Adams Searches for Buffs' Best O-line Combinations
August 07, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
Fifth-year senior Wiefels makes bid for starting spot
BOULDER — Maybe some of the biggest questions for the Colorado Buffaloes heading into fall camp this year have centered around the offensive line.
O-line coach Klayton Adams hopes to have at least one of the answers sometime in the first 10 practices to two weeks of camp.
The question isn't whether the Buffs can come up with five experienced players to man the trenches. Rather, it's what group will make up the starting lineup when Colorado opens the season Sept. 2 against Colorado State at Denver's Sports Authority Field (6 p.m., ESPN).
As it stands now, the Buffs have a host of experienced returnees on the offensive line. The group includes no less than seven players with at least five career starts under their belt, including three — Gerrad Kough, Alex Kelley and Jeromy Irwin — with at least a dozen to their credit.
"I told the guys this morning I have a rotation set that I wanted to work for the first five days of camp," Adams said after Saturday's morning practice. "After that, it's going to slowly start gelling. Ideally, you would love to have a really good idea of who's going to be working with who about 10 practices in — about two weeks."
There's no shortage of bodies up front. Irwin, one of the veterans, will almost certainly be the starting left tackle. Kough is listed as the co-starter with Jonathan Huckins at left guard while Kelley, a two-year starter, and Huckins are penciled in as co-No. 1s at center.
But there's been plenty of juggling early, particularly on the right side of the line — including plenty of time for fifth-year senior Sully Wiefels at right guard. Wiefels wasn't even listed as right guard on the opening camp depth chart. Instead, he's penciled in at center behind Kelley and Huckins — but he's seen playing time at all three interior positions in his time with the Buffs.
Wiefels played 171 snaps last year on the line at guard and center, including a start at guard against Stanford. He says he's not particular about which position he plays.
"I like them both," he said with a shrug. "Wherever I'm needed, that's where I'll play."
Adams, though, said he's told Wiefels — a fifth-year senior and one of the Buffs' most versatile linemen — that he'd like to give him a chance at earning a starting spot at one position.
"Because he's played all three of those inside spots a lot, I want to get him into a position where he can compete for a starting job," Adams said. "It's hard because last year, when somebody got dinged up, we'd say, 'OK, Sully can do that.'
"It's a tribute to how smart and versatile he is, but my focus right now is to put him at one spot where he can compete and not be at a disadvantage because we're asking him to do so many different things."
Wiefels transferred to Colorado from American River JC in 2014, then spent his first season with the Buffs redshirting. Now, he's glad to get the opportunity to vie for a starting spot
"I feel good so far," Wiefels said. "It was good to get the pads on and have some contact. That first day is always fun."
More than anything, Wiefels just wants to make his last season with the Buffs one that fans will remember for all the right reasons — and part of that means assuming a leadership role wherever possible.
"The old guys have to step in and lead if we want this team to go where we think it can," Wiefels said. "Obviously, that starts with the offensive line performing the way we should. To do that, the seniors have to step up and take these guys in the right direction."
Because Saturday was just the first day for the Buffs in pads — shoulder pads and helmets — it's far too early to judge how the linemen are shaping up.
But Wiefels did say he thinks this year's group is already starting to gel.
"I think we're starting to mesh a lot faster than we have the last few years," he said. "We've got more guys that can play different positions, and I think we're already playing well together. Coach Adams talks about it in meetings — you have to have five guys playing with the same brain. That's what we need to do to be successful."
SCHEDULE: The Buffs had Sunday off and will return to work Monday for the fourth practice of fall camp. They'll be back in shells (helmets, shoulder pads and shorts) on Monday, then put on full pads for the first time in camp Tuesday. Wednesday is scheduled to be the first day of two-a-day practices of camp.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
