CU Coaches Utilize Spring To Get Reps For Young Players

CU Coaches Utilize Spring To Get Reps For Young Players

March 31, 2021 | Football, Neill Woelk

By: Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor

BOULDER — Spring football is a time for learning, and not just for the players.

Colorado coach Karl Dorrell is using his first spring with the Buffaloes as a learning opportunity as well. In particular, he is utilizing the chance to watch younger players in roles they might not have had last fall, when the CU staff had to focus every practice on preparing for the next game.

"I'm learning every day, a little bit more about a lot of guys," Dorrell said after Wednesday's practice, the second of 15 this spring. "I'm looking to be better than what I was in the fall. This is a new season. You get a chance to see some guys get more reps than they normally would have gotten. My approach is a new approach and I'm learning a lot more about these guys."

Part of the equation involving younger players getting more practice repetitions in the spring is a matter of necessity. Several position groups have returning veterans who can't practice this spring because of injuries, while graduation and moving on to the NFL also resulted in some turnover.

But most importantly, Dorrell and his assistants now have the chance to give some of their newcomers and younger players a chance to compete — and perhaps move up the depth chart and vie for playing time when fall training camp arrives.

"That's what spring is for, is to try to build that depth at every position, give them some snaps, a chance to learn our systems," Dorrell said. "The whole goal is to get everybody reps in spring. You want them to feel like they had a chance to compete."

At some positions, such as inside linebacker, it means a wide-open competition. With last year's starters both unavailable for the spring — Nate Landman is recovering from surgery and Akil Jones graduated — CU coaches have the chance to see a variety of players who could figure into the equation next fall.

The group includes players CU coaches simply didn't have a chance to see much of last season, as well as some veterans. Among those getting plenty of reps in the first two practices are juniors Quinn Perry and Jonathan Van Diest, redshirt freshmen Marvin Ham II and Alvin Williams, and grad transfer Robert Barnes.

"We feel really good about what that position looks like," Dorrell said. " I thought guys last season that didn't get a chance to play that much, particularly guys like Marvin and Quinn, if they had more reps and got a chance to get a little bit more seasoned, they had good ability to be impactful players. This spring I've noticed them."

Williams, meanwhile, has made the move from outside linebacker to inside for the spring, and is getting his share of reps with the top two units.

"He looks like he has a lot of potential and speed and burst at that position," Dorrell said. "He looks natural in there."

Of course, the Buffs have yet to put on pads, having practiced thus far in just shorts and helmets. They will add upper pads to the mix for the next two practices, then put on full pads for the first time next Wednesday.

"I like the way they're moving," he said. "They're moving really athletically."

One position group hit hard by injuries has been the offensive line, where the Buffs have barely enough available players to put together a two-deep.

Still, it is giving CU coaches a chance to look at some younger players as well as some veterans at new spots.

Making the move from right tackle to left tackle this spring has been sophomore Frank Fillip.

"He's doing really well," Dorrell said. "He's excited about it, loves the challenge of what that brings. I think he's very confident about the year he had last year and carrying it over to doing better things in 2021. He's excited."

Other returning starters available for the spring include left guard Kary Kutsch and center Colby Pursell

Meanwhile, sophomore Kanan Ray is getting plenty of time at right guard and redshirt freshman Jake Wiley is getting a long look at right tackle. Also getting some reps up front are Carson Lee at center, Joshua Jynes at guard and Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan at tackle.

Dorrell is intrigued with Christian-Lichtenhan, a freshman who is listed at 6-foot-10, 330 pounds — the tallest player in CU football history.

"We call him 'Tank,'" Dorrell said. "He's a tall drink of water. I'm actually really fired up to watch him play. He's athletic for a 6-10 kid. We need to make a good transformation of reshaping his body a little bit as a young player, but he's got feet, he's got length, he's a decent athlete. I think he's going to surprise a lot of people in two to three years as to what his capabilities are."

Overall, Dorrell said, he's pleased with what he's seen so far. Unlike last fall — when his first practice with the team came just weeks ahead of the regular season opener — his players now know better what their coaches' expectations are, and Dorrell can spend a little more time giving more players a chance to compete.

"The mindset of this team is we know we have a chance to be a good team," he said. "We know that. It's just a matter of us putting the pieces together, making sure there's continuity in what we're doing and understanding what we're doing and just moving forward. I feel really good about where we're at as a team."

NO BRACE FOR BROUSSARD: Running back Jarek Broussard, last season's Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, is now practicing without a knee brace — a new feeling for the player who has undergone two serious knee injuries.

CU coaches last year good-naturedly joked that Broussard would have had even more yardage had he not been wearing a brace.

"I think we made enough jokes about it that ever since we started the offseason he hasn't worn it," Dorrell said. "He's gotten rid of the 'Linus blanket.' He's been training this whole offseason without it. He looks fabulous. He looks faster, which is what we all anticipated he would be without a brace."

Broussard agreed with Dorrell's assessment, especially after watching film from last year. He said he thought he saw the brace restricted him to a degree, and he thus went through winter strength and conditioning without the brace.

After two practices, he said the results are positive. "I feel a lot better, a lot faster, more elusive."

MORE PLAYS FOR OLBS? Earlier this week, Dorrell said CU's new defensive scheme would simplify some of the calls and checks. That, he said, will hopefully allow the Buffs' outside linebackers to "pin their ears back" and make more plays.

Outside linebacker Carson Wells, who last season led the nation in tackles for loss per game, agreed — but added that it's still up to the players to deliver.

"It opens it up for us to make more plays," he said. "Now we have to go out and make a few."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu