Six Buffs Sign NFL Contracts

BOULDER – Six Colorado Buffaloes football players from the 2022 team have figured out their next steps in their dream to play in the NFL on the heels of the 2023 NFL Draft Saturday night and Sunday.

Daniel Arias (Arizona Cardinals), Terrance Lang (Los Angeles Chargers), Brady Russell (Philadelphia Eagles), and Guy Thomas (Indianapolis Colts) all signed free agent contracts while Robert Barnes (Seattle Seahawks) and Quinn Perry (New York Giants) were invited to minicamps.

Additionally, former Buffs Mekhi Blackmon (Minnesota Vikings, third round) and Christian Gonzalez (New England Patriots, first round) were drafted, and Aaron Maddox (Indianapolis Colts) signed a free agent contract.

CU has had success with undrafted free agents in the NFL, as at least one CU player has made an NFL roster after not being drafted each of the last nine seasons. Nate Landman was the latest such player in 2022, making the Atlanta Falcons roster after not being drafted last season. Landman is the 68th CU player to earn a roster spot after not being drafted.

Four other Buffs, Josh Chandler-Semedo, Isaiah Lewis, Anthony Lyle and Jamar Montgomery, all took part in CU's Pro Day in March and could still land contracts.

Though they didn't finish their careers as Buffs, Blackmon and Gonzalez become the 277th and 278th players in CU history to be drafted, and Gonzalez is the 25th first-round pick in CU history. At No. 17 overall, Gonzalez is also tied for the 14th-highest draft pick in CU history and highest since Nate Solder also went No. 17 overall, also to the New England Patriots, in 2011.

Arias is a versatile receiver and stand out on special teams. He played in 50 career games with 21 starts, and finished his career with 48 receptions for 750 yards and four touchdowns. He set a CU record with 28 force fair catches on special teams and seventh overall in special teams points with 77.

Barnes was a graduate transfer from Oklahoma and played in 57 games between the Buffs and Sooner at linebacker. He finished his career with 145 tackles, including 84 at Colorado the past two seasons. In 2022, he played in all 12 games and had 40 tackles, two for a loss with four third down stops and one quarterback pressure.

Lang is a gifted pass rusher who played in 53 career games with 36 starts at CU. He had 125 tackles including 21 for a loss with 11.5 sacks in his career that included 30 quarterback hurries, 34 third down stops and six pass breakups. An NFF All-Colorado first-team selection in 2022, he was also honorable mention All-Pac-12 back in 2020.

Perry played in 31 games at CU with 18 starts after joining the Buffs from the junior college ranks. He finished his CU career with 159 tackles including five-and-a-half tackles for loss with one sack, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He had a career-best 17 tackles at Air Force early in his final season at CU.

Russell played in 42 games at CU and started 32, rising from the ranks of walk-on to All-Pac-12 throughout his career. He finished his career with 78 receptions for 799 yards and three touchdowns, the first two earning top 10 marks in CU history for tight ends. Russell earned the Buffalo Heart Award to cap his final season, voted on by the fans behind the bench.

Thomas is an athletic edge player who played in 23 games at CU with 17 starts over the past three seasons. He finished his CU career with 86 tackles, including nine for a loss with three sacks, nine third down stops and four quarterback hurries. Starting his career at Nebraska, he joined CU from Coahoma Community College, where 10 of his 30 tackles were for loss including three sacks.

Blackmon played four seasons at Colorado coming from the Junior College ranks and finished his CU career with 84 tackles and 13 pass breakups with 13 third down stops and two interceptions. He transferred to USC for his final year of eligibility (he played just four games in 2019 due to injuries and the 2020 season did not count against him due to the COVID pandemic) and had 45 tackles with 12 pass breakups and three interceptions and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors for the Trojans.

Gonzalez played for Colorado in 2020 and '21, starting all 18 possible games for the Buffaloes those two seasons. He racked up 73 tackles, including six for a loss, with seven pass breakups, eight third down stops and two quarterback hurries. At Oregon in 2022, he was first-team All-Pac-12, leading the Ducks with four interceptions, two of which came at Folsom Field against the Buffs last year, and he was the first Pac-12 player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Maddox played for CU in 2018-19 from the junior college ranks. He played in 16 games at CU and transferred out of CU after the fourth game of the 2019 season. After CU, he played at Southern Illinois for one season in 2020 and then the last two at Campbell University.

Players Mentioned

Daniel Arias

Robert Barnes

Josh Chandler-Semedo

Terrance Lang

Isaiah Lewis

Anthony Lyle

Jamar Montgomery

Quinn Perry

Brady Russell

Guy Thomas

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