Buffs Practice Report: LB Tchangam Challenging For Time; Young DBs Flashing; Tucker Likes Effort

BOULDER — Colorado senior Alex Tchangam is still a relative newcomer to the game of football.

But the CU outside linebacker is making up for lost time, and could find himself in a significant role when the Buffs open the season Aug. 30 against Colorado State in Denver (8 p.m., ESPN).

Tchangam, who did not play high school football, played two years at De Anza JC in California before transferring to CU in time for the 2018 season. He got some playing time last year — 90 snaps on defense in nine games — and finished with eight tackles and a sack.

But after a full spring and summer under Mel Tucker's new system, Tchangam is feeling much more at home on the field, and he has been picking up some regular repetitions with the No. 1 defense recently in camp.

"I think I've had a pretty good camp, especially with the coaches pushing me every day, getting on me and making me better," Tchangam said after Wednesday's practice. "Learning how to cover (receivers/tight ends) a lot more has been important, and I've had to learn how to play standing up. I've always played with my hand down, and that's been a big adjustment. But I think I'm getting comfortable doing all those things."

Tchangam, a native of Cameroon, is a terrific athlete blessed with good size (6-3, 245), speed and strength. The challenge has been for him to develop the football savvy to go with that athleticism, an area in which he has made good progress in fall camp.

"I'm picking up the game a lot quicker," he said. "I'm able to tell formations, I know where the ball is going to go — little things like that. All that comes with studying film and learning."

Tchangam has shown an ability to get to the quarterback since he arrived. Now, he is improving his run defense — enough so that he's getting some opportunities with the No. 1 defense.

"Alex is improving," Tucker said after last Saturday's scrimmage. "He's becoming more physical at the point of attack in the running game. We all know he has extraordinary athletic ability and the ability to get a pass rush for us. He just needs to continue to work to be more consistent in the run game. But I like what I've seen out of him."

YOUNG DBS STEPPING UP: With just one starting cornerback returning from last season in Delrick Abrams Jr., the Buffs are striving to build depth at the spot. Along with giving returning players plenty of chances at the spot, it also means giving newcomers their opportunities to show their stuff.

Wednesday, Tucker said true freshmen K.J. Trujillo and Tarik Luckett have both made nice strides over the last few days. Trujillo got some snaps with the No. 1 defense Wednesday, while Luckett, who made the move from wide receiver to corner just last week, has shown a knack for getting to the ball and breaking up passes.

"K.J. Trujillo has stepped up and made some plays," Tucker said. "I'm really happy that we moved Tarik Luckett over. He shows up every day and makes some plays. He was making plays before he even knew what he was doing. Hopefully we don't coach him down and he can continue to make some plays. I like his skill set. That's going to help."

The Buffs place a heavy emphasis on depth in the secondary because the scheme employed by Tucker and defensive coordinator Tyson Summers calls for five to six DBs on every snap. That includes two safeties and two corners, along with the "star" and/or a nickel back.

DISCIPLINE EMPHASIS: After Tuesday's practice, Tucker talked to his team about playing physical but staying off the ground. Unless the Buffs are involved in a full-scrimmage situation, he wants contact to be made — but not tackles all the way to the ground, because that is how and when the majority of injuries occur.

Wednesday, he said the team made progress in that regard.

"I feel like we got better today," he said. "This was our best practice in terms of being physical but staying off the ground. We made a big point of emphasis with that the last couple of days … We need to play fast, we need to play physical but we can't have guys on the ground when we're not scrimmaging. Today was our best day for that. That tells me that our guys are responding, they're coachable and they understand that it's all in the details. If we say stay up, you gotta stay up. That was important."

Tucker also talked to the team Tuesday about eliminating "trash talk."

"We're learning how to play hard, compete hard, make each other better but not a lot of talking about it," he said. "We don't want to talk to our opponents. We want to play and when the whistle blows, go back to the huddle, reload, get ready to go again. We're learning all those things. Stay off the ground, we don't talk to our opponents. Play fast, play physical, do your job and go to the next play."

Tucker was asked why he stressed not talking to an opponent.

"There's no reason to talk trash to the other team," he said. "That's not what good teams do. Good teams don't do that. Good teams focus on doing their job, execute, and they learn from the previous play and move on to the next one. There's no time to talk. We have to talk with our pads and be physical. That's what says the most."

BALE ON WATCH LIST: CU senior long snapper J.T. Bale has been named to the preseason watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award, a new honor this year. The award is named after former Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly, who held a roster spot for 16 years with the Chicago Bears.

Bale, a preseason All-Pac-12 pick by some media outlets, has handled all of Colorado's snapping duties for punts and kicks the last two seasons.

PRACTICE REPORT: The Buffs were in shells Wednesday in what Tucker described as a good "back and forth" day, with both sides of the ball coming up with some big plays … The battle at running back continues to be a good one. Jarek Broussard broke a nice long run Wednesday, Deion Smith made a great grab on a long pass and Alex Fontenot continues to be maybe the most consistent of the bunch in terms of ball security, pass blocking and running … Aaron Maddox and Mikial Onu lined up at safety with the No. 1 defense in several team drills …

Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. had an outstanding day, making two outstanding catches on fade routes in the corner of the end zone, and also picking up some big yards after the catch on a couple other occasions … Corner Tarik Luckett had an interception, thanks to a batted ball by linebacker Quinn Perry at the line of scrimmage.

SCHEDULE: The Buffs are scheduled to be back in full pads Thursday and shells on Friday before conducting their second major scrimmage of camp Saturday.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu