Colorado University Athletics
Newcomer Vets A Boost For Buffs DE Coach Williams
April 05, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — There's no doubt Colorado assistant coach Nick Williams knows the numbers.
Now the Buffaloes' defensive ends coach has to improve them.
Williams, who played at Georgia and served two seasons as a defensive analyst at Texas A&M, joined Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' staff last winter as CU's defensive ends coach.
His task is a tall one. He takes over a unit that played a big role last season in Colorado finishing dead last in the nation last year in sacks (nine) and rushing yards allowed per game (245).
The sacks number is astounding. Last year, there were at least 16 individuals in the nation who had more sacks than the Buffaloes. Roughly half the teams in the country had three times as many sacks as Colorado.
Pair that inability to get to the quarterback with an equally inefficient ability to stop the run and it left Colorado's defense at the bottom of the nation in the most important defensive statistic of all — points allowed, with the Buffs giving up nearly 45 points per game.
Obviously, Williams' group can't fix the entire problem. But if the Buffs can get to the quarterback on a more regular basis and set the edge for the run game, it will go a long way in helping CU's defense take a step forward.
"It's been challenging," Williams said Wednesday after the Buffs wrapped up their sixth practice of the spring. "The offense runs a play about every eight seconds so they had to get acclimated to the fast pace and I think they're getting better. As we go through the spring we're getting in better shape and we're able to communicate and run to the ball and strike blockers and do things defensively that it will take to be successful."
Technically, Williams is in charge of defensive ends while veteran coach Sal Sunseri, who came to CU from Alabama, handles defensive tackles.
But in reality, Williams said, "We work together. We're all one. It's not like a me and Coach Sal thing, it's a D-line thing."
As has been the case at every position on the roster, the Buffs made sure to add some veteran talent via the transfer portal on the edge. That group includes grad transfers Shane Cokes (Dartmouth), Jordan Domineck (Arkansas) and Taylor Upshaw (Michigan).
"Shane is doing a good job for us," Williams said. "He's a good kid, smart. He plays hard, he's a team guy, he's a leader and we're glad he's here. He'll do whatever you ask him to do and that's what we need — guys like that."
The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Cokes has two years of eligibility remaining. He started in 20 games in two years at Dartmouth and finished with 87 tackles, including 8.5 sacks.
Upshaw has one year of eligibility remaining. He appeared in 37 games with two starts for the Wolverines and finished with 36 tackles, including five sacks.
Domineck did not start last season for Arkansas, but still finished with 34 tackles, including 7.5 sacks — nearly as many as the entire Colorado roster in 2022.
Those veteran newcomers, Williams said, will be integral in helping CU continue to install defensive coordinator Charles Kelly's new scheme.
"They're extremely valuable for a coach because they understand why we're doing and what we're doing because they've been through it," Williams said. "They've been good for the room. They've been a help by helping other guys that don't understand the standard and the way we do things and how we do it and why we do it. They understand that we have to play hard and we have to get better. So they've been great."
That standard, Williams said, will be non-negotiable under Coach Prime's direction.
"His passion that he brings every day, I know it fuels me," Williams said. "He holds the coaches to a high standard. We have our own standard. I want to just make sure I do a good job for him every day, because I have to prove I belong and I appreciate how he pushes us."
NUMBER 5 TO HORN: Wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. has been awarded jersey No. 5, his first pick for a number. No CU players were given numbers when spring ball began. Instead, Coach Prime said they had to earn those jersey numbers.
Players Mentioned
