Brooks: LB Numbers, Competition Excite Cabral

BOULDER - In forging a radiant reputation as Colorado's linebackers coach, Brian Cabral in most years has had quantity to accompany the quality he annually cultivates at his position.

Recently, though, his number of crunchers dwindled, forcing him to ask players such as 2009 tri-captain Jeff Smart to learn all positions and be ready for plugging in as needed.

But 2010 finds Cabral counting his blessings - and bodies. The head count at his position is way, way up. And through fall camp, quality of play has run stride-for-stride with quantity. Cabral finally is in a good place and knows it.

"My two deep - I can play any of them with first group, and that's where I want to get to," he said. "I want to play anybody I need when I want them. I feel like I've got enough experience and depth to do that. I'm not so hung up on who's starting and who's second team as I am this: just give me four guys I can play a game with.

"It's been a long time since I've been able to do or say that. But I'm feeling very confident I'll be able to do that. I have a three-deep and my goal is to bring them along, get them all involved. You're always going to need everybody before the season's over."

Cabral's current corps is a diverse assemblage of personalities, size and talent. Senior leadership is flowing from a source (Michael Sipili) that several years ago might have been considered unlikely. A converted safety (Patrick Mahnke) has found lining up nearer the line of scrimmage to his liking, as well as Cabral's. If you're not familiar with the name Tyler Ahles (pronounced "Allis), you will be; he's a heavy hitter. Ditto for swift redshirt freshman Derrick Webb, who says his forte is bringing "violence" to his position. A native Hawaiian (B.J. Beatty) with flowing auburn hair lives on the edge, which also happens to be where he usually lines up. A former local high-profile recruit (Jon Major) is ready for an even higher profile season.

Those six players, joined by athletic Doug Rippy and junior college transfer Evan Harrington, most likely will form Cabral's top eight players. The pre-opener depth chart offered a couple of mild surprises - Ahles ahead of Beatty at the Sam (outside) position, Rippy and Webb in a dead heat behind Sipili at the Mike (middle) spot. A leg injury slowed Beatty early in camp.

Cabral is an upbeat guy, but this season's fierce positional dueling takes that up a notch. Opening-game depth, he said, is "still sorting itself out . . . I've got a lot of competition going on. I would suspect that the first eight can change, but that's the flexibility I have."

Major, of Ponderosa High School, said the work ethic across the board at linebacker is impossible not to notice: "All these guys want to work hard, want to be good. That's the most important thing. Then it's pretty much in coach's hands from there, and we all know he's very successful at that."

The increased numbers and intense competition leaves little or no room for subpar practices.

"Everybody's seeing it . . . you always feel that pressure, which is good," Major continued. "It makes everyone better. The guys low on the depth chart always want to climb, the guys at the top are always looking right back behind them. Somebody's always gaining. It brings out the best in you - it's got to."

Major, who played in six games last season as a redshirt freshman (he suffered a knee injury in his first year), entered camp wanting to gain more experience and smooth out his game.

"I want to stop being robotic . . . it's OK to be fluid out there instead of 'this gap - be there,'" he said. "I want to find the flow, be a little more fluid and make plays. It's all about the ball."

Is he getting there?

"Definitely . . . it's just experience," he said. "I've always been the type of guy who wants to perfect it and go from there."

After showing up well in summer 7-on-7 work, Harrington usually practices at Major's Will (inside) position but has found the acclimation process taking longer than expected.

"Things are going good, but there's still a lot to learn," he said. "It's taking a while."

Still, while Cabral wouldn't describe Harrington as being "overwhelmed," he didn't hesitate in applying that description to his incoming freshmen - Lowell Williams and Gage Greer. Redshirt freshman Liloa Nobriga is more advanced, but also still is learning. The depth chart lists him as sharing the third spot behind Ahles and Beatty with junior David Goldberg.

Harrington, said Cabral, "is just starting to sort it all out. It's a lot for him, but he's doing it. The only thing I can hope for is that he improves and gets better each day and week - and we build on it. It's very hard, but I do like his progress. He's not overwhelmed. Now my freshmen, they're overwhelmed."

But if they stay diligent and mimic Webb's first year on campus, good things await. A rare Tennessean on the CU roster, Webb admits that his head was swimming upon his arrival in Boulder in 2009.

"Yeah, I was lost . . . I'm not going to lie," he said. "The redshirt was probably the best thing that could happen to me. Taking the year to sit back and watch, pay attention . . . now it's my time and I feel like I'm ready to go."

In truth, he might be a couple of steps on the far side of ready.

"I'm bringing violence to the position," he said. "I want to inflict pain on somebody on every play. I'm going to go hard, 100 percent at the blocks, at the ball, wherever. And I'm going to try and hit you hard."

Off-season and summer conditioning left him fit and fast.

"I feel like I can run full speed on every down, go my hardest and still don't feel winded. I got in the best shape I could," 'D-Webb' said.

"Coach Cabral always said he knew I'd be 100 miles an hour, but I needed to learn where I was going with it. When I started learning the defense more, all the stuff just started coming together."

Webb's attitude and swagger always might have been there, but the knowledge of what to do and where to go was nurtured in summer sessions with Sipili, the fifth-year senior whose name arises in any conversation about leadership at the position or on the defense.

Said Webb, who mostly plays the Mike position (Sipili's) but has seen time at Will: "I learned as much as I could (last fall), then refreshed what I learned in the spring. By the time fall camp hit, I was pretty familiar with our base defense and just went from there. But I worked with (Sipili) a lot and watched lot of film over the summer. We learned it fast."

Major, Harrington and Webb all point to Sipili as a guiding force. If the LBs want to be like Mike, there's a reason.

"He's a leader to all the 'backers - a fifth-year guy. He's been here the longest," Webb said. "You can watch Mike and learn a lot, plus he's probably one of our hardest working linebackers. That's what I built my hard work on in the summer . . . he's inspired me to work harder."

Added Major: "He's not just (a leader) in our group, but on the whole team. He's done a very good job in the off-season . . . been where he's supposed to be, done what he's supposed to do. He's been very motivating in workouts and practices and coaching up guys.

"It's a little bit of a change for him, but I think he's embraced that responsibility. It's always been the other guys, but I think now he's stepping into it."

Cabral agreed: "He's fitting into everything you expect from a senior - the leadership, understanding the defense. He's been good, can't ask for anything more from Mike right now. He's been a little nicked up at times, but I like his leadership in our group and on the defense. He's confident and ready to have a great year."

So are the guys he's lining up alongside.

THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .

Linebackers

Coach: Brian Cabral, 22nd season.

Returning starters: SLB B.J. Beatty, Sr.

Returnees: MLB Michael Sipili, Sr.; WLB Jon Major; SLB Tyler Ahles, Jr.; MLB Doug Rippy, Soph.; WLB Patrick Mahnke, Jr.; SLB David Goldberg, Jr.

Newcomers: MLB Derrick Webb, Fr-RS; SLB Liloa Nobriga, Fr-RS; WLB Evan Harrington, Jr.; MLB Gage Greer, Fr.; WLB Lowell Williams, Fr.

Key losses: MLB Marcus Burton, WLB Jeff Smart, MLB Bryan Stengel, WLB Shaun Mohler, WLB Brandon Gouin.

Stat line: In Smart, the Buffs lost their second-leading tackler (93 total, 65 unassisted), so someone must step up to fill that void. Burton recorded 66 tackles (40 solo) and Mohler 42 (24). Here's an oddity: The linebacking corps didn't provide an interception in 2009, but Burton was tied for No. 2 in quarterback sacks (four).

Bottom line: With four key contributors - including two starters and the group's leader (Smart) over the past two seasons - graduated, this position will have a decidedly new look in 2010. But from all indications, Sipili has stepped into a leadership role and is talented enough to be a top tackler. Also, Cabral is reveling in his depth - something that's been absent for a while at this position.

Next: Running backs

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU