Buffs Report For Camp, Practice Starts Thursday
August 01, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It's been a long offseason, but the waiting — at least in terms of players on the field — is over.
Eight months after the Colorado ended the 2017 season on a disappointing note with a loss at Utah, the Buffaloes are ready for a fresh start — an opportunity that will begin in earnest Thursday when they hold their first practice of fall camp.
The Buffs officially reported for camp Wednesday morning, but most of the day was dedicated to meetings, orientation and other administrative details.
It is Thursday when the cleats hit the grass for the first of 25 practices before the Aug. 31 season opener against Colorado State.
"We're excited," said CU head coach Mike MacIntyre, who is entering his sixth year in Boulder. "With the hard work this team has put in this summer, I'm looking forward to seeing how much improvement we've made going into fall camp and the process of getting ready for the 2018 season."
Safe to say, players are looking forward to opening camp as well.
The vast majority of the team's veterans (and most freshmen, as well) spent their summers in Boulder, attending class and participating in strength and conditioning workouts. By no definition are those workouts a summer "vacation."
But now, the 2018 season is more than a distant spot on the calendar. The practice fields have been striped, helmets and pads have come out of storage and starting spots and playing time are up for grabs.
Here's a quick primer on what you need to know as camp begins:
Practice schedule: The Buffs will practice 25 times in the next 28 days, with the first day in full pads set for Tuesday, Aug. 7.
Most of the practices will be held in the mornings, with the team getting Sundays off. Two practices will be open to the public, both on Saturdays: Aug. 4 (10:30 a.m. start) and Aug. 11 (9:15 a.m.). The Aug. 11 practice is tentatively scheduled to be the first scrimmage.
Once again, there will be no two-a-days, as the NCAA eliminated those sessions last year. Teams can, however, host "walk-throughs" in the evening, and the Buffs will conduct those sessions on a regular basis through Aug. 25.
Key dates: The Buffs open the season Aug. 31 against Colorado State in Denver (7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network). Their first home game is Sept. 15 against New Hampshire (3 p.m., Pac-12 Mountain), with the Pac-12 opener also a home game, Sept. 28 (a Friday) vs. UCLA at 7 p.m. (FS1). Tickets for all games are available here.
Who's back: The majority of Mike MacIntyre's staff returns from last year, including co-offensive coordinators Darrin Chiaverini (also wide receivers coach) and Klayton Adams (also offensive line). It is Chiaverini's third year as co-coordinator and it will be his first year calling plays, while it is Adams' first year as a co-coordinator.
Also returning are running backs coach Darian Hagan, tight ends/H-backs coach Gary Bernardi, defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot (also outside linebackers), defensive passing game coordinator ShaDon Brown and special teams/inside linebackers coach Ross Els.
Who's new: MacIntyre added three assistants to his staff in the offseason: quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper, cornerbacks coach Ashley Ambrose and defensive line coach Kwahn Drake.
Returning lettermen/starters: The Buffs return 44 lettermen, which includes 41 from the 2017 team and four from past years. That includes 18 players on offense, 22 on defense and four specialists. CU has 11 returning starters (four offense, seven defense): wide receiver Jay MacIntyre, tackle Aaron Haigler, guard Tim Lynott Jr., quarterback Steven Montez, nose tackle Javier Edwards, defensive end Chris Mulumba, cornerbacks Trey Udoffia and Dante Wigley, linebackers Rick Gamboa and Drew Lewis, and safety Evan Worthington.
Special teams starters returning are punter Alex Kinney, kickers James Stefanou and Davis Price, and long snapper J.T. Bale.
Team captains: The Buffs elected seven team captains in mid-July, including six seniors: linebacker Rick Gamboa, wide receiver Kabion Ento, wide receiver Jay MacIntyre, wide receiver Juwann Winfree, safety Nick Fisher and punter Alex Kinney. Also elected was junior tackle Aaron Haigler.
Daily updates: CUBuffs.com will provide daily written updates online, as well as daily video updates with voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson from practice. The video updates will be broadcast live on the CU Football Facebook page as well as on Twitter; and will also be available for later viewing at CUBuffs.com.
Rosters, depth chart, etc.: A complete preseason prospectus is available online on CUBuffs.com here.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
