Spring Football Position Preview: D-Line Development Will Be Crucial

This is the first in a series of position previews as Colorado head coach Mel Tucker and his staff prepare for their first spring ball session in Boulder. The spring opener is scheduled for March 18, with two more workouts set that week before CU takes its spring break. The Buffs will then resume practices on April 1, with the spring game set for April 27 at Folsom Field.

BOULDER — When Mel Tucker took the job at Colorado, he quickly made it clear where he believed the Buffs needed to improve in a hurry.

Up front. In the trenches. The big fellas. Tucker took one look at Colorado's offensive and defensive lines and immediately expressed a desire to get bigger, faster and stronger up front on both sides of the ball.

Tucker and his new staff did their best to address those areas in recruiting, signing 11 linemen (six defense, five offense), with three of those players already on campus and taking part in strength and conditioning drills ahead of spring ball.

But there will be plenty of work to do between now and the Aug. 30 opener against Colorado State on the defensive line, as the Buffs lost a plethora of experience from last season. Still, there are some youngsters ready for their shot, as well as some incoming recruits who could contribute immediately — and they will all be working under new D-line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh.

What's ahead on the defensive line:

2018 IN REVIEW: The Buffs did improve in several areas last fall, beginning with their pass rush, where they recorded 30 quarterback sacks (up eight from the previous year). Colorado also improved in defending the run, giving up 1,747 rushing yards (2,496 in 2017), 3.74 yards per attempt (5.23) and 145.6 per game (208).

That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that Colorado lost two starters from last season, with end Israel Antwine opting to transfer and nose tackle Javier Edwards graduating. That means nly one returning player — Mustafa Johnson — started more than one game for CU in 2018. After Johnson, the returning experience is thin, meaning every spring and fall practice will be crucial, particularly as the Buffs learn a new defensive system.

WHO'S BACK: While there's not a lot of returning experience, Johnson — a first-team All-Pac-12 selection — is a very good place to start. The junior jumped into the starting lineup almost as soon as he arrived as a junior college transfer last spring and immediately became a fixture for the Buffs. Johnson finished with 73 tackles, including a team-leading 8.5 sacks, along with nine other tackles for loss and 10 third-down stops. He is, by all accounts, having an excellent spring in the weight room, and should be a solid piece to the puzzle around which the Buffs can build.

One player the Buffs are counting on to make a big jump is sophomore Terrance Lang, who started one game last year and played a total of 263 snaps. Lang played mostly as a pass-rush specialist in 2018, and delivered one sack, 11 tackles and six quarterback pressures. He's another player who is making big strides in the weight room and should be ready to compete for every-down playing time.

Two youngsters who could have an impact are redshirt freshmen Jalen Sami and Melekiola Finau. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Sami, in particular, is an intriguing prospect. A late bloomer in high school, he is back from an injury and has benefited greatly from time in the weight room, where coaches like what he's done. Big and powerful, Sami could give the Buffs a boost at nose tackle.

WHO'S NEW: Tops on this list, of course, is Brumbaugh, who spent the last two years at Maryland. Brumbaugh has a reputation for quickly developing quality young linemen, something that will be critical in Boulder from the outset.

As for new players, one of the six linemen signed in the recruiting period — junior college transfer Jeremiah Doss — is already on campus and working out. Tucker was high on Doss when he announced his signing, noting that he can play inside and out in Colorado's 3-4 alignment.

SPRING STORYLINES: The most important piece of the puzzle will be how fast Brumbaugh can instill his techniques and attitude. A high-energy coach, Brumbaugh has a big task in front of him as the Buffs must rebuild quickly after losing two of their regular three starters from 2018.

One key piece to the puzzle will be nose tackle. Johnson can play the inside in a pinch, but the Buffs would likely rather have him on the outside. It means Sami will no doubt get the opportunity to prove himself.

It will also be interesting to see where Doss fits into the equation, and CU coaches will also no doubt be keeping a close eye on Lang. If the sophomore can show he's improved his play against the run, he has the talent to become a Pac-12 force.

FALL CAMP LOOK AHEAD: While the spring will no doubt be a big step in the defensive line's development, CU coaches also can't be blamed for looking ahead to the fall.

That's when they will greet four freshmen and a JC transfer, all with Tucker's prerequisite of size. All five newcomers — Janaz Jordan, Jayden Simon, Na'Im Rodman, Lloyd Murray Jr. and Austin Williams — are 300-pounders, and it won't be a surprise if at least a couple of them find themselves competing for playing time from the get-go.

SPRING SCHEDULE: Tucker's first CU spring session is set to start the week before spring break on Monday, March 18, with the spring game set for Saturday, April 27 (Noon, to be televised live by the Pac-12 Networks). The dates are as follows: March 18-20-22—(spring break)—April 1-3-5-8-10-12-15-17-19-22-24-27. The team is allowed 15 practices; how the practice sessions will break down, per NCAA rules: three in shorts (no contact), four in pads (no tackling), four in pads (tackling allowed 50 percent or less of the time), four in pads (tackling allowed throughout). Spring break (March 25-29) does not count against the 29 days should the schedule be dramatically revised for some reason. CU's annual Pro-Timing Day has been set for Wednesday, March 6 (1-4 p.m.).

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu