Woelk: Buffs Have Had Players Step Up Where Needed In Camp
August 24, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — While there were no surprises in the latest Colorado depth chart, there are a handful of positions that bear a little closer inspection.
For starters, depth charts are taken a little too literally these days. As offenses become more sophisticated, defenses must match that complexity. Offenses may throw five wideouts on the field at the same time; in response, defenses will answer with as many as six defensive backs.
What is means is that depth charts are now little more than a starting point.
A good example from last year's starting lineup: safety/Buff back Ryan Moeller officially started 10 of Colorado's 14 games. Cornerback Isaiah Oliver started just three. But when the season was over, Moeller had played only eight more snaps (448-440) than Oliver on defense.
Down and distance, field position, clock, opponent — all are part of the equation.
So, with the latest depth chart in mind, here are a few things to keep in mind as we prepare to head into "game week" for next Friday's season opener:
At positions where Colorado needed players to step up in fall camp, that's exactly what happened. Most prominent here are defensive linemen Javier Edwards and Chris Mulumba and redshirt freshman corner Trey Udoffia.
Junior college transfers Edwards and Mulumba had solid springs. They followed that up by making the most of their summer strength and conditioning sessions, then took it up another notch in fall camp. Edwards dedicated himself to getting in better shape and now has a chance to be a quality nose tackle and run stopper. Mulumba, who has a great combination of strength and speed, increased his understanding of the game in a big way. It will no doubt take them time to get up to "game speed," but they should help give Colorado the chance to be good in the trenches again.
Udoffia, meanwhile, stepped in at corner and claimed a spot that was completely up for grabs. He showed the ability to match up against CU's top receivers on a daily basis, which earned him the job. It's another place where getting some game experience will be crucial, but his day-in, day-out performance in camp was something the Buffs coaching staff was hoping to see — and they did.
Also stepping up has been punter Alex Kinney. Always blessed with a big leg but plagued by inconsistency, Kinney has worked his way into a groove and could be a big weapon for the Buffs.
There were also some pleasant surprises. Here, we saw a handful of players who had shown "flashes" over the last season or two move up in terms of consistency and show they are ready to be regular contributors.
Defensive lineman Jase Franke definitely fits that description. Franke, a stout, powerful junior has added some weight and is now a solid 280 pounds — big enough to get some significant time up front. He has seen work in camp at both nose tackle and defensive end, and while technically is maybe still a bit undersized for the interior, he's shown the ability to make up for it with his power.
Another great development in camp has been the steady production of running back Michael Adkins II. The fifth-year senior has remained healthy and is looking like the back who was a big part of CU's offense in Mike MacIntyre's first season. Paired with Phillip Lindsay, Adkins has the potential to give Colorado a terrific one-two punch in the backfield.
Also in this group are redshirt freshman Akil Jones, who has made big strides at inside linebacker; sophomore guard Brett Tonz, who has made the switch from defensive line to offense a successful one; sophomore tackle Dillon Middlemiss; junior tackle Josh Kaiser; defensive back Ronnie Blackmon; defensive linemen Frank Umu and Lyle Tuiloma; and wide receiver Lee Walker, who has made strides not only in maybe the deepest position group on the team, but is also in line to get some work as a return specialist.
One other spot that offered excellent progress? Try quarterback, where redshirt freshman Sam Noyer took a big leap from the spring, as did true freshman Tyler Lytle.
The true freshmen are for real. The most highly touted recruiting class in recent CU history didn't disappoint when showing up on campus.
What became clear in a hurry is that CU's linebacker corps should be in good hands for years. Three true freshmen — OLBs Jacob Callier and Dante Sparaco and ILB Jonathan Van Diest — earned spots on the two-deep; and a fourth, ILB Nate Landman, is third at his position. Throw in OLB Carson Wells and it's a deep, talented group that bodes well for the future.
It's not just the linebackers, though, that flashed in cap. Wide receiver K.D. Nixon is No. 2 at the slot behind Devin Ross and Laviska Shenault is No. 3 at the X receiver behind Bryce Bobo and Kabion Ento.
Meanwhile, freshman center Colby Pursell has been outstanding in the middle, freshman guard William Sherman has looked solid and tight end Jared Poplawski will be a player who will give CU a big-time threat at the spot in the next year or two.
Evan Worthington is going to play — a lot — and be a playmaker. Technically, the CU junior is listed as No. 2 free safety, the No. 2 Buff back and the No. 1 nickel. What it means is that CU's coaches have made sure they are going to have a spot for Worthington somewhere on the field. He has what former CU coach Gary Barnett called "suddenness," meaning he not only gets to where he's supposed to be in a hurry, but makes a play when he arrives.
A hint here: senior Ryan Moeller is listed as the No. 1 Buff back and strong safety. Moeller is good, but not good enough to play two positions at once. Thus, when CU utilizes that Buff back — something the Buffs did with great frequency last year — it's logical to assume that the No. 2 guy on the depth chart will be on the field.
Overall, the secondary is extremely talented. While the wide receivers get the attention as the deepest and most overall talented group — and for good reason — there's plenty of depth and experience in the secondary. Along with the aforementioned Worthington and Moeller, the Buffs have Isaiah Oliver — who just might be one of the best corners in the nation — as well as safety Afolabi Laguda, a starter from last year who has taken his game up a significant notch this fall. While the Buffs no doubt lost a lot of talent in the secondary (three NFL draftees, to be exact), they also appear to have reloaded here quite well.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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