Brooks: With Numbers Up At TE, Productivity Is Next

(Fourth in a series of position-by-position previews of the 2012 Buffs to be posted on CUBuffs.com during preseason camp. Today: Tight ends.)

BOULDER - At long last, Colorado's body count is up at tight end. The goal now is to add quality to the quantity.

After finishing spring drills with three players at his position, assistant coach J.D. Brookhart's numbers more than doubled for fall camp. CU signed three freshmen tight ends in its 2012 recruiting class, and all look the part: Vincent Hobbs (6-4, 241), Sean Irwin (6-4, 230) and Austin Ray (6-6, 240).

Also returning to the position for preseason camp was DaVaughn Thornton, a junior who had moved to receiver for a season before coming back. One senior (Nick Kasa), another junior (Scott Fernandez) and a sophomore (Kyle Slavin) fill out Brookhart's roster to seven, and that number, he said, "allows us to do some of the things we'd like to do. We'd like to get in some more two tight end sets and be able to be a threat in both the run and pass game. I think we're growing to that, we really are.

"Ideally, you'd redshirt every freshman. We're not at that point right now. So there's a chance that one, two or all three of them will get involved in the mix. But we've certainly got more numbers - more than we had last year."

But with bigger numbers comes less experience. Fernandez, a former walk-on who went on scholarship early in camp; Kasa, a transfer from defense to offense last season; and Thornton, who began his college career at tight end, all have played but not enough to pacify Brookhart.

Kasa caught one pass in 11 games last season and is still learning, well, everything. "He had a big challenge going into summer - get four years of experience in two months," Brookhart said. "I have to say he's been very serious about what he's done. He seems to have gotten the position down.

"He'll continue to grow, but it's not a rookie out there like it was in the spring. Everything was corrected from Day 1 through Day 15. It was all new. But I think Nick feels that senior urgency to do something with his career and I think he's worked to reflect that."

At 6-6, 260, Kasa has the size, strength and speed to be a proficient blocker. But, noted Brookhart, "That's something else for him to work on. It's all new. I think he's capable of being good in a lot of areas."

Thornton was suspended for the first two games following an off-field incident before camp started. Whether or not he readjusts to his old position, "We'll find out," Brookhart said. "He's familiar with it and he's always been a fast-twitch guy. I think playing at some of that 'zebra' receiver will help him in our pass game. But he's got to be capable in the run game, too."

Slavin (6-4, 245) has gained weight and is "really kind of a jack-of-all-trades," noted Brookhart. "You trust him; he knows what he's doing. He very rarely has 'mentals' on the field."

Brookhart said Fernandez (6-3, 250) deserves applause because "he's really improved himself athletically. He's lost weight, worked out and gotten more flexible. He's got better body movement and his speed's better. He's catching the ball well. He's done a lot to help himself."

Then there is the trio of impressive freshmen...

Hobbs said his arrival on campus on June 1 allowed him a "great start" in the summer conditioning work. Speed/strength/conditioning coach Malcolm Blacken and his staff "let me know what I needed to do conditioning wise," Hobbs said. "I wasn't in college condition, but they put me in the right spot. Summer workouts really pushed me to my limits, so I was ready for camp."

A receiver in his first two high school (Dallas/Mesquite Horn) seasons, Hobbs switched to tight end as a senior concedes he's relatively new to the position. "I didn't know nothing about nothing," he said. "But I had to do my share of blocking; it was about even (with receiving). I don't think it should take me too long to get the technique down. I've got the size and the strength now."

In contrast, Irwin played tight end from his freshman year of high school (Cypress, Texas, Fairbanks) until he suffered a broken foot in his senior year. He indicated his blocking ability is above average, which should please Brookhart and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as they seek to beef up the running game.

"Oh, yeah . . . I was the main blocker, me and Jeromy (his twin brother, a CU freshman tackle)," Sean said. "When we'd run power he'd pull around and crash down on the seven technique...we ran the ball pretty good."

Irwin said he surprised himself during the first several days of camp: "I know it's going to get harder, but I didn't get completely 'owned' (in drills). I felt like I was holding my own. I was kind of surprised because I'm way underweight compared to Vince."

Irwin termed his receiving ability "all right...I still need to work on my routes and my cuts. I'm decent, not the best, but I have plenty of time to adjust. I can block and catch. I'm the only tight end here, besides Vince, I'm the only freshman who can play the slot and put my hand on the ground. So they've got me doing both."

Although Ray's high school (Columbia, Mo., Rock Bridge) team was more run-oriented, he said he felt "pretty balanced" in his run blocking/receiving ability. "But there's definitely room to improve in both," he added.

He liked CU's pro-style offense more than other schools' (including Missouri in his hometown) and, like his two freshman colleagues at the position, said the opportunity to compete early was a big lure.

"I realized the older guys were graduating and there was a real need for tight ends here," Ray said. "Also, it was a great tight end school to be at - especially with the head coach (Jon Embree) being a tight end. That never hurts. So I knew tight ends would be a big part of things here."

Added Hobbs: "It's a great opportunity...I knew a little about it when I committed here, but I know more about it now."

Irwin said he and his brother, who is 6-5, 280 and currently working at No. 2 left guard, both recognized the chance to play early in Boulder: "Yeah, that's why I committed here - me and Jeromy. We wanted to have an impact early and kind of help build something from the ground up."

The "ifs" at tight end are plentiful, but if the three freshmen develop as expected; if Kasa's learning curve diminishes early; if Slavin, Fernandez and Thornton can provide depth, then the thought of being a more effective two-tight offense will come to fruition.

"I think that has to be a portion of what we do," Brookhart said. "It kind of depends on where everybody falls out. Sometimes you're better in one-back sets, sometimes in two-back sets. And it depends on who you're playing, too. There's a lot to be seen until the end of camp.

"I would say we're more optimistic about what we can do. I think we still have some work . . . the talent is on hand; we've just got to develop it."

THE INSIDE LOOK AT...

Tight ends

Coach: J.D. Brookhart, second season on CU staff.

Returning starters: None.

Returnees: Nick Kasa, Sr.; Kyle Slavin, Soph.; DaVaughn Thornton, Jr.; Scott Fernandez, Jr.

Newcomers: Vincent Hobbs, Fr.; Sean Irwin, Fr.; Austin Ray, Fr.

Key losses: Ryan Deehan, Matthew Bahr.

Stat line: Tight end wasn't too much of a "go-to" position in CU's passing game last season, with Deehan catching 24 passes for 322 yards and one TD. And the run-game productivity (108.7 yards a game) doesn't reflect much blocking help from the position.

Bottom line: Coaches are hoping Kasa has found a productive home with his latest (and last) position switch. His receiving abilities appeared to be on the upswing at the conclusion of spring drills and he's physical enough to become a capable blocker. Slavin and the other returnees need to step it up to compete with a trio of newcomers that have been getting long looks in camp.

Next: Running backs

BUFF BITS: Monday marked the second of the Buffs' five scheduled two-a-day practices. At the conclusion of afternoon drills, which featured more situational work and a physical nine-on-seven session, coach Jon Embree said he "feels good with where we are." But there are areas where he wants improvement, specifically, "I want us to be tackling better, but every coach wants that," he added . . . . Redshirt freshman corner Sherrard Harrington returned to the field Monday and Embree said it was an obvious first day back, adding he believed Harrington was making progress during spring drills. "But now he's missed (this many) practices, so he's got to get going quickly." Harrington attended Howard D. Woodson High School in Washington, D.C., where current CU freshmen Kenneth Crawley and John Walker - both corners - went. Embree agreed it was possible that either of those two - particularly Crawley - might see the field before Harrington. "Sherrard has to get going . . . you've got to be healthy though. I can't make an assessment if you're not on the field; it's not his fault, he's had legitimate injuries. But now that he's back he's got to get going quickly." . . . . Embree also said DB Jered Bell was working his way back but at times appeared to be "stuck" in making transitions . . . . The Buffs have their first major scrimmage set for Saturday, and Embree is hoping answers emerge to several personnel questions - and yes, quarterback is among them. "By Saturday I would hope things start clearing themselves up," he said of the competition involving sophomores Connor Wood and Nick Hirschman and junior transfer Jordan Webb . . . . It's the stage of camp where several players are nursing injuries, most of them minor. Embree mentioned linebacker Brady Daigh "might have had a concussion," safety Marques Mosley had a slight hamstring pull, receiver Gerald Thomas "took a shot" or might have a groin pull. "It's been the usual camp stuff, but nothing major, nothing serious."