away. Or so the Buffs hope.
The top two players at tight end/H-back – interwoven, intricately connected positions – are a senior (Sean Irwin) and a junior (George Frazier) who share five letters, head-turning talent, and loads of in-the-trenches know how.
Ironically, the position's least experienced hand – in recent involvement anyway – is the guy charged with coaching it. But that's nowhere close to being a negative.
A 35-year coaching vet, Gary Bernardi came to CU four seasons ago as the offensive line coach with his boss from San Jose State, Mike MacIntyre. However, in a staff shuffle last winter MacIntyre shifted Bernardi to work with the tight ends/H-backs – a spot Bernardi hadn't coached since the mid-90s when he handled UCLA's tackles and tight ends.
Bernardi spent last spring getting re-acquainted with his new assignment, and noted last week with a chuckle, "I pretty much rolled right into it OK . . . it's a whole lot different, but you have two choices."
His top one was remaining on the payroll and doing his part to steer the Buffs through what they believe will be a turnaround season. And in Irwin and Frazier, Bernardi has two players who could play a significant role in making that hard right turn a little smoother.
Of course, predicting how efficient Irwin, Frazier & Co. will be in 2016 is like naming the next occupant of the White House. But CU's offense could get a much-needed boost from its tight ends/H-backs, with the 260-pound Frazier also utilized as a fullback (and much more) in the run game and the 250-pound Irwin figuring to be one of the Pac-12's better blocking tight ends as well as a steadily improving receiver.
"George is a good player, he does a lot of things," Bernardi said. "And it's not that Sean isn't versatile – he is. But you've got to try to get them in the right place. They're both good players, two of the better players on our football team. There's going to be times when they'll probably have a heavier role. Whatever we ask they'll do a good job. They're good team guys."
Frazier, named last month as one the Buffs' five captains for 2016, appears to have made a permanent landing on offense. But if the other side of the ball beckons, as it did a couple of seasons ago, he'll make the transition.
That's unlikely this season because the Buffs have beefed up on 'D', but here's what Frazier says about the possibility: "You never really know. It's like coach 'Mac' says, just be ready for your number to be called. For now I'm going to be focused on offense, but if the day comes when I have to go back to defense, I'll be ready for it."
How Frazier is utilized isn't up to Irwin, but Irwin is certain the offense will benefit from Frazier's presence as well as his permanence. Their position "is going to be more dynamic with George," Irwin said. "(He's) really good at playing H-back. He's going to do a lot more stuff this year, but I can't really say if we're (TEs/H-backs) going to be more involved or not.
"As usual we're going to do what we can to help the offense out and I'm sure having George in the backfield more is definitely going to change our tendencies . . . with George coming out of the backfield it's going to make us more versatile. He's awesome."
Irwin and twin brother Jeromy, who's likely to be CU's starting left tackle, are two of the team's better blockers. Thus, the running game's success could carry a heavy Irwin Bros. imprint.
"The coaches respect me as a blocker but I think they respect George as well," Sean said. "They'll use both of us to their benefit. It's going to be a good year."
Frazier's versatility might be enhanced by MacIntyre's addition of Darrin Chiaverini to the offensive staff. Chiaverini, a former Buffs receiver, was hired last winter as co-offensive coordinator, sharing that role with quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren.
Said Frazier: "Coach 'Chev' has instilled a lot of new things for us, making sure we're playing fast all the time with no down time. He wants everybody to have high energy. I feel like everybody is confident in what they're doing, happy to be out here playing football. It's a different environment, a different mindset from when I first got here."
LEADERSHIP COMES NATURALLY: During last spring's workouts and the summer's player run practices, Frazier heard many of his teammates say that he could be their choice as a captain.
When a vote was taken in early July, that prediction came true.
"I kind of had an idea," he said, adding that he had been a team captain "all the way through high school, so it's been a kind of natural thing. I expect to be able to keep the energy up, be an enforcer for the team, make sure everybody is doing what they should be doing, and that they want to be out here and are having fun."
BETTER TO GIVE THAN . . . : Irwin's 15 catches last season were a career high, as were his 248 receiving yards. His 16.5 yards per catch was the team's highest total and by season's end he had proved that he could get deep – usually in the middle – and make the difficult catch.
If his senior season brings even higher receiving numbers, well, that's fine. But it's not what he's aiming for.
"It was nice (last season) but I just want to smack heads, honestly," he said. "I want to come out against CSU (in the Sept. 2 opener) and run power. But we'll see what they have to offer for me. I'm always excited about this offense and what we're doing. I guess we'll just have to find out."
DON'T OVERLOOK THE 'O': If the Buffs are to post a winning record and reach the postseason in 2016, most national seers say it will be due to their defense. Irwin and Frazier respect that, but they warn not to sleep on the offense.
"I wouldn't say (the offense) has been overlooked, but we've got a lot of guys on defense doing a lot of great things right now," Frazier said. "So I guess they've got a lot of people's attention . . . we've got more guys on defense coming back than on offense. I'm happy for the defense, I know they're going to do good things this year."
But that in itself is a motivator, he added: "Definitely . . . you hear that the defense is going to do such good things and you're going to practice against them every single day. It makes us (offense) want to rise to the occasion and be better than them."
Added Irwin: "Two years ago our offense was great and the defense was down a little. Then last year the defense made a little bit of a comeback and we (offense) had a drop off. It's just the ebb and flow of the game. I don't think anyone is going to overlook (the offense). It's just how the media portrays it . . . we're just going to work our asses off in camp."
KEENEY COMING UP TO SPEED: Dylan Keeney came to CU in 2014 with the possibility of playing immediately. Any chance of that was disrupted by a shoulder injury that required surgery and set him back from mid-October until almost last spring.
Now fully recovered, he says he feels "better as a receiver right now than I ever have in my life. My surgery did set me back a little bit but it didn't have any effect on my routes or my hands . . . it was just getting my strength back and getting used again to the speed of the game. I feel better now than ever and more ready to play than I ever have."
At 6-6, 220 pounds, Keeney doesn't have the bulk of Irwin (6-3, 250) or Frazier (6-2, 260). But, says Bernardi, don't sell Keeney short on physicality: "Irwin is our best blocker, but George is very similar . . . Keeney doesn't look as physical as George and Sean but when we watch the plays in the spring where he was 'attached' (to the formation) there weren't any problems. It's just kind of a different way of going about it. He's a young guy in that regard but he'll work at it."
In August camp Bernardi plans on giving Keeney more opportunities to "put his hand on the ground" and function as a blocker. It's what Keeney admits he came out of spring practice needing.
"I got a lot accomplished in the spring, but I feel a lot more comfortable now," he said. "I feel like I under performed a little in the spring. My main goal in camp right now is to come out and make more plays. I want to get better at blocking and taking those steps."
THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .
Tight ends/H-backs
Coach: Gary Bernardi, fourth season at CU.
Returning starters: Sean Irwin, Sr.
Returnees: George Frazier, Jr.; Dylan Keeney, Soph.; Chris Hill, Sr.; Chris Bounds, Fr-RS; Brian Boatman, Sr.
Newcomers: None.
Key losses: Hayden Jones (left team).
Stat line: The three returning TEs/H-backs combined for 27 catches in 2015, with Irwin making a career-best 15 receptions while Frazier and Keeney made six each.
Bottom line: The tight end/H-backs position might feature two of CU's most versatile players in Irwin and Frazier – particularly the latter. Frazier is a weapon, and a fully loaded one (265 pounds) at that. The big question is how much will a revamped offense use him, as well as Irwin, whose 2015 season could be considered a breakthrough in his role in the passing game. Keeney also is versatile, but needs to improve his blocking to play a significant part in the run game. Co-offensive coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini will use two- and three-tight end sets, with Irwin and Frazier the top two choices as power run blockers. Â
Next: Defensive line
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Â
BOULDER – On a football team being touted as the most experienced in the Pac-12 Conference, Colorado's tight ends/H-backs are a hand-in-glove fit with that description.
How big a factor is experience? Even if it doesn't singlehandedly win games it more often than not can be a huge factor in not letting them slip away. Or so the Buffs hope.
The top two players at tight end/H-back – interwoven, intricately connected positions – are a senior (Sean Irwin) and a junior (George Frazier) who share five letters, head-turning talent, and loads of in-the-trenches know how.
Ironically, the position's least experienced hand – in recent involvement anyway – is the guy charged with coaching it. But that's nowhere close to being a negative.
A 35-year coaching vet, Gary Bernardi came to CU four seasons ago as the offensive line coach with his boss from San Jose State, Mike MacIntyre. However, in a staff shuffle last winter MacIntyre shifted Bernardi to work with the tight ends/H-backs – a spot Bernardi hadn't coached since the mid-90s when he handled UCLA's tackles and tight ends.
Bernardi spent last spring getting re-acquainted with his new assignment, and noted last week with a chuckle, "I pretty much rolled right into it OK . . . it's a whole lot different, but you have two choices."
His top one was remaining on the payroll and doing his part to steer the Buffs through what they believe will be a turnaround season. And in Irwin and Frazier, Bernardi has two players who could play a significant role in making that hard right turn a little smoother.
Of course, predicting how efficient Irwin, Frazier & Co. will be in 2016 is like naming the next occupant of the White House. But CU's offense could get a much-needed boost from its tight ends/H-backs, with the 260-pound Frazier also utilized as a fullback (and much more) in the run game and the 250-pound Irwin figuring to be one of the Pac-12's better blocking tight ends as well as a steadily improving receiver.
"George is a good player, he does a lot of things," Bernardi said. "And it's not that Sean isn't versatile – he is. But you've got to try to get them in the right place. They're both good players, two of the better players on our football team. There's going to be times when they'll probably have a heavier role. Whatever we ask they'll do a good job. They're good team guys."
Frazier, named last month as one the Buffs' five captains for 2016, appears to have made a permanent landing on offense. But if the other side of the ball beckons, as it did a couple of seasons ago, he'll make the transition.
That's unlikely this season because the Buffs have beefed up on 'D', but here's what Frazier says about the possibility: "You never really know. It's like coach 'Mac' says, just be ready for your number to be called. For now I'm going to be focused on offense, but if the day comes when I have to go back to defense, I'll be ready for it."
How Frazier is utilized isn't up to Irwin, but Irwin is certain the offense will benefit from Frazier's presence as well as his permanence. Their position "is going to be more dynamic with George," Irwin said. "(He's) really good at playing H-back. He's going to do a lot more stuff this year, but I can't really say if we're (TEs/H-backs) going to be more involved or not.
"As usual we're going to do what we can to help the offense out and I'm sure having George in the backfield more is definitely going to change our tendencies . . . with George coming out of the backfield it's going to make us more versatile. He's awesome."
Irwin and twin brother Jeromy, who's likely to be CU's starting left tackle, are two of the team's better blockers. Thus, the running game's success could carry a heavy Irwin Bros. imprint.
"The coaches respect me as a blocker but I think they respect George as well," Sean said. "They'll use both of us to their benefit. It's going to be a good year."
Frazier's versatility might be enhanced by MacIntyre's addition of Darrin Chiaverini to the offensive staff. Chiaverini, a former Buffs receiver, was hired last winter as co-offensive coordinator, sharing that role with quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren.
Said Frazier: "Coach 'Chev' has instilled a lot of new things for us, making sure we're playing fast all the time with no down time. He wants everybody to have high energy. I feel like everybody is confident in what they're doing, happy to be out here playing football. It's a different environment, a different mindset from when I first got here."
LEADERSHIP COMES NATURALLY: During last spring's workouts and the summer's player run practices, Frazier heard many of his teammates say that he could be their choice as a captain.
When a vote was taken in early July, that prediction came true.
"I kind of had an idea," he said, adding that he had been a team captain "all the way through high school, so it's been a kind of natural thing. I expect to be able to keep the energy up, be an enforcer for the team, make sure everybody is doing what they should be doing, and that they want to be out here and are having fun."
BETTER TO GIVE THAN . . . : Irwin's 15 catches last season were a career high, as were his 248 receiving yards. His 16.5 yards per catch was the team's highest total and by season's end he had proved that he could get deep – usually in the middle – and make the difficult catch.
If his senior season brings even higher receiving numbers, well, that's fine. But it's not what he's aiming for.
"It was nice (last season) but I just want to smack heads, honestly," he said. "I want to come out against CSU (in the Sept. 2 opener) and run power. But we'll see what they have to offer for me. I'm always excited about this offense and what we're doing. I guess we'll just have to find out."
DON'T OVERLOOK THE 'O': If the Buffs are to post a winning record and reach the postseason in 2016, most national seers say it will be due to their defense. Irwin and Frazier respect that, but they warn not to sleep on the offense.
"I wouldn't say (the offense) has been overlooked, but we've got a lot of guys on defense doing a lot of great things right now," Frazier said. "So I guess they've got a lot of people's attention . . . we've got more guys on defense coming back than on offense. I'm happy for the defense, I know they're going to do good things this year."
But that in itself is a motivator, he added: "Definitely . . . you hear that the defense is going to do such good things and you're going to practice against them every single day. It makes us (offense) want to rise to the occasion and be better than them."
Added Irwin: "Two years ago our offense was great and the defense was down a little. Then last year the defense made a little bit of a comeback and we (offense) had a drop off. It's just the ebb and flow of the game. I don't think anyone is going to overlook (the offense). It's just how the media portrays it . . . we're just going to work our asses off in camp."
KEENEY COMING UP TO SPEED: Dylan Keeney came to CU in 2014 with the possibility of playing immediately. Any chance of that was disrupted by a shoulder injury that required surgery and set him back from mid-October until almost last spring.
Now fully recovered, he says he feels "better as a receiver right now than I ever have in my life. My surgery did set me back a little bit but it didn't have any effect on my routes or my hands . . . it was just getting my strength back and getting used again to the speed of the game. I feel better now than ever and more ready to play than I ever have."
At 6-6, 220 pounds, Keeney doesn't have the bulk of Irwin (6-3, 250) or Frazier (6-2, 260). But, says Bernardi, don't sell Keeney short on physicality: "Irwin is our best blocker, but George is very similar . . . Keeney doesn't look as physical as George and Sean but when we watch the plays in the spring where he was 'attached' (to the formation) there weren't any problems. It's just kind of a different way of going about it. He's a young guy in that regard but he'll work at it."
In August camp Bernardi plans on giving Keeney more opportunities to "put his hand on the ground" and function as a blocker. It's what Keeney admits he came out of spring practice needing.
"I got a lot accomplished in the spring, but I feel a lot more comfortable now," he said. "I feel like I under performed a little in the spring. My main goal in camp right now is to come out and make more plays. I want to get better at blocking and taking those steps."
THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .
Tight ends/H-backs
Coach: Gary Bernardi, fourth season at CU.
Returning starters: Sean Irwin, Sr.
Returnees: George Frazier, Jr.; Dylan Keeney, Soph.; Chris Hill, Sr.; Chris Bounds, Fr-RS; Brian Boatman, Sr.
Newcomers: None.
Key losses: Hayden Jones (left team).
Stat line: The three returning TEs/H-backs combined for 27 catches in 2015, with Irwin making a career-best 15 receptions while Frazier and Keeney made six each.
Bottom line: The tight end/H-backs position might feature two of CU's most versatile players in Irwin and Frazier – particularly the latter. Frazier is a weapon, and a fully loaded one (265 pounds) at that. The big question is how much will a revamped offense use him, as well as Irwin, whose 2015 season could be considered a breakthrough in his role in the passing game. Keeney also is versatile, but needs to improve his blocking to play a significant part in the run game. Co-offensive coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini will use two- and three-tight end sets, with Irwin and Frazier the top two choices as power run blockers. Â
Next: Defensive line
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Â
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