Colorado University Athletics
Look Ahead: QB Spot Centers On Liufau's Health
June 02, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With the onset of organized summer workouts just around the corner and the opening of football fall camp less than 10 weeks away, we continue the process of breaking down where the Colorado Buffaloes stand on a position-by-position basis.
Next up: Quarterback.
No position in football is scrutinized more closely, and you can bet the microscope will be focused squarely on this position from Day One of fall camp when the Buffs open in August.
There's certainly been no lack of drama here. The starter for the last three seasons, senior Sefo Liufau, did not participate in spring drills as he is still rehabbing a Lisfranc foot injury, suffered late late last season. The player many thought would come in and compete for a starting job in August, Texas Tech transfer Davis Webb, instead backed out of his commitment and enrolled at Cal in late May.
That meant plenty of reps for senior Jordan Gehrke and redshirt freshman Steven Montez in spring ball, as well as some work for senior Jaleel Awini, who has played linebacker, quarterback and wide receiver in his time at CU.
Liufau recently said his rehab progress is on schedule, or even slightly ahead of the original target date. Still, there's no guarantee that he will definitely be ready when the calendar flips to August. The fact that he wasn't able to participate in spring drills didn't help, particularly as the Buffs spent the spring session tweaking the playbook and increasing the tempo of the offense.
Still, Liufau was at every practice and every film session, and he took in as much as possible from those angles. He'll know the playbook; the question will be how quickly he can adapt to the rapid pace.
What we learned in spring: With Liufau watching from the sidelines, it meant a great deal of work for Montez and Gehrke.
The Buffs know what they have in Gehrke, as he appeared in three games last fall. Listed as the No. 2 quarterback for much of the year last year, he was passed on the depth chart by Cade Apsay (no longer with the program) when Liufau was injured. But, Gehrke had a solid spring and seemed to grasp the changes in the offense quickly. He also had a good spring game, completing 10 of 12 attempts for 126 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Montez, the big-armed, athletic youngster no doubt turned heads in the spring. While he's still green — he's never taken a snap in a college game — he made big strides in CU's 15 practices. He can make plays with his legs, throws a nice deep ball and has excellent velocity with his short game. After a slow start in the spring game, he came back to finish 12-for-21 for 75 yards with one interception.
What's next: Summer will be ultra important for this position. Along with strength and conditioning workouts, the quarterbacks will be participating in player-led workouts. Those will include 7-on-7 drills that will be a key in developing timing between the quarterbacks and receivers.
How much Liufau will be able to participate in the summer sessions depends on his rehab progress. But every pass the quarterbacks are able to throw this summer will help their preparation for fall camp.
Fall camp storylines: Liufau is the incumbent starter here, and if he's ready to go full speed when fall camp opens, there's no doubt he'll have the edge. But even if that's the case, expect Montez to push him. That alone should provide for an interesting fall.
One peripheral story that will have a big impact on the quarterback situation is the development of CU's offensive line. In 2014, Liufau threw for 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns. Last year, behind a patchwork offensive line that had nine different starting combinations, those numbers dropped to 2,418 yards and nine TDs (although he played in just 10 full games before he was injured in the first quarter of his 11th).
CU coaches, from head coach Mike MacIntyre on down, have said they expect a big year from Liufau if he's healthy. Liufau is determined to make his senior season one that he and his teammates will remember fondly. If healthy — and if CU's offensive line develops as hoped — he'll likely have the chance to do just that.
Note: CU's “pencil” depth chart is the one that has been released to various magazines around the nation for their summer preview specials. It includes players who were injured and did not participate in spring but are expected to be ready for summer drills. It does not include players who have yet to practice with the team, such as incoming freshmen and transfers, and players who have not been cleared to fully participate in summer workouts.
Pencil depth chart:
Quarterback: Jordan Gehrke, Steven Montez, Jaleel Awini, T.J. Patterson, Tyler McGarry. (Note: Liufau is not included because he has not yet been cleared for full-speed drills).
Incoming players who could figure into the mix: The Buffs signed one quarterback in their 2016 recruiting class, freshman Sam Noyer. The Oregon prep product had an outstanding high school career, and while it's unlikely that he'll come in and make an immediate impact, he'll no doubt get a chance to show his stuff early in fall camp.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
