Colorado University Athletics
Competition Between Buffs WRs, DBs Helps Both Groups Excel
June 27, 2017 | Football
CU looks for big things from both groups in 2017
BOULDER — Throughout 2016, the Colorado Buffaloes' wide receiving corps honed its skills on a daily basis against one of the best secondaries in the nation, one that ultimately produced three picks in the 2017 NFL Draft.
This year the tables are turned. Every one of those Buffs receivers from last year's team is back, along with some other ultra-talented wideouts. Now, a younger, less-experienced — but still very talented — secondary will test itself daily against a group that is already being touted as one of the best overall receiving corps around.
"Last year was killer," Buffs wide receiver Bryce Bobo said recently. "We had Chido (Awuzie), Tedric (Thompson), Ahkello (Witherspoon), Fo (Afolabi Laguda). We were going up against the best in the nation every single day. When you do that, you feed off each other's energy and it just gets you better as a player because you're developing against the best competition there is."
Not that there won't be some experience in the CU secondary next fall. Laguda returns at safety, as will safety/Buff back Ryan Moeller, and Isaiah Oliver is back at corner. All have significant starting experience. Also back after a year away from the program is Evan Worthington, who will likely see time at nickel, safety and perhaps even Buff back.
But the Buffs also have a host of youngsters vying for playing time in the secondary, a group that includes junior Nick Fisher, sophomore Anthony Julmisse, junior college transfer Dante Wigley and redshirt freshmen Ronnie Blackmon and Trey Udoffia.
They won't have to go far to get better. Some of the best players they will see all year will be lined up across from them in practice, a group that includes Bobo, Shay Fields, Devin Ross, Kabion Ento, Jay MacIntyre, Juwann Winfree, Johnny Huntley — as well as a host of talented incoming freshmen.
"All those guys are really dynamic," said secondary coach ShaDon Brown. "It helps all of our guys. One, they see that Pac-12 speed and athleticism. We see speed from guys like Shay and Devin and big, athletic receivers like Bobo and Kabion who can go up and get the jump balls. You can't simulate speed and athleticism. You can simulate routes and concepts, but speed and athleticism — you have to see it. That's why it's so good to be able to work against those guys every day."
While the dynamic is no doubt changed to a large degree this year, it doesn't mean the job will be any easier for CU's receivers. They will still see quality DBs on a daily basis, but now they're job will also entail making sure they give those DBs as much quality competition as possible.
"Our receivers corps is just nasty," Bobo said. "We've got a lot of talent and experience there. We'll be going up against some veteran guys like Fo and Isaiah and Ryan, but at the same time, we'll be seeing some younger guys. Them going up against us constantly has to make them better. They've already been making plays here and there and it's going to be part of our job to make sure they keep making progress."
CU's receiving corps does indeed have a little of everything. Fields is a burner whose speed makes him a deep threat on every down. Ross runs precise routes from the slot and Bobo and Ento have the knack for making big catches in traffic. Throw the others into the mix and it is a dangerous group for opposing secondaries.
"Our receivers are the complete group," Brown said. "They're not one-trick ponies. They've got different guys that can do different things and it helps us. The big thing is it helps us with the speed that you're going to see from the top players.
"A guy like Shay can take the top off a defense as well as anyone, along with Devin. Those guys can line up inside and outside, so if you're a corner playing against a smaller receiver, you get to work against those guys — and then you get to go against Kabion and Bobo and Huntley and some of those guys who are bigger receivers that are going to try to muscle you off the line of scrimmage. Our safeties get to see that speed from the slot, guys that can really get on their feet really quickly, it only makes us better."
In the long term, it should be a cycle that continues to repeat itself. Good receivers playing against good defensive backs on a daily basis and each group making the other better every year.
"Last year was straight fierce competition every day, every play," Bobo said. "Every time I was going against Ahkello or Chido, I knew I had to give my best. Now, I think maybe some of the younger DBs are looking at us that way. They know that every single time they come against us, we're coming at them hard. They can feed off that and get better."
Those DBs will also know if they can succeed in practice, they stand a good chance of succeeding on Saturdays.
"We've got four or five guys that are as good as anybody in the country," Brown said of the secondary. "I also feel like we have some talented guys in our group. If we can defend those guys and play man coverage on those guys, we can line up against SC or UCLA or anybody in the country and fare pretty well because our guys are just as talented."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
