Brooks: Buffs Hope TEs Take To Pistol's Creativity

(Second in a series of position-by-position previews of the 2013 Buffs to be posted on CUBuffs.com during preseason camp. Today: Tight ends.)

BOULDER - Klayton Adams likes the nearly boundless creativity at the position he coaches. Kyle Slavin likes to think of himself as a willing beneficiary.

Adams coaches Colorado's tight ends, Slavin is a junior with the most experience of any of Adams' returnees. Experience in this case is relative, and the Buffaloes' 2013 tight ends must compensate in other areas.

Enter Adams, and if all goes as planned through August camp, come September he's hoping his tight ends will be able to make the same type of contributions to the CU offense that they did last season at San Jose State.

In comparing this group with that one, Adams calls his collection of CU tight ends "different . . . I think there's probably a little more depth in terms of guys you feel comfortable playing than groups I've had in the past. We've got three or four (older) guys and some young guys who will have taken a jump when we get back on the field. But that's difficult to know until we get out there."

Under Mike MacIntyre at San Jose State, multi-tight end sets in the pistol offense were a staple. "We were in '12 personnel' 33 to 40 percent of the time or somewhere between," Adams said. "It was one of our favorite personnel groupings. But we also had a pretty good fullback and four or five wide receivers we liked. We were in a position where we felt comfortable with a lot of personnel groupings. We're hoping to have the same type of flexibility (at CU)."

For Adams, that flexibility translates to creativity with his position - and that's when the enjoyment begins and makes tight end, in his words, "a fun position to coach. In the past we've gotten pretty creative with what those guys can do. The thing that's nice about some of the guys you'll probably see playing this year is that there's some interchangeable pieces and also some unique skill sets. So I think we'll have the opportunity to be fairly creative with this group as well.

"We have an idea of what we think each guy's strengths are, and I think some of those strengths will have gotten better over the summer. Hopefully there's a guy or two who developed a new strength. That's a fun position to coach; if you're coaching, let's say the right tackle, that guy's going to be aligned at right tackle. He's going to be in that spot.

"At tight end, you can put guys in different positions - positions to be successful, positions to take advantage of what they do, whether it's at the line of scrimmage or off it. Sometimes they're flexed out or in the backfield. So I think we'll do a lot of different things with those guys and build on what we installed in the spring."

Slavin sees that tailoring of the offense to its personnel as potentially one of this season's biggest pluses. "One of the biggest differences with this new coaching staff is that they most definitely have adjusted the offense to what players' strengths are," he said. "They're emphasizing strengths - and with the tight end that's fun. You get to be in the slot sometimes, sometimes you're out wide. But you're also getting to be the traditional tight end and have your hand on the ground and be physical."

In Slavin's case, that's an acquired taste. When he came to CU from Chatfield High School three years ago, he believed he had "always been pretty good at catching the ball. That's what I did in high school; that's kind of been my niche here. But I think blocking's always something you can get better in. Coming out of high school, no one really knows how to run block. It's something you learn when you get there. It's always a constant improvement."

Slavin is working at that, and at 6-4 and a couple of clicks below 245 he believes he can be an effective run blocker as well as a receiver. Last season, he made 14 receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown, establishing him as the statistical leader among returnees at his position. Freshman Vincent Hobbs had bigger numbers (16 catches, 163 yards) but he's no longer on the team. Adams won't disagree that Hobbs' departure hurts, but adds, "Anytime a player ends up leaving the program it's a loss in some way. It's something we'll roll with. I guess the best way to say it is I'm really excited about the guys who are here, the guys I'm going to have the opportunity to coach."

The veterans in that group include Slavin, seniors Scott Fernandez and Alex Wood and redshirt freshmen Sean Irwin and Austin Ray. Three incoming freshmen - Chris Hill, Connor Center and Robert Orban - round out Adams' roster.

Wood was used exclusively at fullback last season and Adams says Wood's stature (6-2, 235) and versatility "make him the guy you and try put off the ball. He's be used some as a true tight end, some as a wing, some as a fullback. His biggest strength is his versatility."

Fernandez, Slavin and Wood, said Adams, appear to be efficient run blockers and "are all extremely bright . . . the volume you can do with those guys, the ceiling is pretty high for what you can install. They understand things really well."

The continued development of Irwin and Ray and the quick acclimation of at least one of the newcomers are key for depth purposes. If they earn the opportunity, "We'll have a lot of different guys who can play a lot," Adams said. "It's not like quarterback; at tight end we have the ability to use lot of different personnel groupings. And when you're using lot of personnel groupings you can let someone do what they do well. You just want to keep them out of situations that might not be their strength."

Despite no established marquee returnee and scant overall experience, Slavin still believes his position is stocked well enough to be productive in the offense.

"Absolutely," he said. "But it's going to be done more as a unit this year than in years past."

THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .

Tight ends

Coach: Klayton Adams, first season on CU staff

Returning starters: None

Returnees: Kyle Slavin, Jr.; Scott Fernandez, Sr.; Alex Wood, Sr.; Sean Irwin, Fr.-RS; Austin Ray, Fr.-RS.

Newcomers: Chris Hill, Fr.; Connor Center, Fr.; Robert Orban, Fr.

Key losses: Nick Kasa, DaVaughn Thornton.

Stat line: With Kasa establishing himself last season at a new position, the tight ends accounted for 70 of the Buffs' 222 receptions. Kasa made 25 catches for 391 yards and three TDs. MacIntyre would like to see receiving productivity at the position go up, as well as blocking proficiency in the run game.

Bottom line: The former coaching staff considered Hobbs an up-and-comer at tight end, so his departure undoubtedly is a blow. Slavin (14 catches in 2012) is steady and Fernandez and Wood are upperclassmen who will be counted on to step up and contribute. Beyond that threesome, the experience level drops off sharply to a pair of redshirt freshmen and a trio of incoming freshmen. The new offensive coaching staff valued the tight end position last season at San Jose State. Effectively utilizing it this season is a major goal - as well as a challenge.

Next: Linebackers

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU