CU Football Update: Recruiting, Spring Ball, New Coaches

BOULDER — Nobody needs to tell Mike MacIntyre that his fourth spring with the Colorado football program will be a pivotal one.

MacIntyre has added two new assistants, with another on the way. His players are back for the spring semester and have already started a strength and conditioning program under new director Drew Wilson. The coaching staff is busily wrapping up the Buffs' 2016 recruiting class (and starting on 2017), and plans for spring ball are being tweaked to maximize as many factors as possible.

We caught up with MacIntyre earlier this week, just before he headed back on the road on a recruiting trip, for an update on a variety of topics:

STAFF ADDITIONS: MacIntyre has added two assistants to his staff. Wilson takes over as director of football strength and conditioning while Darrin Chiaverini, a former CU wide receiver standout, will assume the roles of co-offensive coordinator, receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

“We're tremendously excited about both of our new hires,” MacIntyre said. “They're already making a positive impact.”

Wilson, who arrived over the holiday break, has already begun split morning workouts for offensive and defensive players in the Champions Center spacious new weight room.

“He brings us excellent expertise,” MacIntyre said of Wilson, who came to CU from Maryland. “He's really knowledgeable guy in the strength world and also very, very personable with the players. He'll be able to rally those guys in that room. He'll be able to get them bigger and stronger and faster, of course, but also be able to help them build even more buy-in and team camaraderie. It's extremely important that they believe in him and he believes in them, and that he's pushing them.”

Chiaverini, whose last stop was Texas Tech, has also had an immediate impact. A coach with a reputation as a tireless and effective recruiter, he's quickly put those skills to work in Boulder.

“We're excited about Darrin being here,” MacIntyre said. “He's already bringing a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the program. He has excellent expertise in the passing game and he's been a special teams coordinator, so he brings expertise in that area. He's already working with Brian (Lindgren) on the offense, and being a former player here and having coached in California and Texas, those are two prime recruiting areas for us that he knows a lot about. He's making an impact.”

MacIntyre still has one vacancy left on his coaching staff, one he said he hopes to fill soon. That hire may have an effect on how coaching assignments are ultimately divided, something he said is “still up in the air.”

RECRUITING: MacIntyre said this year's class is “shaping up well.”

“It's tight for us numbers-wise, and that's making it a little bit tough,” MacIntyre said. “There's more kids that want to come that are excellent players than we have scholarships for. There's a lot of great choices; we have to decide what's the best choice.”

MacIntyre was hesitant to pinpoint just how many players the Buffs will sign on Feb. 3. The class will likely include a few “grayshirts” (players who won't enroll until spring of 2017), and just like every other staff in America, MacIntyre and his staff must also try to estimate spring attrition, a number that can be affected by transfers, academic casualties and early graduation.

SPRING BALL: Originally scheduled to begin Feb. 15 and finish with the annual Spring Game on March 13, MacIntyre and his staff are considering changing those dates because of a variety of factors.

“It's a combination of our new strength coach, the new hire we have yet to make and our staff wanting to feel like we're completely ready to go for spring practice,” MacIntyre said. “We want to be ready and do what's best for our team, and we'll take all those factors into consideration.”

While the coaching staff has already finished a critique of last season, MacIntyre said the staff will go through the season again to help determine what areas they want to emphasize in the spring.

Injuries are also a factor.

“I've been meeting with the trainer and we've got some guys that are coming back off some different things,” MacIntyre said. “We want to figure out when the majority of those guys could maybe be back to practice, or at least be able to go out there and move around.”

Thus, the original Feb. 15 date may be changed. “It's predicated on all those areas,” MacIntyre said. “We want to make sure we're able to maximize the practices we have and make sure we're ready.”

MacIntyre also noted that at least seven Buffs are definitely out for the spring because of injuries. The list includes OT Jeromy Irwin, LB Addison Gillam, QB Sefo Liufau, DL Terran Hasselbach, DL Blake Robbins, DL Tyler Hennington and LB Travis Talianko.

One thing that won't change for spring ball is the availability of the Buffs' new indoor practice facility adjacent to the Champions Center. The facility will be ready when the Buffs open spring practice.

NEW QUARTERBACK: The Buffs added a quarterback to their roster over the holiday break when Tennessee freshman Sheriron Jones opted to transfer to Colorado. A 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, Jones played high school ball at Rancho Verde High School in Moreno, Calif., and received high rankings from a variety of recruiting services.

“We recruited him hard a year ago, but he ended up going to Tennessee,” MacIntyre said. “When he decided he was going to leave Tennessee he called us. We always liked him; he's what you would call a true dual-threat quarterback. He's a good student and he realized he wanted to play in the Pac-12. I think maybe he got enamored a little bit with the SEC, but he's a West Coast kid and realized the Pac-12 is where he really wants to play. He always loved Colorado through the whole recruiting process, and we're excited to have him.”

Jones has started classes and strength/conditioning workouts. He must sit out next season per NCAA transfer rules, and will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in the 2017 season.

Overall, MacIntyre said, “We're excited. We have an older group and a lot of guys who have been contributors for us. We made gains last year in our strength and conditioning and this group should really be able to take a big step forward. We're excited about the spring and what we hope to accomplish.”

SEASON TICKETS: The CU ticket office is currently taking deposits for 2016 season tickets, which will include games against CSU, Idaho State, Arizona State, Oregon State, UCLA, Utah and Washington State. The season opens Friday, Sept. 2, vs. Colorado State. Put a deposit down now for 2016 season tickets either on-line or by calling 303-492-8337.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu