Woelk: Buffs Foundation Firmly In Place With Experienced, Veteran Roster
July 29, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — One of the most telling statistics for Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes last fall didn't involve yards, tackles or points.
Rather, it was this: in 2016, just four true freshmen saw the field all season for the Buffs.
If you need a comparison, in MacIntyre's first game as CU's head coach, six true freshmen played in the season opener; eight saw the field by the third game. It meant a long season with youngsters taking their lumps against more experienced, more mature Pac-12 teams.
But last year, Colorado finally reached the point that MacIntyre and his staff were no longer depending on freshmen and sophomores to contribute meaningful playing time. Instead, the Buffs fielded a team made up predominantly of juniors and seniors, players who had experience under their belts and had matured physically as well.
The result, of course, was a turnaround 10-4 finish that included an 8-1 run in the Pac-12 and a South Division title.
Now, that foundation is set, and the team makeup is the same this year. When the Buffs opened MacIntyre's fifth season Saturday morning with their first practice of fall camp, it was a squad once again dominated by upperclassmen. The Buffs have depth, experience and maturity at virtually every position group.
As one assistant coach said Saturday, "Now we have Pac-12 guys at every position."
It is not a process that occurred overnight. MacIntyre and his staff have slowly but surely not only built depth, but quality depth through recruiting and a strong strength and conditioning program.
"We had a long way to go," MacIntyre said of his first season in Boulder. "We wanted to work to get more depth on our team, get bigger and more physical on our lines, which we've done, get bigger and more athletic at our skill positions, which we've done. I definitely feel like we keep making strides in the right direction; now we've just got to go do it when we step on the field."
In MacIntyre's first game at Colorado, his season-opening starting lineup included seven freshmen or sophomores. This year's "pencil" depth chart at the beginning of fall camp includes just four — and three of those are sophomores with considerable experience: Tim Lynott Jr., who started every game last year at guard for the Buffs, tackle Aaron Haigler, also a regular last year, and quarterback Steven Montez, who started in three games in 2016.
Meanwhile, of the 19 upperclassmen currently atop their positions, 14 are seniors. CU's roster this year includes nine players on offense with at least 10 career starts (virtually a season's worth) and five on defense.
It means the Buffs can take the time to develop talent instead of the "baptism by fire" method. Equally important, it means they are putting mature young men on the field, players who have had the benefit of a strength and conditioning regimen instead of youngsters just out of high school playing against men.
"I won't throw a guy out there to play 15 percent of the time when he has a redshirt year available and the guy in front of him doesn't," MacIntyre said. "That's what we're able to do. We don't have to throw all those guys out there right now."
That certainly hasn't always been the case. But now, the Buffs have built a solid foundation that will now see them replace juniors and seniors in the starting lineup with more juniors and seniors — not untested freshmen and sophomores.
The result of such a process shows up in the position groups. The Buffs are experienced virtually everywhere on the field, even at places where they were hit hard by graduation.
Take a look at the secondary, where CU lost three starters to graduation (and all three were selected in the NFL Draft). Thanks to careful development, the Buffs still have a pair of returning starters in safeties Afolabi Laguda and Ryan Moeller, plus experienced veterans Isaiah Oliver and Evan Worthington, along with safety Nick Fisher, who gained some valuable experience as a backup last year.
Offensively, it's the same story. CU's wide receivers and offensive line are senior-laden, experienced groups — and equally importantly, those groups have youngsters in reserve roles, ready to get some experience this year and step into starting roles a year from now.
"We've built it the right way," MacIntyre said. "Now we're playing juniors and seniors, guys who have redshirted, guys who have gotten bigger and stronger and are ready to play. That's where you want your program to be."
PRACTICE NOTES: The Buffs hit the field in shorts and helmets for their first day of camp and were greeted by cloudy skies and relatively cool temperatures. An early possibility of lightning in the area never materialized and they were able to get the entire practice in on the outdoor lower practice fields. … The practice consisted of plenty of position drills, but they also managed to get in some 11-on-11 "team" periods. "For the first day, we flew around really well," MacIntyre said. "I was pleased with everything. Of course I'll watch film and get a little mad, but watching the practice with the naked eye, I thought it went real well." …
Those 11-on-11 periods produced some outstanding plays right away on both sides of the ball, and it's already clear that one of the most anticipated position battles in camp — wide receiver — is going to be a very competitive one indeed. Senior wide receiver Bryce Bobo made a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab on the sidelines in tight coverage on a nice ball from quarterback Steven Montez. Montez and the rest of the quarterbacks all had good days throwing the ball. … Junior wide receiver Juwann Winfree, coming back from a knee injury that ended his season in fall camp a year ago, showed no signs of that injury, coming up with a terrific diving catch across the middle. … Cornerbacks Trey Udoffia and Dante Wigley, battling for the starting spot opposite Isaiah Oliver, both made plays. … Backup running back Michael Adkins showed some nice bursts and no hint of the injuries that have hindered him over the last couple of seasons. … Freshman center Colby Pursell, a "grayshirt" signee from the 2016 recruiting class, continued where he left off from a solid spring and is turning heads regularly. … Linebacker Drew Lewis continues to show some outstanding athleticism in the middle, showing he'll be the type of player who can make plays in space.
MacIntyre said freshmen Jacob Moretti (offensive line) and Chase Newman (linebacker), both of whom are on the injured list, could be ready to practice when school starts, but will also both likely redshirt. … Junior tight end Dylan Keeney, also on the injured list, could be back in a couple of weeks. … Running back Kyle Evans, still recovering from a dislocated hip, said he hopes to begin at least limited practice in a couple of weeks and is aiming to be ready for action by the second or third game of the season.
SCHEDULE: The Buffs will practice again Sunday morning in shorts and helmets, then add "shells" (shoulder pads) to the equation on Monday and Tuesday. They are scheduled to don full pads for the first time Thursday, with a scrimmage set for Saturday. The scrimmage will be open to the public and is set to begin at 10 a.m.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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