Colorado University Athletics
Spring Preview: 10 Priorities As Buffs Gear Up For Start Of Spring Ball
February 17, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It's been less than two months since Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes closed the 2016 season with the program's first bowl game in nearly a decade.
It's made for a short offseason as well as setting the stage for perhaps one of the more anticipated spring football sessions in years, one that will begin to answer a long list of questions.
Of course, the biggest question — how do the Buffs follow up their historic 2016 turnaround season? — won't be answered until next fall.
But this year's spring session, which begins next Wednesday and culminates with the March 18 Spring Game, should still begin to provide at least a good glimpse of what we can expect when the Buffs hit fall camp in preparation for the 2017 season.
There will be plenty of issues for the Buffs to address, beginning with replacing eight starters on a defense that finished 19th in the nation in yards allowed last year. (That starters number, though, is a bit misleading: while the Buffs lost eight defensive starters, they still return at least a half-dozen players with significant starting experience).
Here's a look at 10 priorities for the Buffs as they begin their allowed 15 spring practice sessions next week:
1. Get the new defensive staff acclimated as quickly as possible. The Buffs will have just one defensive coach returning from last year's group, which produced the nation's No. 19 defense. Defensive line boss Jim Jeffcoat will be back, but the rest of the lineup will be new, beginning with defensive coordinator/linebackers coach D.J. Eliot.
Eliot, regarded as one of the nation's bright young defensive minds, brings with him an impressive resume that includes stops at Miami, Tulsa, Rice, Florida State and Kentucky (and at least one bowl appearance at every stop). He's a 3-4 disciple — a requirement under MacIntyre — and he's spent every moment possible since his arrival recruiting and reviewing film of his returning players.
Taking over in the secondary will be ShaDon Brown, who last year guided an Army secondary that finished sixth in the nation in pass defense (170.2 yards per game) and was 11th in interceptions (17).
That leaves one more position to be filled, with a special teams/outside linebackers assistant expected to be named soon.
One key factor in the transition will be MacIntyre's long history as a defensive coach and it's expected that he'll be keeping a closer eye on the defense early. MacIntyre knows what scheme he wants to run, he knows what works in the Pac-12 and he will be watching closely to make sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.
The key will be installing any tweaks to the defensive scheme early and making sure a host of new starters are dialed in to what the new coaches want.
2. Rebuild the defensive line. While CU lost all three starters up front, there's plenty of reason to believe the Buffs can reload, not rebuild.
For starters, CU signed a pair of junior college stalwarts in nose tackle Javier Edwards and defensive end Chris Mulumba, a pair of players Jeffcoat is anxious to see on the field. Senior Leo Jackson III (14 career starts) will definitely fit into the mix, as will senior end Timothy Coleman, junior nose tackle Jase Franke and junior end Michael Mathewes. And, Jeffcoat would love to see a step forward from at least one of his three sophomores: Frank Umu, Brett Tonz and Lyle Tuiloma.
3. Bolster the pass rush at outside linebacker. While the Buffs lost sack leader Jimmie Gilbert, they will have the luxury next fall of a returning Derek McCartney (25 career starts), who missed most of last year with a knee injury. This spring, the focus will be on junior N.J. Falo, who began to come into his own at the end of last season, junior Terran Hasselbach, redshirt freshman Pookie Maka and JC transfer Shamar Hamilton, who could step in and vie for playing time immediately. (It's worth noting that while the CU depth chart shows two starting OLBs, fact is Colorado started 10 of 14 games last year in a nickel lineup that used just one OLB.)
4. Build more islands. Gone are cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon, a pair of outstanding cover corners who are expected to be playing on Sundays next fall.
But the cupboard is by no means bare. Junior Isaiah Oliver (six career starts, 440 defensive snaps last year, one interception and 13 pass breakups) should step in and be an able replacement immediately. Also returning is sophomore Anthony Julmisse, another terrific athlete who got his feet wet last year and should make some big strides in spring ball. Also expected to vie for time immediately will be a pair of JC transfers, Dante Wigley and Kevin George. Wigley is already enrolled at CU and will participate in spring ball, a big plus.
5. Keep safety a strength. OK, easier said than done. Tedric Thompson, another player expected to make a living in the NFL, was a stalwart at CU for four years.
But his partner last year on the back end of the defense, senior team leader Afolabi Laguda, proved to be a big hitter and made big strides throughout the season. Laguda will no doubt be a driving force both on the field and in the locker room. The Buffs will also have senior Ryan Moeller (16 career starts at safety, linebacker and nickel) returning as the "Buff back" and junior Nick Fisher — who stepped in for Laguda in one game and earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors — should be a big factor. Evan White also returns after a year away from the program and appears ready to compete for playing time immediately, while also fitting into the equation should be junior Kyle Trego.
6. Tweak the offense for a new quarterback. Last spring, the Buffs were getting used to the addition of a co-offensive coordinator, making some significant tweaks to the offense in terms of tempo and pace — and perhaps most importantly, playing the entire spring without their starting quarterback.
None of those issues will be the case this spring. Co-coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini are back, there shouldn't be any major changes to the offensive playbook and the starting quarterback for next fall should be available to take snaps in the spring.
Last fall, the Buffs changed their offensive game plan to fit the special running skills of quarterback Sefo Liufau, who gave Colorado a running threat inside the tackles.
This year, they will tweak the offense again to fit the skill set of a gunslinger quarterback.
The leading candidate is obviously sophomore Steven Montez, who filled in as the No. 1 QB last spring while Liufau rehabilitated a foot injury. Montez entered the fall as the backup, but performed admirably when called upon to start, posting a 2-1 record that included a record-setting performance in a win over Oregon.
Montez clearly has the "incumbent" edge this spring and there's no doubt coaches have confidence in his abilities. Judging from offseason strength and conditioning, he appears more than ready to help take the Buffs' offense up another notch, especially as Lindgren and Chiaverini tweak the attack to fit his skill set. Montez has a big-time arm, can throw on the run, has good speed and can extend plays, something CU coaches will attempt to take advantage of.
But Montez will also be pushed in the spring. Redshirt freshman Sam Noyer was impressive all last fall and recent signee Tyler Lytle is already enrolled and impressing folks with his arm and acumen. What's clear is the Buffs are well-stocked at the position, now and for the future.
7. Improve again up front. There's no doubt Colorado's offensive line took a big step forward last year, reducing the number of sacks from 41 in 2015 to 28 last year while also dramatically improving its run blocking.
They need to take another such step this year, and the good news is they return four of five starters. The story in the spring, though, might be some position shuffling.
Sophomore Tim Lynott Jr., who started every game at guard last year, could again see time this spring at center, where the Buffs must replace starter Alex Kelley. CU has two starting tackles returning in senior Jeromy Irwin and sophomore Aaron Haigler, but Buffs coaches would also love to find a spot for sophomore tackle Isaac Miller, who was extremely impressive early last fall before being sidelined by a knee injury. If Miller moves in at tackle, it could mean some position juggling; and junior Josh Kaiser could fit into the equation as well.
Also returning up front is starting guard Gerrad Kough and senior Jonathan Huckins, who could play either guard or center. Throw several highly touted freshman signees into the mix, including already-enrolled Jacob Moretti, and the Buffs future in the trenches looks bright.
8. Let the best men win at WR. Simply put, the Buffs are loaded at wide receiver. All eight players who caught at least seven passes last year return, including CU's top five wideouts: Devin Ross, Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo, Jay MacIntyre and Kabion Ento. Throw ultra-talented sophomore Johnny Huntley III into the mix along with Juwann Winfree, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL, and wideout will almost certainly be one of the most competitive positions in spring and throughout the fall. (Winfree likely won't be ready for full go in the spring, but should be ready for fall camp). It's a battle that will no doubt stretch long into the fall — and could then become even more competitive when a host of standout freshman signees report.
9. Build depth at running back. Here, there's no doubt who has the incumbent edge. Senior Phillip Lindsay not only ended CU's running back by committee approach a year ago, he did it in style. Lindsay rushed for 1,189 yards and 16 touchdowns and also caught 47 passes for 390 yards and a score.
But Buffs coaches have also been quietly pleased with the progress of sophomore Beau Bisharat, who has made big strides in the weight room. Also returning will be Michael Adkins II, an extremely talented back when healthy, as well as Kyle Evans (357 yards, 3 TDs last year) and Donovan Lee. Lindsay proved his durability and versatility, but Colorado coaches would also like to make sure they have a stable of capable backs available just in case — especially with next year being Lindsay's last.
10. Give a boot to kicking woes. While the Buffs improved their punting game as the season wore on, field goal kicking problems were an issue that CU coaches are anxious to fix. CU finished the season just 16-for-26 on field goal attempts, and the misses came at crucial moments. Coaches would love to see sophomore Davis Price take a big step forward. Price has the leg — he kicked a 54-yarder last year — but he struggled with consistency. Senior Chris Graham improved his accuracy down the stretch but has struggled with leg strength.
SCHEDULE: The Buffs will practice 15 times in the spring, with the Spring Game set March 18. The annual Pro Day, set for CU's NFL prospects, will be held March 8.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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