Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Buffs Make Strides In Important Places In Spring
March 16, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Notes, quotes and observations as the Colorado Buffaloes head into their last weekend of spring football:
New CU secondary coach ShaDon Brown can smile again.
When Brown took the job in late January, he took over a unit that was one of the nation's best pass defenses a year ago — but also a group that graduated three starters, all expected to be selected in the NFL Draft. It was by no means the ideal situation for a new coach.
But after 13 spring practices, Brown's comfort level has grown, as has his confidence in his secondary.
"Obviously I feel more comfortable with the players because I know them and I know their skill set," Brown said earlier this week. "I know what they do well. I also feel a lot better from practice 1 to practice 13. I think we have a better understanding of what we're doing. The players are starting to gel together and the leadership is starting to rise. That's the big thing — when you lose some guys who were the leaders, you have to cultivate new leadership and I think we have that."
Despite losing three senior starters, the Buffs do have plenty of experience in safeties Afolabi Laguda, Nick Fisher and Ryan Moeller, and cornerback Isaiah Oliver.
But the big key has been getting everyone in the secondary to gel. Brown said he saw the Buffs make a big jump in that area last week, when the defense played particularly well against CU's No. 1 offense. Given the fact that the offense returns nine of 11 starters from last season, that's a big confidence boost.
"Last week I thought it started to click," Brown said. "It started to click with them that they know where the help is. They have a better understanding of the scheme. But it's also a trust factor. When you play with four or five guys in the secondary you have to trust one another that the guy is going to be there to help and I think we're getting to that point."
Meanwhile, CU coaches continue to mix and match combinations across the defensive line, another place the Buffs lost three senior starters.
The guess here is that the 2017 defensive line may include more rotation than last year, when Jordan Carrell took the vast majority of the snaps at defensive end (695), with fellow DE Samson Kafovalu (631) not far behind, and nose tackle Josh Tupou playing 520.
This year's group could be more of a situational setup, one in which the Buffs try to keep the line fresh and focus even more on down and distance.
The cornerstone will likely be senior DE Leo Jackson III, a starter in 2015 who has had an outstanding spring. But after that, the rotation could vary greatly, with juniors Javier Edwards and Jase Franke getting time at nose tackle and senior Timothy Coleman, junior Chris Mulumba and senior George Frazier all seeing snaps at defensive end.
The Buffs won't be as big across the front as they were a year ago, but they will have more depth, which means the ability to keep fresh legs in the game.
One player often lost in the equation when figuring returning starters is outside linebacker Derek McCartney, a senior who suffered a torn ACL in the third week of the season last year and thus is technically not a "returning" starter.
But in reality, he's a huge ace in the hole of sorts for the Buffs. By all accounts, his rehab is on schedule, and his presence next fall will be a huge boost for the defense in terms of ability and leadership.
In his absence this spring, the Buffs have been working a variety of players at the position. The list includes N.J. Falo, Michael Mathewes, Terran Hasselbach, Sam Bennion and Pookie Maka.
Falo, who saw some time at inside linebacker, appears to be back on the outside for good. It's a more natural position for him, as it allows him to make more use of his tremendous athleticism. Mathewes, meanwhile, has been a pleasant surprise. A former defensive lineman, the outside linebacker spot seems to be a better fit for his size (255 pounds), as he's showing the ability to rush off the edge and play the run.
"Michael has been a nice surprise out there," defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach D.J. Eliot said. "He's got some size to him, but he moves well for his size. He can do some good things thing there against the run and in some other situations."
Mathewes and Falo also both give the Buffs good speed at the "rush end" spot when CU goes to a four-man front defensive set.
It's worth remembering that while Colorado's basic scheme is a 3-4, the Buffs are just as often in other formations — whether it be a true nickel with five defensive backs, or when they utilize their "Buff back," a hybrid safety/OLB spot that takes the place of one of the true outside linebackers in the 3-4.
The Buff back will be an interesting spot to watch this year. Moeller manned the position for much of the year last year, and he'll be back at the spot again. But it's also a place CU coaches envision Evan White, a big (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), outstanding athlete who can play safety, nickel or Buff. CU coaches love White's athleticism, and they'll do their best to find a place for him — even if it means several different spots.
Also making some strides this spring have been redshirt freshman cornerback Ronnie Blackmon, who is the No. 1 nickel; and junior college transfer Dante Wigley, who is also playing cornerback and nickel.
One position on offense that has been a treat to watch this spring has been wide receiver. The Buffs are loaded at the position and seemingly every player has made plays.
If anyone has had a breakout spring, it's been senior Kabion Ento, who has come up with big catches in each of the scrimmage situations thus far. Ento is a tall (6-foot-3), physical receiver who can go up and get the ball in traffic as well as run a nice deep route. With all four starters back from last year, plus Juwann Winfree returning next fall as well as a trio of standout freshman recruits, fall camp promises to yield some big-time battles at the position.
While nothing is definitely settled, senior Jonathan Huckins seems to have taken the clear lead in the competition for at center. Huckins was plagued by injuries last year, but has had a good spring and will almost certainly be atop the depth chart when fall camp opens.
Also getting snaps at the position have been sophomore Tim Lynott Jr. (who started all 14 games for the Buffs last year at guard) as well as freshman Colby Pursell, a member of the 2016 recruiting class who joined the program this spring as a grayshirt enrollee.
It will also be interesting to see what direction offensive line coach Klayton Adams goes next fall after a spring experiment that has seen left tackle Jeromy Irwin spend the majority of his time at left guard, with junior Josh Kaiser taking over at left tackle. The move was in part necessitated by an ankle injury to Gerrad Kough, which kept him out of spring drills; but it was also to get a look at Irwin at guard, a position some believe might be his future in the NFL.
One player who has made some strides on the O-line this spring has been sophomore Brett Tonz, a converted defensive lineman.
We would be remiss if we didn't talk about quarterbacks. Sophomore Steven Montez entered the spring as the clear leader at the position, and he's done nothing to change that status. He's been excellent with the deep ball, has improved his mid-range and short throws — and perhaps most importantly, has spent plenty of time improving his ability to read coverages in a hurry. It was a priority when the Buffs came into camp, and earlier this week, head coach Mike MacIntyre noted that Montez has made some solid strides in that area.
Meanwhile, the battle for the No. 2 spot next fall will be interesting. While redshirt freshman Sam Noyer has the edge simply in terms of experience and time with the program, freshman Tyler Lytle — an early enrollee — is doing his best to close that gap. It's the first spring in Boulder for both of them, and both have had their moments, but there's no doubt Lytle has taken some big steps since his first spring practice.
The best news, of course, is that the quarterback position looks to be a strength for the Buffs for years to come.
Don't forget Saturday's spring game, open to the public. Folsom Field gates open at noon, practice begins at 1 p.m. and the scrimmage session is scheduled to begin about 2 p.m. Admission is free.
One question asked quite often is why MacIntyre chooses to conduct spring drills so early. Many other programs haven't even started their spring sessions. In fact, Saturday's spring game will be technically be played on the second-to-last day of winter.
MacIntyre likes the setup for a variety of reasons, particularly the fact that it allows strength and conditioning coach Drew Wilson to get two solid sessions in with the players before the end of the school year. Wilson can get roughly five weeks in after school begins in January before spring practices begin, then, after the players return from spring break, he'll have another month-plus of time to get in another series of workouts.
It allows Wilson's strength and conditioning team to address specific areas of need, and it also allows for more injury recovery time. Players who are hurt in spring practices have five to six more weeks to recover, meaning they'll have much more of a chance of participating in summer strength and conditioning, as well as player-conducted practices.
As for the weather, anyone who has followed CU football for long can remember plenty of spring games in April that were played in cold, damp conditions. Spring weather is a crapshoot in Colorado, and the odds of nice weather in mid-March are usually as good as early April.
Saturday is a perfect example — the forecast calls for plenty of sunshine and temperatures hovering near 80 degrees.
See you there.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
