Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Cabral's 'Backers Are Back
August 06, 2009 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - In two decades of coaching at Colorado, Brian Cabral has embarked on several football seasons with more celebrated individuals than he'll have in 2009.
His roll call of CU linebackers is impressive: Jordon Dizon, Matt Russell, Greg Biekert, Ted Johnson, Chad Brown . . . the list continues.
This fall will be different; if he can't call on big names, he can call on big numbers - and that's perfectly OK with Cabral.
"Look at Jeff Smart, he's played practically every snap the last two years," Cabral said. "We just didn't have any depth.
"So it's kind of nice; it's healthy to have depth, have some competition. I've not had this (situation) in over three years."
Reinforcements showed up in the nick of time, although they actually began arriving a couple of recruiting classes ago.
In his final season, the ever-reliable Smart, CU's leading tackler in 2008, won't have to be an every-snap, every-game iron man; the Buffaloes won't suffer at all when fellow senior Shaun Mohler subs in at the inside ''will'' position.
It should be the same at the ''mike'' spot when senior Marcus Burton takes a breather and is replaced by junior Michael Sipili or Bryan Stengel, a senior.
And ditto for the outside ''sam'' position when promising redshirt freshman Doug Rippy steps in for junior B.J. Beatty.
"If we can stay healthy, we've got depth and experience . . . we've got everybody back except for (outside 'backer) Brad Jones,'' Cabral noted.
A name not yet mentioned is Jon Major. Cabral and defensive coordinator Ron Collins are anxious to scrutinize the redshirt freshman, who suffered a knee injury last summer and was sidelined for the entire season.
Major, the state of Colorado's top prospect in 2007, is, according to Cabral, close to being recovered from his injury.
"I fully expect him to compete (at the will spot)," Cabral said. "He has ground to make up, no question. But we hope to bring him along through the season; it's a process for him.
"It just depends on his knee; he's almost 100 percent, not quite. He hasn't gone through full contact yet. We'll take it step by step with him.
"But I told him I expect him at some point, in some way, to be a part of the mix."
And CU's '09 mix likely will include the use of more linebackers. In spring drills, four linebackers were on the field as much as three, with the Buffs' 4-3 front rapidly giving way to a 3-4.
One coach joked (maybe), "We'd like to get into a 2-4-5" - the basis for that remark coming from a defensive line that lost three starters (two tackles and an end) and the returning numbers and experience at linebacker.
"If you look at the numbers, that's probably the way to go (four LBs)," Cabral said. "The other side of that is, with the offenses spreading you out and the type of athletic quarterbacks you have (in the Big 12 Conference), you need more linebackers on the field."
What's more, to contend with those spread offenses and the league's mobile quarterbacks, CU's defense is hoping to turn up its overall pressure this fall. The ability to keep fresh linebackers on the field should help in that endeavor.
"That's a situation where we can role play some guys; we just have to wait and see who's doing best at what," Cabral said. "Definitely, you need two deep to win. You're just hanging on if you're playing a couple of guys.
"There's going to be plenty of downs, plenty of snaps, plenty of situations for all those guys.
"You want to finish the fourth quarter as strong as you start the first quarter. I've always played a lot of guys, I've always rotated a lot of players. I just never had that opportunity the last several years."
CU's outside "sam" linebackers will be coached by veteran Bob Foster, Buffs coach Dan Hawkins' college coach and an "on call" mentor for several other programs (Oregon and California, most recently) since he retired from his long stint at California-Davis.
Foster hasn't yet seen his players on the field, but he's watched hours of video of them. Beatty's experience, aggression and footwork impressed Foster, as did Rippy's size, speed and potential.
"I think we have some guys who are pretty good football players . . . a combination of some guys who perhaps have some experience and some younger (inexperienced) guys who potentially are, because of their athletic abilities, some pretty good players," Foster said.
"If we can put that together, we're liable to make something out of it."
THE LOWDOWN ON . . .
Linebackers
Coaches: Brian Cabral (inside), Bob Foster (outside)
Returning starters: Jeff Smart, Shaun Mohler, both inside.
Returnees: Inside - Michael Sipili, Bryan Stengel, Jon Major, Josh Hartigan. Outside - B.J. Beatty, Doug Rippy, Tyler Ahles, Brandon Gouin, Guy Sergent, Zackary Farley, outside.
Newcomers: Liloa Nobriga, Derrick West, both inside.
Key losses: Brad Jones, outside.
Stat line: Between them, Smart and Mohler made 215 tackles (145 solo) in 2008 and finished 1-2, respectively, in that category. Smart made 118 total tackles, 80 solo, while Mohler's contributed 97 total, 65 solo.
Bottom line: CU might have had more highly touted starters at this position in the past, but the eight or so linebackers who regularly see the field this season will be solid. Rarely have the Buffs enjoyed this much depth - and it comes at an opportune time in addressing the defense's overall needs and goals.
NEXT: DEFENSIVE BACKS
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
