Now that we are well into camp we can start to see how each position is shaping up, and it's clear that at pretty much every position we have more talent, experience, and depth than we've seen in a long time. A year ago there wasn't much competition at most positions, and this year there is, and that usually means improvement. So here's a position by position look at why I think we have a shot at 7 wins. Certainly there's room to disagree and feel free to do so. That's what we're here for, right?
QB
Bottom line here is that we return a record setting QB who has now started for a full season and a half and has the benefit of going into his third year with lots of experience under his belt. Whether we've seen the best of Sefo or whether the best is yet to come has been hashed and rehashed endlessly on this board, but I think it's fair to expect a significant increase in his production on the field this year and a decrease in serious mistakes with a full off season to work on his game. Add in a better and more experienced supporting cast and I think we have a game changing QB who will be significantly better than last year.
The biggest question mark right now is a backup, but hopefully we won't need to go to #2 this year except to mop up in our blow out wins!
RB
I think it's fair to say that this is the best set of RB's we've had in Boulder in 10 years or more. We have just about every kind of RB you could ask for from a big bruiser to the quick scat back type. We have three guys returning who all showed us something last year, and two new guys who are as impressive as any freshmen we've seen in a long time. A good OC like Lindgren will find ways to use their various skills to improve the offense, and I believe that Carr is the best RB prospect to come to Boulder since early last decade. There's a lot of reasons to be excited about these running backs.
FB
George Frazier and Jordan Murphy quite simply give us two big bruisers who can punish defenses, and Frazier showed very clearly last year that he's a playmaker!
WR
Sometimes it's hard to remember back a year to what we were thinking before the season played itself out. As I recall we were all very worried about the WR position after losing Paul Richardson, and wondering what Nelson Spruce would do as our leading receiver. Well he did pretty damn well, didn't he? And Shay Fields set a freshman record at the position, and suddenly this fall we have a bunch of guys who really seem to be showing us something at this position, not to mention what I think is one of the best position coaches in the nation. Spruce and Fields are proven Pac 12 receivers and it will be interesting to see what they do in their encore, but what's really fun to think about is what this offense will do with Bobo, Ross, Lee, Walker, and MacIntyre. I'm not saying we have a WR corps like USC or Oregon, but even the most jaded Buff fans have to admit this is the most speed and athleticism that we've had at WR in a long time, and competition makes everyone better.
TE
Well this is the position that everyone loves to worry about, but I personally think it will be improved over last year, even if that isn't saying much. Sean Irwin by all accounts is significantly improved this spring and is showing that he can be a complete TE. Dylan Keeney seems to finally be healthy and adds speed and athleticism. And Hayden Jones is just plain big and has done nice things. I think our TE's will really help us in our run game, and I think we have some guys here who can at least add something to our passing game, though how much remains to be seen. Still, it should be an improvement over last year.
OL
This is where I think we see the biggest upgrade on offense. The tackles and center are the toughest of the five positions to fill and we return solid starters at all three, including an NFL draft pick at right tackle and a legitimate All Pac 12 and Rimington candidate at center. Irwin adds a year of experience and some added weight at tackle, and don't forget that he went into last year not having played in spring due to the foot. He won't have that rust this year. More importantly is the fact that we are replacing our two senior guards with a platoon of big, mobile, strong guys all of whom have been out of high school at least three years, and all of whom are physically ready to play. Kough, Callahan, Huckins, Kronshage, Wiefels, and Caldwell are all big veteran guys who would have very likely started at most times in the last ten years, and now four of them will be backups. That kind of competition is how great lines are built.
DL
This is the biggest question mark on the team, but even here we've got a level of talent and depth that we haven't seen in Boulder in a long time. Losing Tupou, a likely NFL pick, really hurt, but I'm a huge fan of Justin Solis, and if you watch film from the last two years, he's an active DT who makes plays when he's on the field. According to Alex Kelley, who would certainly know, Solis has really taken his game up a big notch this fall, and if that's true, he's a legit All Pac 12 candidate. He has a solid backup in Eddie Lopez, who is a guy who would have been one of our best DT's in many of the last ten years. The bigger question marks are the DT's, and there's nothing proven here, but there's some guys who have given exciting hints of what they can do, most obviously Samson Kafovalu, who two years ago dominated the USC offensive line, and Jordan Carrell, who had a strong spring and is noticeably bigger and stronger now than he was then. We have size and some bodies to work with up front, and I suppose what has me optimistic is that we have more and more experienced players here than we had last year.
LB
The first reason for optimism here is not a player but arguably the best LB coach in any level of football, Jim Leavitt. Who out there can say with a straight face that Leavitt isn't a HUGE upgrade over Baer in coaching this position? Beyond that the new scheme allows a lot of guys to play more to their strengths as players and athletes and doesn't ask them to do things they just can't do. If Gillam is back on his game he could be on of the top ILB's in the conference, and you need look no further than Arizona to see what a difference one ILB can make for a difference. Olugbode should thrive under the tutelage of Leavitt, and with ten plus added pounds should win some of the battles he lost last year. Behind them are a variety of very intriguing younger players who are going to ultimately do some very nice things in black and gold. And at OLB Gilbert and McCartney are now in positions tailor made for their body types and athletic skills after being asked to play DE positions last year that just did not fit who they are. Additionally the guy I really expect big things from is Tim Coleman. He can flat out run and he's got great size. It's hard not to think this might be the most improved set of positions on the team this year.
DB
And here we come to the area where I think we can legitimately match up with just about any team in the Pac 12 across the board. We are loaded up, in my opinion, with possible NFL prospects in our defensive backfield and the only real question is how do you get them all enough playing time, and which truly gifted athlete do you keep on the sidelines? Tedric Thompson and Chidobe Awuzie proved last year that they are difference makers and game changers. It's hard not to argue that we would have had at least two more wins if both of them had stayed healthy all year. Kenneth Crawley has only to start adding INT's to his resume to make himself a legit NFL prospect this year. Jered Bell was a big time playmaker two years ago, and in addition to them are a bevy of truly exciting athletes adding to the level of competition. I think it's fair to say that we could have one of the best defensive backfields in the conference this year, and who could have imagined that a few years ago when we had to play WR's at DB against USC?
KR/PR
I haven't been following who is expected to be our kick and punt returners but it seems clear to me that we finally have the kind of skill position athletes who can make a difference at these two positions. I think this is the year when we will see some TD returns BY our returners and not against our coverage teams. For that matter, the type of athletes we've added to our roster should make our coverage teams even better. I'm very optimistic about or coverage and return teams this year.
All in all I get that people are skeptical and I get that it's hard to believe that CU football could turn around significantly in one year, but there are reasons to be optimistic folks.
Check back with me in four months and we'll see how it turns out.
Now let me have it. It's a discussion board, so let's hear what you have to say! I'll try not to be "histrionic" or "take things personally" in my replies!
P.S. I don't do kickers or punters in case you are wondering!
QB
Bottom line here is that we return a record setting QB who has now started for a full season and a half and has the benefit of going into his third year with lots of experience under his belt. Whether we've seen the best of Sefo or whether the best is yet to come has been hashed and rehashed endlessly on this board, but I think it's fair to expect a significant increase in his production on the field this year and a decrease in serious mistakes with a full off season to work on his game. Add in a better and more experienced supporting cast and I think we have a game changing QB who will be significantly better than last year.
The biggest question mark right now is a backup, but hopefully we won't need to go to #2 this year except to mop up in our blow out wins!
RB
I think it's fair to say that this is the best set of RB's we've had in Boulder in 10 years or more. We have just about every kind of RB you could ask for from a big bruiser to the quick scat back type. We have three guys returning who all showed us something last year, and two new guys who are as impressive as any freshmen we've seen in a long time. A good OC like Lindgren will find ways to use their various skills to improve the offense, and I believe that Carr is the best RB prospect to come to Boulder since early last decade. There's a lot of reasons to be excited about these running backs.
FB
George Frazier and Jordan Murphy quite simply give us two big bruisers who can punish defenses, and Frazier showed very clearly last year that he's a playmaker!
WR
Sometimes it's hard to remember back a year to what we were thinking before the season played itself out. As I recall we were all very worried about the WR position after losing Paul Richardson, and wondering what Nelson Spruce would do as our leading receiver. Well he did pretty damn well, didn't he? And Shay Fields set a freshman record at the position, and suddenly this fall we have a bunch of guys who really seem to be showing us something at this position, not to mention what I think is one of the best position coaches in the nation. Spruce and Fields are proven Pac 12 receivers and it will be interesting to see what they do in their encore, but what's really fun to think about is what this offense will do with Bobo, Ross, Lee, Walker, and MacIntyre. I'm not saying we have a WR corps like USC or Oregon, but even the most jaded Buff fans have to admit this is the most speed and athleticism that we've had at WR in a long time, and competition makes everyone better.
TE
Well this is the position that everyone loves to worry about, but I personally think it will be improved over last year, even if that isn't saying much. Sean Irwin by all accounts is significantly improved this spring and is showing that he can be a complete TE. Dylan Keeney seems to finally be healthy and adds speed and athleticism. And Hayden Jones is just plain big and has done nice things. I think our TE's will really help us in our run game, and I think we have some guys here who can at least add something to our passing game, though how much remains to be seen. Still, it should be an improvement over last year.
OL
This is where I think we see the biggest upgrade on offense. The tackles and center are the toughest of the five positions to fill and we return solid starters at all three, including an NFL draft pick at right tackle and a legitimate All Pac 12 and Rimington candidate at center. Irwin adds a year of experience and some added weight at tackle, and don't forget that he went into last year not having played in spring due to the foot. He won't have that rust this year. More importantly is the fact that we are replacing our two senior guards with a platoon of big, mobile, strong guys all of whom have been out of high school at least three years, and all of whom are physically ready to play. Kough, Callahan, Huckins, Kronshage, Wiefels, and Caldwell are all big veteran guys who would have very likely started at most times in the last ten years, and now four of them will be backups. That kind of competition is how great lines are built.
DL
This is the biggest question mark on the team, but even here we've got a level of talent and depth that we haven't seen in Boulder in a long time. Losing Tupou, a likely NFL pick, really hurt, but I'm a huge fan of Justin Solis, and if you watch film from the last two years, he's an active DT who makes plays when he's on the field. According to Alex Kelley, who would certainly know, Solis has really taken his game up a big notch this fall, and if that's true, he's a legit All Pac 12 candidate. He has a solid backup in Eddie Lopez, who is a guy who would have been one of our best DT's in many of the last ten years. The bigger question marks are the DT's, and there's nothing proven here, but there's some guys who have given exciting hints of what they can do, most obviously Samson Kafovalu, who two years ago dominated the USC offensive line, and Jordan Carrell, who had a strong spring and is noticeably bigger and stronger now than he was then. We have size and some bodies to work with up front, and I suppose what has me optimistic is that we have more and more experienced players here than we had last year.
LB
The first reason for optimism here is not a player but arguably the best LB coach in any level of football, Jim Leavitt. Who out there can say with a straight face that Leavitt isn't a HUGE upgrade over Baer in coaching this position? Beyond that the new scheme allows a lot of guys to play more to their strengths as players and athletes and doesn't ask them to do things they just can't do. If Gillam is back on his game he could be on of the top ILB's in the conference, and you need look no further than Arizona to see what a difference one ILB can make for a difference. Olugbode should thrive under the tutelage of Leavitt, and with ten plus added pounds should win some of the battles he lost last year. Behind them are a variety of very intriguing younger players who are going to ultimately do some very nice things in black and gold. And at OLB Gilbert and McCartney are now in positions tailor made for their body types and athletic skills after being asked to play DE positions last year that just did not fit who they are. Additionally the guy I really expect big things from is Tim Coleman. He can flat out run and he's got great size. It's hard not to think this might be the most improved set of positions on the team this year.
DB
And here we come to the area where I think we can legitimately match up with just about any team in the Pac 12 across the board. We are loaded up, in my opinion, with possible NFL prospects in our defensive backfield and the only real question is how do you get them all enough playing time, and which truly gifted athlete do you keep on the sidelines? Tedric Thompson and Chidobe Awuzie proved last year that they are difference makers and game changers. It's hard not to argue that we would have had at least two more wins if both of them had stayed healthy all year. Kenneth Crawley has only to start adding INT's to his resume to make himself a legit NFL prospect this year. Jered Bell was a big time playmaker two years ago, and in addition to them are a bevy of truly exciting athletes adding to the level of competition. I think it's fair to say that we could have one of the best defensive backfields in the conference this year, and who could have imagined that a few years ago when we had to play WR's at DB against USC?
KR/PR
I haven't been following who is expected to be our kick and punt returners but it seems clear to me that we finally have the kind of skill position athletes who can make a difference at these two positions. I think this is the year when we will see some TD returns BY our returners and not against our coverage teams. For that matter, the type of athletes we've added to our roster should make our coverage teams even better. I'm very optimistic about or coverage and return teams this year.
All in all I get that people are skeptical and I get that it's hard to believe that CU football could turn around significantly in one year, but there are reasons to be optimistic folks.
Check back with me in four months and we'll see how it turns out.
Now let me have it. It's a discussion board, so let's hear what you have to say! I'll try not to be "histrionic" or "take things personally" in my replies!
P.S. I don't do kickers or punters in case you are wondering!
