Position Preview: Buffs RBs Have Star Power, Depth

BOULDER — One of the best compliments paid yet to Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay came from Utah coach Kyle Whittingham at the recent Pac-12 Media Days.

Whittingham, whose staccato delivery gets to the point in a hurry, had this to say about the Buffs senior who ran for 1,189 yards and 16 touchdowns last year while averaging a healthy 5.17 yards per pop.

"Tremendous back," Whittingham said. "Great runner, quick, fast, makes you miss, and he was a big part of their success last year. … We were hoping he was coming out (in the NFL Draft)."

Sorry Utes (and the rest of the Pac-12). Lindsay is indeed back, much to the delight of the Buffs and their fans — and if he can improve even a little on his 2016 performance, the Buffs' rushing attack will indeed be in good shape.

Colorado ran for 2,495 yards last season, the most by a CU team since the 2002 Buffs ran for 3,186. Lindsay's 1,189 yards, meanwhile, were the most since Rodney Stewart rushed for 1,318 in 2010.

Now, the task is to see if Lindsay can get to the next level. He roughly doubled his output from 2015 to 2016 — from 653 yards and six touchdowns to to 1,189 and 16 — and while no one is expecting him to double it again, position coach Darian Hagan no doubt believes some improvement is possible.

"We have to work on the small details, making sure he is totally consistent on a daily basis in everything he does in the running game, pass game, protection," said Hagan, who took over coaching running backs last season. "Make sure he does the little things right. If we can do those things, he can definitely improve his production."

Lindsay did his part in the offseason, adding a little more size, strength and speed. He enters the year 13th on CU's all-time list in rushing yards (2,233), third in all-purpose yards (4,001), 24th in receptions (87), and sixth in kickoff return yards (1,077). His best bet to put himself at the top of one of those lists is all-purpose yards, where he needs 828 yards to surpass current leader Stewart.

But for the Buffs to match last year's rushing total, he will need some help.

Last year's run game was bolstered by the presence of quarterback Sefo Liufau, who in effect became Colorado's short-yardage threat. Liufau finished with 496 yards on the ground, second-best for the Buffs. While Steven Montez could definitely fill part of that void — he ran for 231 yards last year — it's unlikely he will be used in the same manner as Liufau in that regard.

Still, there's plenty of depth behind Lindsay that could give the Buffs a powerful one-two punch. The list includes senior Michael Adkins II, who has starting experience at CU and enters the season with 1,175 career rushing yards; sophomore Beau Bisharat, who got a taste of some action last season; senior Donovan Lee, who has been a key utility player for CU; and junior Kyle Evans, who is still out with a hip injury but could return sometime in camp.

Adkins, Lee and Bisharat have all had solid camps thus far and the battle for the No. 2 spot is expected to be keen down the stretch.

"I'm confident in all those guys' abilities," Hagan said. "It's going to come down between Beau and Mike and Donovan (early in the season). The guy that goes the hardest, is most consistent on a daily basis, he'll be the guy that gets the call."

Among the newcomers this year is freshman Alex Fontenot, a highly recruited back out of Richmond, Texas. Fontenot has already showed some bursts in camp, but head coach Mike MacIntyre said the freshman is a candidate for a redshirt unless the Buffs are beset by injuries.

WHO'S BACK: Senior Phillip Lindsay, senior Michael Adkins II, senior Donovan Lee, junior Kyle Evans, sophomore Beau Bisharat, senior Tanner Grzesiek.

WHO'S NEW: Freshman Alex Fontenot, sophomore Riley Hillis.

WHAT'S IN STORE: The Buffs are expecting another big year from Lindsay, who helped the Buffs average nearly 183 yards per game on the ground last year, an improvement of nearly 30 yards per game over 2015.

The biggest reason to believe Lindsay can improve on last season? A veteran, experienced offensive line that should be the best in the MacIntyre era.

"It's as good as we've had for a while," Hagan said. "Really good athleticism, guys that are smart, guys that are maulers. In this conference, if you don't have a mauler up front, then you're going to struggle. Our guys, we have confidence in them and they have confidence in themselves and confidence in us. We're ready."

A big key will be finding a consistent backup for Lindsay. If healthy, Adkins could prove to be an outstanding piece of a one-two punch from the backfield and put up some good numbers (he ran for 535 yards and 6 TDs as a freshman). Bisharat also adds a different style, and Lee could be multi-faceted out of the backfield. When he gets healthy, Evans has also proven to be a nice change of pace in spelling Lindsay.

STAT TO REMEMBER: When Colorado rushed for at least 100 yards last year, the Buffs were 10-0. When they rushed for less than 100? 0-4.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu