Colorado University Athletics
Eye On Newcomers, Youngsters In CU Spring Game
March 17, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — While Colorado coaches will be watching everyone closely in Saturday's spring game at Folsom Field, they'll be keeping an especially close eye on younger players, newcomers and those who don't have a wealth of experience.
Folsom Field gates will open at noon, with the practice portion scheduled to start at 1 p.m., followed by a scrimmage at about 2 p.m.
Saturday's scrimmage won't be full-contact, however, as head coach Mike MacIntyre said the Buffs will limit the work to mainly "thud" contact.
"We'll just do situational type scrimmage type situations," MacIntyre said. "We've lost two running backs spring, I'm not going to lose another one. We'll get after it but it will mainly be a 'thud' situation. We'll practice for half of it and scrimmage for half of it."
The Buffs lost running back Kyle Evans to a dislocated hip earlier in the spring, and Donovan Lee suffered a broken leg this week and is scheduled for surgery.
MacIntyre and his staff especially want to see how some of the younger players and newcomers, as well as a few who are trying different positions, perform on a slightly bigger stage than the practice fields.
"There's some fans there, there's some television there, you're in the stadium, so there's a little different feel," MacIntyre said. "They'll have a little bit more butterflies than they do just coming out here on Friday morning. .. The guys that have played a lot, we know what they're going to do on game day, so it's basically the guys we've plugged in and the guys that haven't played a whole lot."
Given that the Buffs graduated 10 starters from last year's 10-4 squad, that's a sizable chunk. The biggest bunch is on defense, where CU lost eight starters, but there are also a handful on offense.
In no particular order, here's a list of players CU's coaches told me they will be anxious to see in CU's final spring workout:
Center Jonathan Huckins — A starter at guard for the Buffs in years past, a bigger, stronger Huckins is stepping in at center, where coaches hope he'll be an anchor next fall.
WR Kabion Ento —The senior has had probably the most impressive spring of any of the wideouts — no small accomplishment, given that all four starters from last year returned. Two other WRs trying to break into the rotation are Lee Walker and Johnny Huntley, both of whom have had moments this spring. This will not only be an interesting position battle to watch Saturday, but one that will be great competition from day one of fall camp.
OL Josh Kaiser — With Jeromy Irwin playing left guard most of the spring, coaches have given Kaiser a chance to show his stuff at left tackle.
RT Aaron Haigler — Not a newcomer to the starting lineup, but this is the first spring it's been his job to keep at right tackle. Bigger and stronger, coaches want to see him lock down edge protection. Also at right tackle, coaches would like to see sophomore Dillon Middlemiss step up to the challenge.
LB Drew Lewis — The Buffs need a solid starter here to play alongside Rick Gamboa. Lewis took big strides this spring.
DB Evan White — Excellent athlete who can literally play every position in the secondary, but could be best-suited for the hybrid Buff position, where he can rush the quarterback on occasion, play the run and still cover a wide receiver when necessary. As Mike MacIntyre said, "he's going to play a lot of football for us."
DL Javier Edwards and Chris Mulumba — Two JC transfers on the defensive line expected to be big contributors next fall. The Buffs want Edwards to be the nose tackle wall; they want Mulumba to be the guy who can rush the passer and play the run while fending off big tackles.
DE Frank Umu — At 315 pounds, Umu could be a force. Has had a good spring; coaches want to see him finish strong.
LB Akil Jones — A redshirt freshman who has been impressive at times this spring, coaches want to see more consistency. Could be a big key to depth at the position.
CB Anthony Julmisse — With Isaiah Oliver the lockdown corner on one side, coaches want to see Julmisse take the next step. He's being pushed by Ronnie Blackmon and Dante Wigley, while Trey Udoffia has moved behind Oliver on his side. All the youngsters are talented; consistency will be the key to taking the next step.
FS Nick Fisher — One of the players who's made the big step from potential to production this spring. One of the reasons CU's defense may not take as big of a step back as some people predict.
S Kyle Trego — "Boundary" safety is a position squarely in the hands of Afolabia Laguda, a big hitter, a leader and a player who could be an all-conference contender this year. But Trego, a junior, is making the case for becoming an able backup. He should get some playing time this year and set the stage for CU simply reloading again a year from now.
QBs Sam Noyer and Tyler Lytle— We know what Steven Montez can do, and the sophomore has had an excellent spring by all accounts. But it will be interesting to see how youngsters Noyer and Lytle perform Saturday, as both have been impressive this spring.
RB Beau Bisharat — The sophomore has made a huge jump from last fall, both physically and from a comfort level with the offense. Coaches would also like to see Michael Adkins II work his way into the mix.
H-BACKS Chris Bounds and Dylan Keeney — A position that might be coming back, particularly when the Buffs line up in a two-back set. Bounds is a solid blocker; Keeney a capable receiver. It could be a wrinkle the Buffs continue to develop for next fall.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
