Buffs Spring Review: Offense Improved Depth, Playmaking Ability
March 23, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes wrapped up spring drills Friday morning with one more scrimmage in Folsom Field, getting in plenty of situational work with a full crew of officials on hand.
As has been the case throughout the spring, both sides of the ball made plays — something CU coaches say they wanted to see, particularly as they try to bring along young players and build depth.
But now, spring is over and the next time the Buffs put on pads will be in fall camp. In the interim, players will focus on four months of strength and conditioning, along with voluntary player-led practices. Coaches, meanwhile, will study film of spring practices, look at all the different personnel groups, decide what they like the most, then begin to incorporate that into their plans for fall camp.
What did spring reveal for the Buffs? Over the next couple of days, we'll look at the offense and defense and break down each position group.
Today, the offense:
OFFENSIVE LINE — No offense succeeds without a solid, steady group of big fellas up front. The Buffs entered the spring knowing they need to replace at least three starters from last year, and even though they were dinged by some injuries here and there, it is a group that made good progress.
"I do feel a lot better about that group than coming into the spring," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "I thought all of them made some progress. As far as jumps — that's kind of a big word. You can move forward and not jump. I think some of those guys made jumps."
The biggest absence in the spring was that of starting guard Tim Lynott Jr. The two-year starter is still rehabbing an Achilles tendon injury, and won't be full speed until June.
But that also offered the Buffs a chance to work a variety of other players into the rotation with the No. 1 unit, and by the end of the spring, coaches liked what they were seeing.
"We're still a long way from where we want to be and need to be to be a really good football team," said O-line coach and co-offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. "There's been a ton of things in areas that we've gotten better, and we've gotten bigger and stronger and more physical. I think we understand things better. Â We're just not where we want to be. We want to be great and we're a long ways from there."
In terms of consistency, junior tackle Aaron Haigler had his best spring as a Buff, working mainly on the left side but also getting some snaps on the right side, where he has played for most of his career. Also showing up day in and day out was redshirt freshman Colby Pursell, who moved to the top of the depth chart at center, and tackle Josh Kaiser.
Meanwhile, players who also made "jumps," according to MacIntyre, included tackle Jacob Moretti, guard/center Brett Tonz, guard/tackle William Sherman and guard Dillon Middlemiss.
It is no doubt a young group, particularly in terms of playing experience. But it is also a physically talented bunch, as the last few recruiting classes have filled some gaps, and Adams has done an excellent job in bringing the youngsters up to speed quickly.
When August rolls around, the Buffs will also have some additional bodies. Along with the return of Lynott, they will also welcome freshmen Kanan Ray (who is enrolled but missed spring ball with an injury) as well as some incoming recruits, including Frank Fillip.
The final spring depth chart had Haigler at left tackle, Tonz at left guard, Pursell at center, Sherman at right guard and Kaiser at right tackle. But that is by no means what we'll see in fall camp, particularly with Lynott returning and the newcomers and other youngsters ready to make a push. If Moretti continues to come back from his knee injury, he will no doubt be a factor.
The key will be if all have solid offseasons in the weight room and can hit the ground running when fall camp opens. If they can make the same progress in fall camp they made this spring, this has the chance to be a solid Pac-12 offensive line.
WIDE RECEIVER — If there was one group that "flashed" consistently, it was this bunch. From seniors Juwann Winfree and Kabion Ento to sophomores Laviska Shenault Jr. and K.D. Nixon — and others in between — a day didn't go by that at least one of the wideouts, and usually more, made a big play.
Of course, we've seen this before. A year ago, CU returned three senior starters coming off big junior seasons — but they never quite clicked on a regular basis once fall rolled around.
This group, however, appears to be different in one big way: none of the wideouts who were available for spring have any big numbers in their pockets. Instead, they were out every day trying to prove they deserve the chance to put up some of those numbers next fall. The result was some good competition and no days off for anyone.
What spring showed — or perhap emphasized — is that Shenault has a knack for big plays and is very versatile, Ento is reliable, Winfree is a beast after catching the ball and Nixon is electric. While those four emerged from spring atop the depth chart, junior transfer Tony Brown and redshirt freshman Maurice Bell also turned heads in the spring.
Throw senior Jay MacIntyre into the mix (a starter who missed spring ball with a foot injury) and fall camp is almost certain to be competitive as every wideout involved will be working for his reps.
"There's some really dynamic guys in that group," wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini said. "There are a lot of playmakers and guys who have been working extremely hard. I'm excited to see what they're going to do next fall."
RUNNING BACK — No matter what happens next fall, one thing is certain: the Buffs will have a new leading rusher after Phillip Lindsay held the spot for the last three seasons.
Lindsay virtually redefined the term "workhorse" last year, accounting for roughly 90 percent of CU's rushes by a running back and 94 percent of the yards gained by a running back. It will be interesting to see if the Buffs turn to another feature back, or distribute the load a little more evenly.
The second option is more likely.
MacIntyre did say that redshirt freshman Alex Fontenot, who had a couple of nice scrimmages, is one of those players who made a big jump in the spring. Junior Beau Bisharat, meanwhile, continues to get work on the goal line and in short-yardage situations, and is also able to line up in either a one-back or two-back set. Senior Kyle Evans, meanwhile, also looks to be back to full speed after his hip injury of last spring.
Of course, the entire equation will likely change dramatically in fall camp, as grad transfer Travon McMillian, who ran for more than 2,000 yards at Virginia Tech in three seasons, is scheduled to arrive on campus this summer.
The best bet? An intense competition in fall camp that won't be decided until late, and could very well result in more of a "running back by committee" approach.
H-BACK/TIGHT END — The Buffs are continuing to find ways to incorporate their growing group of H-backs and tight ends into the attack. Junior Chris Bounds, who had a pair of touchdown catches last year, had a solid spring, as did newcomer Darrion Jones, who made the adjustment from junior college ball quickly.
The question in the fall will be how much CU's co-coordinators continue to include the tight ends/H-backs into the equation, especially with sophomore Jared Poplawski returning from a knee injury. It's a versatile, athletic group that made some solid progress in the spring and one that could pose a problem or two for opposing defensive coordinators. That's especially true if the Buffs continue to expand on what they started last year, when they lined up their H-backs in the backfield, in the slot, as true tight ends, and even out wide occasionally.
QUARTERBACK: Junior Steven Montez entered the spring as the incumbent starter and nothing happened in the 15 practices to suggest anything has changed.
New quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper is no doubt having an impact, particularly with Montez's footwork, his presence in the pocket and his decision making. Montez has always had the physical tools; the next step in his development will be his honing his ability to not just read defenses, but dissect them.
After 15 practices, coaches said they liked what they saw in that regard. Montez still had moments when his gunslinger mentality overcame his better judgment, but those were fewer and farther between.
"He's starting to understand coverages and rotation of where pressure is coming," MacIntyre said. "(He's) understanding a little bit better when you have to get the ball out of your hand and when you can hold it a little bit. That will help us a lot. It will cut down a lot of our sacks that we had last year and I think it will be a benefit for everybody. I've seen him do that and understand it."
Colorado's young quarterbacks also improved. Sophomore Sam Noyer had a steady spring, making good use of his reps with the No. 1 unit, while redshirt freshman Tyler Lytle made some big strides over the last couple of weeks, reaping some snaps with the No. 1 offense in the last couple of practices.
Still, Montez emerged from spring exactly where he started — atop the depth chart. His development in fall camp, particularly his continued growth in the nuances of the position, will be integral to the offense's overall success next fall.
At the same time, Noyer and Lytle will not only continue to push Montez, but also battle for the No. 2 spot — a position we all know is always just one snap away from being on the field.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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