Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Show Big Step Forward In Denver Practice
August 16, 2024 | Football, Neill Woelk
DENVER — An energetic, enthusiastic crowd packed All-City Stadium on Friday as Colorado fans got their first glimpse of the 2024 Buffaloes in a public practice.
Vanilla? No doubt. Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and his staff were by no means going to give future opponents any hint of what the Buffs will be running when they open the season Aug. 29 against North Dakota State at Folsom Field (6 p.m., ESPN).
But even vanilla was enough of a taste to create a buzz among fans as they saw the clear progress the Buffs have made heading into Year 2 of the Coach Prime Era.
"We could always do better — I'm never going to be 100% satisfied," Sanders said after the workout. "I'm a former football player, not just a coach, so you're never going to be 100 percent satisfied. But I'm happy with what we got accomplished today. You have to understand I handicapped the offense. We didn't show any signals. We cut down the playbook tremendously. We didn't want to show too much of our hand."
Still, CU fans had the chance to see at least the basics of new coordinator Pat Shurmur's offense as well as the defensive approach of new coordinator Robert Livingston.
Overall, there were plenty of highlights and enough plays on both sides of the ball to whet the appetite of fans anxious for the season to start.
Some quick takeaways:
— Depth is much improved. Overall, this might be the most important development thus far. The Buffs have depth at virtually every position group — a critical element as the season progresses. A year ago, a lack of depth took its toll down the stretch when injuries hit. The narrative should be much different this season.
— Buffs are loaded at wide receiver. OK, no news flash here, but quarterback Shedeur Sanders is going to have a multitude of options to work with. Even with two-way star Travis Hunter sitting out — "Travis is good. We just wanted to give him some rest," Coach Prime said — the Buffs moved the ball well through the air.
Sanders connected with Will Sheppard on two long balls and also found Terrell Timmons Jr. on a couple of occasions, and Drelon Miller gathered in a nice catch from Ryan Staub with the No. 2 offense.
Given that LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr. have also had outstanding camps to this point, it means the Buffs will have plenty of depth at the spot.
"I think we have a plethora of receivers that can really get the job done," Coach Prime said. "You're not seeing much because we're not doing some of our combinations and not putting in some of the packages that we would normally put in and giving Shedeur the usage of the whole field and some things that he wanted to do. He got a little frustrated because he wanted to do a few more things. But we can't do that out here in front of the whole country."
— Shedeur looks very good. Again, no surprise, but Sanders looks ready to pick up where he left off from his record-setting season a year ago. He threw deep and medium routes with excellent accuracy, showed he can still move in the pocket and looked just a little more comfortable in Shurmur's scheme (even the watered-down version on display Friday). While the Buffs will no doubt have the ability to move at a rapid-fire pace when necessary, they will give Sanders the opportunity to pull on the reins just a bit and methodically move the ball.
— Running backs are progressing. Former walkon Charlie Offerdahl took the first reps with the No. 1 group, but transfer Dallan Hayden made it clear he will be getting his fair share of snaps by showing some good inside power. Also, freshman Brandon Hood displayed some promising burst.
"We can run the heck out of the ball," Sanders said. "I think we have ample running backs that can get the job done."
— O-line is improving. But there's still plenty of work to be done. The group showed good protection at times but also broke down and allowed some sacks — something the Buffs definitely want to reduce this year. Run blocking was solid but the proof in the pudding in that department will be the short-yardage situations.
— Pass rush is much better. Edge rusher Taje McCoy, running with the No. 2 group, got to the quarterback on multiple occasions, making his case for playing time. Also showing good work off the edge were Dayon Hayes and BJ Green II. Most promising here is the fact that the Buffs will have depth, meaning fresh legs throughout the game.
"We got several pass rushers on the outside that can get the job done," Coach Prime said. "Throwing the football against us is gonna be a problem."
— Secondary is solid. This was a good group last year but it might be better and deeper this season. Cornerback DJ McKinney recorded an interception and fellow corner Preston Hodge was in on several pass breakups. Safety is in good hands with Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and Shilo Sanders and Hunter — who can play multiple positions on defense — gives the group great versatility.
Overall, Coach Prime is clearly excited about the improvements on the defensive side.
"I sat in my office today and thought about the potential NFL guys," he said. "I think we're looking at seven, eight guys on defense that'll probably be pros at the conclusion of the season. And that's not putting nothing on it, that's not lying. I talk to the scouts every day."
