Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Ross Used An Unexpected Redshirt Season To His Advantage
August 20, 2015 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER – At the time, Devin Ross didn't want a year away from football. It was 2014, and he was fresh off a freshman season that had opened eyes among the University of Colorado's offensive coaches and receivers.
In truth, Ross' first year numbers were modest – six catches for 24 yards and five kickoff returns for 107 yards in 2013. But in both roles he showed enough skills and explosiveness to let the Buffs know they had a special freshman.
Then came the injuries . . .
A concussion kept him out of the final game (at Utah) of his freshman season. Ross recuperated in the off-season, but after cruising through spring drills relatively healthy, a hamstring pull and knee sprain in camp last August made him take a personal inventory.
Unsure how far into the season his rehabilitation with either injury would take, Ross decided to pull on a redshirt.
“It was a tough decision – not playing after my freshman year was different,” he said the other day after a walk-through in Folsom Field. “It was tough watching from the stands when your buddies are out there.
“But it was a good experience for me and a chance to get better in the offense and get faster and stronger. I learned a lot. It's a good thing now that I look back at it. I'm not as mad anymore; I can just play now. So, yeah, it was a good experience for me.”
And all indications thus far point to his decision paying off for the Buffs offense as well. He's playing both as an inside (slot) and outside receiver, and position coach Troy Walters says in the first half of camp Ross has shown he's back – and then some.
“He's had a great camp,” Walters said. “He's one of the most explosive, fastest receivers we have. That's what he brings to this offense – explosiveness, speed to stretch the defense.”
SENIOR NELSON SPRUCE WAS AMONG those Buffs receivers who took notice of Ross' freshman season and immediately tagged him as a keeper. The difference Spruce sees in Ross now “is mostly mental and getting more consistent, knowing that he has to practice hard all the time and not get down on himself if he makes mistakes. He's not doing that now.
“The mental part is big for him, so he's been in the playbook and he's definitely more comfortable with our offense. In this camp he's stacked day after day of good practices. So hopefully that carries into the season and it gives him the confidence he needs.”
If Ross starts in the Buffs' Sept. 3 opener at Hawai'i (11 p.m. MDT, CBS-SN), it likely would be as a slot receiver. But as Walters pointed out, “You say starting role, what does that mean? That he's in on the first play of the game? To me, he can be a major factor both inside and outside. But we're very talented.
“On the outside we do have Shay (Fields), Bryce (Bobo) and (Nelson) Spruce. But Devin brings a different dimension to the table. Whether he's in on the first play of the game kind of depends on the game. But he's going to have a major role. That's what I tell the guys, it's not about whether you start, it's about your role and how you finish.”
If in an inside (H) or outside (X, Z) position, Ross says he would be comfortable. He's learned all the plays/routes for both spots and believes he's “a threat at either one. I want to play where I'm needed. I don't really have a preference; I want to do what's best for the team.”
The Buffs are as well-stocked at receiver as they've been in recent years. Ross calls the wealth of talent “crazy” and points to receivers of all sizes on the roster: “Tall receivers, little fast receivers, medium sized receivers that can catch the ball – we have everything. I'm just excited to see what we can do. This is the best receiving corps we've had since I've been here.”
In his unexpected redshirt season, Ross used his time wisely. When he was able to return to the field, he was a scout-teamer going against CU's No. 1 secondary. That experience, said Walters, was pivotal for Ross: “He had to compete every day. He got better; he needed to mature a little and that helped him.”
Ross also needed some serious weight-room time. The season on hold put him in position for that, too. Playing as a 172-pounder in 2013, he knew he wasn't as strong and durable as he needed to be. Strength/conditioning coach Dave Forman and his crew addressed that; the 5-9 Ross reported to this August camp weighing 183 and still looking sleek and speedy.
Plus, his blocking – a facet that can keep Walters' receivers out of his rotation as much as busted routes – has improved because of his added strength. Ross' major lifts (bench press, squat, dead lift) have gone up as much as 40 pounds.
“Getting stronger and becoming a better blocker was one of my major focuses,” he said. “I'm trying to get better mentally in that (blocking) too.”
AMONG THE PURE RECEIVING ISSUES Ross addressed was improving his concentration as it relates to catching. For tips on both, he called on Walters, a former Stanford standout at receiver, and Spruce, who is in a class by himself in both concentrating and catching nearly everything within his zip code.
Spruce modestly says offering hands-on advice “is an area if I feel pretty comfortable with . . . and really, it's not so much in his hands as the concentration. What he's struggled with is making the catches when he's close to a defender. He's pretty good at making the easy catches; he just has to be more consistent in making catches in traffic.”
Walters' need for consistency in all areas at his position is off the charts. Inconsistency is a certain ticket to the sidelines. “We keep preaching being consistent day in and day out,” Walters said. “You have to have that mindset. And he's done that so far in camp. He wants to do so much that sometimes he tries to run before he catches it. Those are the ones he drops. You just don't do that; you catch it, make sure you have it and then work. We've got to kind of slow him down, make sure he catches the ball first.”
Spruce, a senior who set or tied 21 school records last season, can also speak to precise route running. He says Ross' routes “honestly are some of the best I've seen. So he doesn't have to come to me for routes (advice).”
Spruce, Ross, other receivers and quarterback Sefo Liufau spent many off-season Saturdays working on their route timing and catching coming out of their breaks. Said Ross: “That's a big thing for me and that's what Nelson does really well. You lose so much concentration trying to get out; you've got adrenalin pumping because you want to get open and score a touchdown.”
Spruce believes he can help talk Ross down from that adrenalin high and refocus him, but Spruce adds: “I think him being away from the game last year, not being able to suit up, made him hungrier. He seems to be wanting to attack it this year.”
Walters has frequently told Ross that his camp has been one of the strongest among the receiving corps, which comes as a welcome reinforcement to Ross.
“That was my goal coming in, to be able to play within this offense and come out of it feeling that I had given my all on every single play that I'm in,” he said. “I wanted to do whatever was best for the team and help us get those victories.”
Any help he offered last season was in helping the Buffs prepare, but that page has been turned. Different year, different scenario, different player – and Devin Ross is hoping for very different results.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
