Colorado University Athletics
Buffs OC Lewis Pleased With Early Progress
March 22, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis knows one speed.
Fast.
Lewis wants the Buffaloes to think fast, move fast and — if all goes well — score fast.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves a little here. Lewis isn't thinking about next fall or the scoreboard. Neither is Lewis looking ahead and thinking about how the Buffs' offense will operate and execute when it takes the field against the likes of TCU, Nebraska, Colorado State, Oregon or USC.
Lewis is thinking about today and tomorrow. He is concentrating on spring ball, consumed with making sure his players understand the concepts of the offense and are able to process the information they have at a rapid rate in a multitude of situations.
With just 15 practices to set a foundation — and three already in the books — there can be no time wasted.
So exactly how fast is "fast" in Lewis' world?
Here's his explanation:
"When you're operating this offense, it's like riding a bike down a volcano that's erupting," Lewis told the media Wednesday morning after the Buffs wrapped up their third practice of the spring "You can't be thinking about the bike. You got to know the bike. And that's what our offense is, and that's what we're doing right now — we're teaching the bike, we're teaching the offense. We're teaching them to be elite problem solvers so that no matter what problems present themselves, the guys have the tools, the techniques and the fundamentals to be able to apply it and think fast, know fast, do fast."
After two days in shorts and helmets, the Buffs donned some shoulder pads Wednesday and engaged in a little actual contact. The practice was relatively short but CU coaches were able to get their first glimpse of how their players react in team situations.
"There's some good, there's some bad, there's some ugly, but we're learning about one another," Lewis said. "We're testing the guys and today was a good test with the pads on for the first time to see who we can trust and see where we're at — create that adversity and see who responds the right way. But I liked the attitude. I liked the approach and the way guys are going about it."
Given the massive roster change — roughly half of CU's players have never worn a Colorado uniform in a game — the Buffs are in some ways building from scratch. While there are returning players at most positions, there are also newcomers at every spot.
Most positions are up for grabs. But there is one spot where barring catastrophe, the Buffs know who the starter will be next fall — quarterback, where Shedeur Sanders (son of head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders) is already settling nicely into the role.
"He's doing a really good job," Lewis said. "He's done a really nice job with all those previous offenses that he's been a part of, to be able to clear that terminology, learn this new terminology fresh so that he can process quickly. I think he's doing a really nice job."
One position of particular interest and importance is wide receiver. The Buffs have several returnees with experience at the spot — Montana Lemonious-Craig, Chase Sowell, Jordyn Tyson (injured) and Ty Robinson among them — as well as a competitive group of newcomers. That group includes two-way standout transfer Travis Hunter (Jackson State) and transfer Jimmy Horn Jr.
Hunter was one of the nation's top defensive back recruits a year ago and could help Colorado on both sides of the ball. Horn told the media earlier this week he believes he's the fastest player on the team.
No brag, just fact.
From Lewis' perspective, it will be the receivers who make the offense go. In his system, they can adjust their routes according to the situation — decisions they must make in a split second.
"The total volume that they have to run, the amount of information that they have to be able to process going full speed," Lewis said of their duties. "They're the angels that make it go. I know the trigger man in any system (quarterback) gets all the glory and recognition — probably probably too much praise and far too much criticism. But the wide receivers are the angels that make this thing go."
While it's definitely early, Lewis believes CU's wideoutsmight have the wings to make things happen.
Lewis said Horn is already showing what outstanding speed can do in the offense.
"He can run really fast and run by people," Lewis said. "He has that elite trait that no matter all the techniques and fundamentals that we give him, he picked his parents the right way and he can go."
Hunter, meanwhile, is still learning the nuances of the position — especially at the Power 5 level.
"He's gonna be able to help us on both sides of the ball," Lewis said. "He has a very unique skill set that's going to help the team in a lot of different phases. Offensively, he needs to do a great job just finding his route running because he's one of the freakiest athletes on any field he's ever stepped out. Now we're gonna get on the field in a very competitive league with really elite DBs. And when he comes across a DB as a wide receiver where talent is equal, how are you going to win? That's where it comes down to techniques and fundamentals in your approach and your work that you do. As he continues to train the right way, I think he is going to be able to add some value in all phases of the game."
Of course, none of the fun stuff happens if the big fellas up front aren't handling their part of the job. So far, Lewis said, he likes what he's seeing. The offensive line is another place where the Buffs have some returning players with experience — Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Jake Wiley and Van Wells — as well as some experienced newcomers such as Tyler Brown (Jackson State), Yousef Mugharbil (Florida) and Savion Washington (Kent State).
"They're doing a good job learning their calls and learning to play together as one," Lewis said. "The biggest thing is that we got to put the five best guys out there that see the front through the same set of eyes."
Players Mentioned
