This is going to be Part 1 of a series of interviews with Buffaloes asst. head coach and receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini. I was lucky enough to talk extensively with him yesterday as he was on the road in Texas.
We talked at length about recruiting philosophy, the incoming WRs and Class of 2020 in general, plus the WR room not considering the incoming 2020 talent. It was a great conversation. At one point, we shifted naturally to talking about Laviska Shenault, Jr. and wound up focusing on him for a good amount.
So to kick things off, here's the appetizer interview with coach Chev. From recruiting him, to coaching him, to now speculating on what kind of presence he'll bring to an NFL roster, here's what coach Chev had to say.
STORY: Coming out of DeSoto High School outside of Dallas, TX., Shenault was listed by Rivals as a three-star recruit. In total, he accumulated 12 offers. With Chiaverini serving as his primary recruiter, Shenault wound up committing to the Buffaloes during the spring of 2016, before his senior year at DeSoto.
From the get go, Chiaverini was well aware that he could strike gold by landing Shenault, who for many schools and fellow recruiters, was a bit of a head scratcher.
“I could just tell the first time I went to DeSoto and watched (Shenault) work out on the field — I could tell that he was a physical specimen," Chiaverini remembered. "He had really good ball skills and was explosive."
While Shenault's physical tools as a high school player may have jumped off his film and were easily visible to the naked eye, what remained uncertain was how to best utilize a player like him in college.
"(Desoto) played him at tight end at times — he put his hand in the dirt," Chiaverini said. "I think what happened with him in his recruitment was that people weren’t sure. 'Is he a tight end? Is he a receiver?’ He was a 215-pound kid in high school, so I think people weren’t sure what he was."
"But I could tell right away that he was going to be a receiver, just because of his movement skills, his explosion and ball skills. He had a chance to be really good."
Shenault's DeSoto highlights below are a good example of what Chiaverini would have been seeing on film during the former's recruitment.
By the time of Shenault's true freshman season arrived in 2017, it didn't take long for him to show flashes of what was to come later in his Colorado career.
Perhaps it's fair to say that Laviska Shenault's rise to becoming one of the most talked about wide receivers in college football began on Sept. 9, 2017. The Buffaloes that Saturday hosted Texas State at Folsom Field in Boulder.
Shenault's on-field action to that point had consisted of special teams duty, and Texas State's third punt of the day, while still in the first quarter, appeared to be a routine affair.
CU's Isaiah Oliver caught the punt and moved upfield with the ball four yards. But Oliver fumbled the ball, and in the chaotic frenzy that rules in the milliseconds after such a play, Shenault was in the right place at the right time.
He scooped up the ball and within seconds had taken it 55 yards into the endzone for a score — it was his first collegiate touch.
For many unfamiliar with the dreadlocked speed demon who at almost the snap of a finger traversed 55 yards and was then celebrating in the endzone, a curious flip through that day's game book to see exactly who that was in gray and white likely ensued.
That same day, Shenault pinned a couple of action shots from the play to his Twitter profile, where they have remained through today, about two and a half years later. Shenault dedicated that moment and special play to his dear departed father.
By the end of his freshman season, a 42-yard pass caught against UCLA on Sept. 30 and a 58-yard bomb reeled in vs. Cal Berkeley on Oct. 28 had piqued the interest of many Colorado faithful, eager to see what Shenault would be capable of as a sophomore in 2018.
Chiaverini saw a breakout year in 2018 coming from a mile away.
“You could tell that he was going to be special," Chiaverini said. "His sophomore year going into spring ball, the light bulb kind of came on with him and he really took the next step. His athleticism showed up every day, his physicality — he put muscle on in the weight room and was ready to be that guy."
At the time of CU's season opener against Colorado State, Shenault was weighing in at 220 pounds. At 6-foot-2, he had the frame of an outside linebacker.
Halfway through the 2018 season, Shenault had grabbed the attention of the nation. In six games, he'd averaged 10 catches per game and recorded a total of 780 yards. He also had 125-plus yards of receiving in four of those six games and had found the endzone six times.
"He was on pace to probably win the Biletnikoff Award his sophomore year," Chiaverini said. "He had 60 catches his first six games (before missing the UW, Oregon State and Arizona games with injury). He was fun to watch and he took college football by storm. He’s just different."
While Shenault ultimately was unable to eclipse his sophomore campaign on-paper statistics, catching 56 passes for 764 yards in 2019 compared to 86 and 1,011 in 2018, there was no lack of memorable moments from his final year in a Buffaloes uniform.
Shenault had 124 yards and a touchdown in the Buffalos' OT loss vs. Air Force and turned in a 172-yard day at the office vs. Southern California in week nine.
After Colorado's 2019 season had ended, Shenault during his NFL Draft declaration announcement cited his 71-yard touchdown against the Trojans — and ensuing endzone hug with athletic director Rick George — as his favorite memory while at Colorado.
For Chiaverini, having watched Shenault in high school, recruited him to Colorado, and overseeing his development into an NFL prospect, the answer is clear as to what he'll bring to the team that drafts him in April.
"You can’t categorize Laviska as a receiver — he’s an offensive weapon," Chiaverini said. "I would definitely classify him as an O.W., not as a receiver. That’s why I think NFL teams are going to look at him differently. So many top receivers can’t do what Laviska can do."
"You can’t put them in the backfield and run a wildcat, you can’t put them in the backfield and give them the ball to an inside hole — you can’t do that with the other guys. You can with Laviska. I think he brings a different skill set to the NFL when you can only dress 45 guys on game day.”
Perhaps among the more gratifying things Chiaverini will look back on with respect to Shenault's time at the University of Colorado is how over the years, his personality came to be known by Buffs fanatics, in addition to his teammates and coaches.
“Laviska will tell you, he’s opened up a ton since he’s been in Boulder," Chiaverini said. "He was an introvert his first year, but he’s really grown as a person and as a public speaker. He’s got a great personality; he’s one of the funniest guys in the room, but when you first meet him, you wouldn’t think that. You’d think he’s a really quiet guy."
"He’s a very humble person — great to be around, great teammate — he’s not egotistical. I’ve gotten to know him, his mother and his brother over the last five years and so, they’re family to me."
Shenault indeed would agree.
“(Colorado) did a lot for me. Before I came to college, I wasn’t a very outgoing person or very loud," he said last fall. "It made me more wise, more outgoing, and (helped) me live better in a way.”
Mel Tucker occasionally joked during the 2019 season that he was somewhat tempted to toss Shenault in at defensive end. He probably could have.
What will people remember most about Shenault, as Buffs fans and those that knew him growing up collectively prepare to watch him embark on an NFL career? Perhaps the ear to ear smile will stick out. Maybe it's the first downs he got for CU on 56% of the time he touched the ball on offense.
If I may speak on behalf of Colorado alums and athletic fanatics — I'd close by saying that wherever he ends up, whatever his NFL turns out to be — watching a once-in-a-generation talent that Laviska Shenault is was fun as hell. Shenault repped the university well and I hope he knows he made a lot of folks proud.
Give 'em hell in the NFL, Viska!
FIN
We talked at length about recruiting philosophy, the incoming WRs and Class of 2020 in general, plus the WR room not considering the incoming 2020 talent. It was a great conversation. At one point, we shifted naturally to talking about Laviska Shenault, Jr. and wound up focusing on him for a good amount.
So to kick things off, here's the appetizer interview with coach Chev. From recruiting him, to coaching him, to now speculating on what kind of presence he'll bring to an NFL roster, here's what coach Chev had to say.
STORY: Coming out of DeSoto High School outside of Dallas, TX., Shenault was listed by Rivals as a three-star recruit. In total, he accumulated 12 offers. With Chiaverini serving as his primary recruiter, Shenault wound up committing to the Buffaloes during the spring of 2016, before his senior year at DeSoto.
From the get go, Chiaverini was well aware that he could strike gold by landing Shenault, who for many schools and fellow recruiters, was a bit of a head scratcher.
“I could just tell the first time I went to DeSoto and watched (Shenault) work out on the field — I could tell that he was a physical specimen," Chiaverini remembered. "He had really good ball skills and was explosive."
While Shenault's physical tools as a high school player may have jumped off his film and were easily visible to the naked eye, what remained uncertain was how to best utilize a player like him in college.
"(Desoto) played him at tight end at times — he put his hand in the dirt," Chiaverini said. "I think what happened with him in his recruitment was that people weren’t sure. 'Is he a tight end? Is he a receiver?’ He was a 215-pound kid in high school, so I think people weren’t sure what he was."
"But I could tell right away that he was going to be a receiver, just because of his movement skills, his explosion and ball skills. He had a chance to be really good."
Shenault's DeSoto highlights below are a good example of what Chiaverini would have been seeing on film during the former's recruitment.
By the time of Shenault's true freshman season arrived in 2017, it didn't take long for him to show flashes of what was to come later in his Colorado career.
Perhaps it's fair to say that Laviska Shenault's rise to becoming one of the most talked about wide receivers in college football began on Sept. 9, 2017. The Buffaloes that Saturday hosted Texas State at Folsom Field in Boulder.
Shenault's on-field action to that point had consisted of special teams duty, and Texas State's third punt of the day, while still in the first quarter, appeared to be a routine affair.
CU's Isaiah Oliver caught the punt and moved upfield with the ball four yards. But Oliver fumbled the ball, and in the chaotic frenzy that rules in the milliseconds after such a play, Shenault was in the right place at the right time.
He scooped up the ball and within seconds had taken it 55 yards into the endzone for a score — it was his first collegiate touch.
For many unfamiliar with the dreadlocked speed demon who at almost the snap of a finger traversed 55 yards and was then celebrating in the endzone, a curious flip through that day's game book to see exactly who that was in gray and white likely ensued.
That same day, Shenault pinned a couple of action shots from the play to his Twitter profile, where they have remained through today, about two and a half years later. Shenault dedicated that moment and special play to his dear departed father.
By the end of his freshman season, a 42-yard pass caught against UCLA on Sept. 30 and a 58-yard bomb reeled in vs. Cal Berkeley on Oct. 28 had piqued the interest of many Colorado faithful, eager to see what Shenault would be capable of as a sophomore in 2018.
Chiaverini saw a breakout year in 2018 coming from a mile away.
“You could tell that he was going to be special," Chiaverini said. "His sophomore year going into spring ball, the light bulb kind of came on with him and he really took the next step. His athleticism showed up every day, his physicality — he put muscle on in the weight room and was ready to be that guy."
At the time of CU's season opener against Colorado State, Shenault was weighing in at 220 pounds. At 6-foot-2, he had the frame of an outside linebacker.
Halfway through the 2018 season, Shenault had grabbed the attention of the nation. In six games, he'd averaged 10 catches per game and recorded a total of 780 yards. He also had 125-plus yards of receiving in four of those six games and had found the endzone six times.
"He was on pace to probably win the Biletnikoff Award his sophomore year," Chiaverini said. "He had 60 catches his first six games (before missing the UW, Oregon State and Arizona games with injury). He was fun to watch and he took college football by storm. He’s just different."
While Shenault ultimately was unable to eclipse his sophomore campaign on-paper statistics, catching 56 passes for 764 yards in 2019 compared to 86 and 1,011 in 2018, there was no lack of memorable moments from his final year in a Buffaloes uniform.
Shenault had 124 yards and a touchdown in the Buffalos' OT loss vs. Air Force and turned in a 172-yard day at the office vs. Southern California in week nine.
After Colorado's 2019 season had ended, Shenault during his NFL Draft declaration announcement cited his 71-yard touchdown against the Trojans — and ensuing endzone hug with athletic director Rick George — as his favorite memory while at Colorado.
For Chiaverini, having watched Shenault in high school, recruited him to Colorado, and overseeing his development into an NFL prospect, the answer is clear as to what he'll bring to the team that drafts him in April.
"You can’t categorize Laviska as a receiver — he’s an offensive weapon," Chiaverini said. "I would definitely classify him as an O.W., not as a receiver. That’s why I think NFL teams are going to look at him differently. So many top receivers can’t do what Laviska can do."
"You can’t put them in the backfield and run a wildcat, you can’t put them in the backfield and give them the ball to an inside hole — you can’t do that with the other guys. You can with Laviska. I think he brings a different skill set to the NFL when you can only dress 45 guys on game day.”
Perhaps among the more gratifying things Chiaverini will look back on with respect to Shenault's time at the University of Colorado is how over the years, his personality came to be known by Buffs fanatics, in addition to his teammates and coaches.
“Laviska will tell you, he’s opened up a ton since he’s been in Boulder," Chiaverini said. "He was an introvert his first year, but he’s really grown as a person and as a public speaker. He’s got a great personality; he’s one of the funniest guys in the room, but when you first meet him, you wouldn’t think that. You’d think he’s a really quiet guy."
"He’s a very humble person — great to be around, great teammate — he’s not egotistical. I’ve gotten to know him, his mother and his brother over the last five years and so, they’re family to me."
Shenault indeed would agree.
“(Colorado) did a lot for me. Before I came to college, I wasn’t a very outgoing person or very loud," he said last fall. "It made me more wise, more outgoing, and (helped) me live better in a way.”
Mel Tucker occasionally joked during the 2019 season that he was somewhat tempted to toss Shenault in at defensive end. He probably could have.
What will people remember most about Shenault, as Buffs fans and those that knew him growing up collectively prepare to watch him embark on an NFL career? Perhaps the ear to ear smile will stick out. Maybe it's the first downs he got for CU on 56% of the time he touched the ball on offense.
If I may speak on behalf of Colorado alums and athletic fanatics — I'd close by saying that wherever he ends up, whatever his NFL turns out to be — watching a once-in-a-generation talent that Laviska Shenault is was fun as hell. Shenault repped the university well and I hope he knows he made a lot of folks proud.
Give 'em hell in the NFL, Viska!
FIN
