Pre-Camp Countdown

There is a lot of anticipation around the CU program right now, with Pac-12 Media Day happening, camp less than two weeks away (the team convenes on August 5^th and hits the practice fields on the sixth) and the Pac-12 network scheduled to kickoff Aug. 15, and…the season opener is barely a month away! Unfortunately, as anticipated, Coach Jon Embree has announced that practices will indeed be closed to the public, with only the first part open to media and limited interviews afterwards.  He had previously said that the large freshmen class, mainly because so many will be in the hunt for playing time, will be unavailable for interviews, for at least the beginning of the season.

Pac-12 Media Day

§  Senior safety Ray Polk and Jr. LT David Bahktiari accompanied Head Coach Jon Embree and were first up for Pac-12 Media Day in Los Angeles on Tuesday.  Here are  some highlights:

§  Embree was quite serious and solemn, giving a very quick opening, stating that “our goal is to find a way to get to a bowl game.”  He did crack a smile a few times, including when Joel Klatt asked a very specific offensive question.  He is upbeat about what he brings to the field this season and said that the freshmen sound like they are doing well, that they have definitely upgraded in speed and athleticism. He was definitely optimistic that P-Rich might be able to play, saying it is “not out of the question.” 

§  As for which freshmen will play immediately, he said that all five DBs have a chance to play now, there are a “couple of difference makers” at WR and TE, and the D-line (obviously).  QB Shane Dillon is more of a wait and see, and he seemed like he was fine with the three QBs he would have competing in transfers So. Connor Wood (pedigree) and Jordan Webb (experience), as well as Nick Hirschman, who he said benefitted from having to focus on the mental side of the game when he was out during spring ball.

§  He spoke about how California was absolutely a key recruiting ground for CU as they had 10 recruits last year and 4 or 5 more so far this year.  Seven coaches have part of California as part of their recruiting responsibility.

§  Polk and Bahktiari said all the right things when asked stupid questions separately about CU having a rivalry with Utah (which the reporter admitted was forced) or anyone else.  They both were obviously coached on this as they were both vague and said some variation of: “We just want to compete with everyone…to be the best you have to beat the best…we’re always going for the top dogs.”

§  They were also asked about summer workouts and who was looking good so far.  They said they are practicing a few times a week, mostly in two groups: skill position (QBs, RBs, WRs, DBs) and bigger guys (OL, TE, DL, LB).  Bahktiari said that Chidera works with the skill group because he is just “so fast”.  They are also having player run meetings.

§  Polk said the guys that are sticking out to him in summer are CB Greg Henderson, who has been praised by many for his continued development, and the senior leaders LBs Doug Rippy and Jon Major and DL Wil Pericak.  He added that P-Rich looks good so far!  Besdies Uzo-Diribe, Bahktiari also highlighted Pericak who has been “killin’ it”, TE Nick Kasa, and his fellow linemen Gus Handler and Daniel Munyer.

§  Other Interviews

§  BG Brooks did a fabulous interview last week with Embree: http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3843&SPID=255&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205503382&DB_OEM_ID=600

o Embree said he has been aware of P-Rich’s ahead of schedule recovery since April and has already met with the coaching staff to discuss the “what if?” of P-Rich receiving medical clearance to play during the season and putting the coaches in a “difficult situation” to decide if he should actually play or just redshirt to gain two full years to play healthy.  He said IF it comes to that, it will ultimately come down to the Richardson family.

o Embree also said he got glowing praise from Charlie Wies about Jordan Webb’s character when Jon was in Lawrence to observe drills and his son Connor.

o After a two-week vacation to Africa, Embree is ready for camp to get started.  He believes the team is really coming together in summer workouts, everyone has done relatively well in summer school and the freshmen understand what is expected of them and appear ready to go under guidance of the returning players.  "Last year, from my chair, was a lot about trying to establish standards and high expectations on and off the field. Whether it's suspensions, whether it's all those other things that happened last year, we didn't have a good understanding…of what your standard is or having a standard of how you do things, how you prepare. They get that aspect of it now…how to prepare and what's expected of them in the summer. Morale is night and day different from what it was last year. Some of it is getting used to me. That has something to do with it. It's like I told them last year and will this year: You've got to start seeing yourself as what you're capable of being. We didn't (last season), but they're better about that now."

o He also anticipates another physical camp with a lot of battles for playing time at many positions.  “"And that's good because we didn't have it last year. I think that's a little bit of why things transpired like they did with Toney Clemons. In his mind, I think it was, 'Well, who else are you going to play?'"

o Vincent Hobbs and Gerald Thomas, two true freshmen receivers who are being counted on to contribute a lot this year were able to have a conversation with their head coach about “The Catch” and what that team had and didn’t have that season with ten NFL draft picks on the roster.

§  BuffScoop.com did an interview with Strength and Conditioning Coach Malcolm Blacken, (partially posted for free on NetBUffs.com: http://www.netbuffs.com/message_board/football/2012/July/16/725787.php ), who just might be the most influential member of the staff as he is able to meet with the players and monitor their progress year round, and is the first one to be able to meet regularly with the incoming freshmen.

o  Blacken mentioned numerous names who he thinks are poised for a breakout year: LT David Bahktiari, DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, S Ray Polk, CB Greg Henderson, RB Tony Jones (“tough little guy”, has put on 12 pounds), LG Alex Lewis (has put on 15 pounds);

o  He says the offensive line is “one of the tightest groups on the team”.

o  Blacken likes to see “what a guy can do when he is winded.”  

A few freshmen who are standing out to him so far are:

o DT Josh Tupou, 324 pounds, body of a “24 or 25 year old”, “has a motor…to contribute this year”;

o He had a ton to say about TE Vincent Hobbs, who is looking to be the freshman breakout player: “Hobbs' footwork for a young tight end, and his hands, and his explosiveness for being 18-years old...he's one of the top packages I've seen in a long time, maybe ever. He also has that edge to him where he wants to be great. He'll tell anybody that, too, and it's not cocky. He's just really confident. I have no doubt in my mind that if that kid stays healthy, he'll contribute this year. Watching that kid get into his stance and just explode out of it is a sight to see. In a step and a half he's at full speed and he's gone, just like that, no joke. It's pretty exciting. As a strength coach, that is exciting to see and that's what you want to see. He gets himself moving in a short area very quickly. His hands are also just as good as his running form. He has great hands. He has hand-eye coordination that is fun to watch. I look forward to seeing that kid do big things.”

o  He also mentioned DE Samson Kafovalu as a hard worker.

2013 Recruiting Update

§  There have been no new commitments so the Buffs are standing strong at 12, most recently ranked #43 by Rivals, #48 by Scout.

§  The twelve average 2.82 stars (according to Rivals’ rankings).

§  They have commits from a QB, RB, TE, 2 WR, 5 OL, 1 s, 1 LB.  Even with the huge class they are bringing in this year, they could still use a couple of DL and CBs, and will likely want to sign a couple more LBs and even another OL.

§  Both CU and CSU have offered 6’-1”, 195 pound LB Jayon Brown from California power Long BeachPoly, and he is receiving interest from UCLA, Utah and Washington.

§  Rivals reported that 3-star WR/DB Devin Ross was very close to committing to CU, but he has now backed off, not sure he wants to commit this early.  It would make two years in a row that the Buffs had at least 3 receiver recruits.  He has received offers from Minnesota, Iowas St., BC and San Diego St. and has become friends with Chapparal TE Mitchell Parsons, the only consensus 4-star in the class, who appears to be the leader among the group, having started a Facebook page for CU prospects.  Another 3-star WR X’avier Shepherd (Lakewood, CA) is considering a visit to Boulder.

§  Huge Torrey Pines OL Jacob Aldasek, who has said the Buffs were high on his list, said, “It was really “hard to choose,” but he ultimately decided to commit to Arizona.

§  CU commit Philip Lindsay has been listed mostly as an RB, and definitely wants to carry the ball, but is also known as a big hitter on defense and likely could play DB at the D-1 level as well; he will almost definitely play some special teams as a freshman.  He will also be one of three high school seniors nationwide who have been recognized by the Legacy Leadership Project and will attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend as a guest of former Bronco HOFer Gary Zimmerman.  Lindsay also plans on attending summer practices with at least one fellow commit, Chapparal’s Mitchell Parsons.

§  Interesting stat: There are 18 former Colorado high school players on rosters of Pac-12 teams.

More Roster talk

§  Frosh recruit Kisima Jagne has not conceded and enrolled at a JC yet, but he is now waiting on a test score.  Embree told Kyle Ringo that Jagne might greyshirt if he cannot academically qualify now, and did not mention the JC route.  Still a wait and see.

§  Kyle Ringo said that although a few other players had to “a few extra hurdles to jump through,” no one else appears to be in any danger of not being in Boulder this Fall.

§  Jermane Clark and Paul Vigo are now listed on the depth chart as ILB.

§  RB Malcolm Creer has recovered from his knee injury nicely and is expecting to be ready to go for camp.

§  Besides P-Rich, I believe most everyone else who has had injuries is full go for camp, including LB Doug Rippy, DT Nate Bonsu, CB Jered Bell, although Sherrard Harrington is still listed as “Limited” due to his knee and QB Shane Dillon and, S Parker Orms are “day to day”.

§  WR Peyton Williams is still on the active roster but the medical staff still needs to do a final check on knee before it is decided how much he could participate and if he would greyshirt (but if  Jagne doesn’t make it, they won’t need him to).

§  However, there is always some surprise when camp opens so we will see what and who it will be this year.

Other Program Notes

§  Doug Rippy was named to the Butkus Award Watch list for the best linebacker. 

§  In addition to his many other preseason accolades, LT David Bahktiari was also named to the Lombardi Award Watch List, given to the best lineman (offensive or defensive) or linebacker.

§  The Buff bashing continues as, wow, a Wyoming blog suggests that the team from Laramie is the best team on the Front Range. I realize that they had a better record last year, but against what type of competition?!  I would love to see CU play Wyoming!

§  The Pac-12 Media Poll followed suit and joined the crowd in picking CU last in the Pac-12 South; Gekko Mojo” from the Washington blog “The Dawg Pound” did as well.

§  At least Oregon St. blog “BuildingtheDam” actually picked CU to be 5^th in the Pac-12 South, ahead of Arizona St., citing mostly the schedule, the first three non-conference games and the fact that they get ASU and UCLA at home (not to mention Utah whom they beat on the road last year!), plus they don’t have to visit the Arizona desert until November.

§  “House of Sparky” (Arizona St.) bloggers view Colorado as one of ASU’s definite wins, even though it is on the road and some have even picked the Sun Devils to finish below CU in the Pac-12 South (they did also get three first place votes in the media poll).

§  The new Buffvision HD video boards have been installed, tested and are functioning.  There will be an event Aug.10 to show it off.

*Note: I will be gone for the next week or so but will return in early August with an update on any news as well as a Pre-Camp Positional Outlook.

More July Morsels

The news continues to roll in as we draw closer to the start of camp, less than a month away on August 8th.

§  The biggest item was that Paul Richardson was cleared to begin straight running, no cutting yet, but that he hopes to play this fall.  His initial tweet led to rampant speculation over how early he could make it back, what type of impact he could have, as well as if he should even come back for half the season or less.  While most remain skeptical that it would be possible, most also believe it would be best if he just healed completely and was eligible for the next two full years when the Buffs could be competitive players.  However, if P-Rich is already eyeing the NFL after the 2013 season, it might be in his best interest to play a few games this season if physically possible.  He says that if he is cleared and he can help the team, especially if they get off to a good start and a bowl game is in sight, he would definitely play.

§  Adam M. of Rivals gave a great interview on the Ralphie Report Radio Podcast and provided some great insight to what’s going on in the Buff program right now:

o   He suggest P-Rich should probably be cautious, as even when early recovery goes well and quicker than expected, the last 15-20% takes the longest to recover.

o   WR is going to be a committee situation with six guys all playing: senior (former walk-on) Dustin Ebner have developed into a reliable “possession” receiver, R-Fr Nelson Spruce (almost ended up playing last year) is ready to breakout, So. Tyler McCulloch, So. Keenan Canty and both frosh Gerald and Jeffrey Thomas (no relation).

o   Right now the coaches have been taking some vacation after hosting some unofficial visits in June.  They will be starting their Youth Camps on campus July 21 and on July 28 the staff will help the University of San Diego run their camp so that more California players can meet CU coachers and be evaluated.

o   Most of the players is in Boulder, taking some classes, working out with Malcolm Blacken (really has the biggest influence of any staff on the team during the offseason), participating in player organized 7-on-7 drills, keeping busy in a fairly structured schedule, which is especially good for the true freshman to get acclimated and be better able to focus on football in August and September.

o   The player leaders of the team, not surprisingly are focused on defense as they are returning more experienced guys like Wil Pericak, Ray Polk, Doug Rippy, Jon Major, as well as Chidera Uzo-Diribe (who all met with Embree and coaches to guide what work would be worked on in the summer).  On offense it is of course the QBs, Wood and Hirschman (it will be interesting to see how Webb fits in and asserts himself), and Ebner has supposedly stepped it up (surprising he didn’t mention Bahktiari).

o   The new guys who have supposedly shown some talent in summer workouts are TE Vincent Hobbs (who will be my sleeper pick in my Pac-12 Fantasy League) and speedy WR/KR Gerald Thomas.  He also mentioned CBs Yuri Wright and John Walker. However, he also reminded us that these are informal workouts without pads.

o   He thinks that QB Shane Dillon, coming off shoulder surgery, will likely redshirt.  However, if he plays well and is on par with everyone else, he may get the nod, as Embree has said that ties go to the younger guys.

o   CU has already met with and offered Valor Christian RB Christian McCafferey (father Ed has said they do like Embree and CU); also Trent Noler from Windsor is likely to gain interest as is Fairview WR Sam Martin (father played at CU) could be 2014 recruits.

2013 Recruiting

§  There have been no new commitments so the Buffs are standing strong at 12, most recently ranked #48 by both Rivals and Scout.

§  They have commits from a QB, RB, TE, 2 WR, 5 OL, 1 s, 1 LB.  Even with the huge class they are bringing in this year, they could still use a couple of DL and CBs, and will likely want to sign a couple more LBs and even another OL.

§  Even with 5 offensive line commits, the Buffs will likely sign one more.  Jacob Aldasek, a 6’7”, 325 pounder from Torrey Pines, CA, is currently unrated but obviously has some size, has said that CU is among his final five choices along with Arizona, ASU, Kansas St. and Vanderbilt (academically those last two are a strange pair?).

§  There is an ongoing discussion debate in chat rooms about what CU needs to do to get back to national prominence and the obvious answer is recruiting.  However, there are some who are quite critical of the staff for not keeping the top Colorado prospects in state and believe that is the only way to get back; meanwhile, others are adamant that the Buffs need to recruit bigger national names, especially in CA and TX.

 -They are both correct, in that we need both those things, and getting recruits in the region can have a positive effect on those out of it, and vice versa.  However, they are dead wrong in emphasizing one strongly over the other. They go hand in hand and CU certainly cannot ignore one for the other, but the plain facts are that those big names are not even considering CU yet when they start the recruiting process.  The in-state players have never seen CU as a power (OT Chris Fox was never going to stay here), and likewise, out-of-state kids don’t have a whole lot of reason to go to CU as a football program (the top 100 recruits rarely list CU as a favorite, even when the they were the first to offer).  Unfortunately, they are still not able to compete with USC, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Michigan or even Washington once those schools do offer, and miss out on a few prospects every week.

§  - Case in point: Adam M. mentioned 4-star OL John Lopez  (Orange Lutheran, same as commit Colin Sutton) is planning to visit Boulder, but has admitted he is leaning to UCLA and Washington.

 -Unfortunately, they are also often competing head-to-head with San Diego St. for many of the California kids and the Aztecs seem to be winning more of those battles than the Buffs.

 -They do have commits from two of the top five in Colorado; they only thought seven in-state prospects were worth offering.

  -The Buffs need to just keep recruiting the blue chips in and out of state, while focusing on finding the 2 and 3-star guys who will fit the program.  Eventually the bigger prospects will come.

 - Fact is they need to win some games, and while doing that with 4 and 5 star prospects is a little easier, a program can’t just decide to get those guys and do so (without cheating anyway).

 -Arguing about what comes first, the chicken or the egg, doesn’t get anyone anywhere, but maybe it’s a good way to keep people interested and talking in the offseason.

Roster talk

§  Incoming frosh QB Shane Dillon got a nice write-up in the “Pacific Takes” blog, stating that he has tons of upside with a very quick release, but would probably still be best redshirting: http://www.pacifictakes.com/2012/7/3/3098775/shane-dillon-colorado-buffaloes-football-2012-highlights

§  Nationally, Jordan Webb’s transfer has made a few headlines and there are many who are speculating that his experience will end up netting him the starting job.  He is similar in skills to Tyler Hansen, maybe a little less mobile.  Former Kansas OC Chuck Long says Webb has everything it takes to be successful and worked very hard the last couple of years to improve.  He would really have to pick up the offense, which is different from anything he has played in before, and gel with receivers, to leap frog everyone else.  Adam M. said everyone at Kansas had great things to say about him but agrees with me that, if he does win the job, it will more likely be due to what everyone else has not done, rather than what he has.  Hopefully, there is a fabulous competition where the winner comes out looking really good and we have a backup with whom the coaches would be comfortable and who is comfortable being number two.

§  While the Buffs are asking a few players to greyshirt, a few have taken medical retirement and a few are being pushed to graduate early, at least they don’t have to take the route that Lane Kiffin took at USC and now Jim Mora has done at UCLA.  Kiffin needed to strengthen his roster in light of scholarship restrictions and therefore oversigned more blue chip prospects than he had space for last year; so he then had to release a few students from their scholarships.  Now Mora has had to make moves to clear up 7 roster spots, asking two incoming freshmen to greyshirt and delay their enrollment, two have taken medical retirement (translation: “your services are no longer needed but since you have this injury you can keep your scholarship but not play”), two more are suddenly transferring, while one is leaving by “coaches decision”.

§  Jordan Murphy, a 6-foot-1, 225 pound walk-on FB/LB from Lutheran High (Castle Rock) was recently let go from the CSU football team (they are minimizing the FB position) but is transferring to CU where he will be a preferred walk-on, will have to sit out a year, and then will be able to compete for playing time and possibly a scholarship.  He was a regular on special teams units (playing only sparingly at FB) and that is where he will likely make his main contribution there.  Not sure how I feel taking a Lambie cast-off, although he could provide some insight as to what the Rams are doing on offense since he participated in Spring ball in Fort Collins.

Other Program Notes

§  LT David Bahktiari is the Buff getting the most love in the preseason:

*He was just named to the Outland Trophy Watch List for the best lineman, one of seven from the Pac-12 and 71 overall.

*He was the only one listed in ESPN’s “Blue Ribbon Preview” as a Preseason All-Conference pick.

(If you are an ESPN Insider, here is the CU preview: http://insider.espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/page/BlueRibbon-Colorado/colorado-buffaloes )

*Bahktiari was also the only bright spot mentioned in the Pac-12 Blog Positional preview, as the offensive line was still listed in the lowest “we’ll see” category. 

   -The Kicker position and Wil Oliver were rated as being in “good shape”.  Everything else so far (QB, RB, WR, TE) has been “we’ll see”.

§  P Darragh O’Neill was named to the Ray Guy Preseason Watch List (one of 4 Pac-12 punters) and C Gus  Handler has been named to the Rimington Award Watch List (one of 51 centers recognized).  S Ray Polk was previously named to the Ronnie Lott Impact Watch List.

§  Former Iowa Hawkeye and Minnesota Viking RB Albert Young is reportedly joining the Buffs staff as an “assistant coach to help with running backs”, probably a “technical intern”.  Young played under Bienemy in 2009-10.  Former UCLA player Michael Petre (played FB under EB) will also join the staff. The graduate assistants will be TC McCartney, Jeff Smart, Bert Watts, and Chapelle Brown (was promoted from “intern”), who will help Greg Brown with DBs and is supposedly great at looking at recruit’s film.

§  The video boards are installed, although they have not been fully tested.  They have added some smaller field level boards and increased the size and quality of the large boards at each end and added a small strip underneath each one, likely more for ads than stats or anything interesting.  I can’t wait to see them in person for the Sacramento St. game!  Here’s some photos at AllBuffs.com: http://www.allbuffs.com/content.php/1427-Scoreboards

§  New turf has also been installed in the practice fields, ready for camp.

§  Bowd Dowler, Joe Garten, Rashaan Salaam, and Matt Russell were the football players among 12 total that will be inducted into the CU Buff Hall of Fame.

§  It appears that the proposed scheduling collaboration between the Pac-12 and Big 10 has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, not surprisingly with Pac-12’s nine game conference schedule.  One consequence is that CU’s trip to Michigan with definitely be a one-time deal, without a return trip by Michigan to Boulder.

§  The Buff bashing continues though as Athlon ranked the CU offensive line 11^th in the Pac-12, ahead of only Washington St.  However, they did concede that: “Colorado has some solid pieces in place, and this unit could rank much higher on this list at the end of the year.”

§  Phil Steele piles on some more, predicting that eight of the Pac-12 teams, (including Oregon St?!) will make bowls, but that CU will be one of the four to stay home, along with Washington St. and the Arizona schools.

§  Bleacher Report also ranked the Buffs as the worst defense in the Pac-12, although they did write: “Despite their ranking, the defense is taking steps forward and will be ready to take a major step up in 2013.”11. Arizona Wildcats

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

The Wildcats scored when they hired Rich Rodriguez and then scored again when he brought over his old defensive coordinator at West Virginia in Jeff Casteel in the same position.
The pass rush mustered a pathetic ten sacks in 2011 and the Wildcats defense as a whole ranked in the bottom ten nationally with 37.7 points allowed per game. The cupboard is not exactly overflowing with talent at defensive end, so Casteel will be sure to earn his paycheck trying to create a respectable pass-rush and run defense.
Shaquille Richardson stepped up last year at cornerback, but it is up in the air who will play next to him. The Wildcats hope it can be Jonathan McKnight, who missed all of 2011 with a torn ACL.
Jake Fischer also missed 2011 after a spring knee injury, but will try to emerge as a leader for the linebacking unit.

§10. Arizona State

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

With only four starters returning as well as a new coaching staff, the Devils are looking to start fresh on the defensive side in 2012.
Although he missed all of 2011 with a torn ACL, linebacker Brandon Magee can do everything. He will be counted on to be the team’s field general. Still, there was a mass exodus at linebacker after last year and the Devils will struggle with inexperience plugging in players around Magee.
An experienced cornerback duo of Osahon Irabor and Deveron Carr could mean silence for opposing receivers due to their pass-disrupting abilities, but Carr needs to show more consistency.
Defensive tackle Will Sutton and the mammoth Mike Pennel (6’5”, 350 pounds) have the talent to surprise on the line, but the unit as a whole is unproven.
It will be a transition season for the Devils as they adjust to a new scheme. They have individual talent and will not repeat last season’s debacle as the nation’s leader in penalty yards, but 2013 will be the year when a significant rise should be expected.

9. Washington Huskies

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

After allowing 67 points in their Alamo Bowl loss to Baylor, the only way to go is up.
Justin Wilcox steps in as the new defensive coordinator and should see an improvement from what was an inconsistent and frustrating secondary in 2011.
Safety Sean Parker led the Huskies with 91 tackles last year, while mega-recruit Shaq Thompson could come in as a freshman and play opposite to Parker to create a formidable duo. At cornerback, the Huskies need Desmond Trufant to shake off the inconsistency bug and play up to his NFL-level talent.
Two sophomores will look to anchor the defensive front. Nose tackle Danny Shelton will command double teams in the middle, while “rush end” Josh Shirley will live up to his position’s title and create instant havoc in opposing backfields.
While they are more experienced as a whole than last year, the linebacking corps lacks in size and will still struggle once again against the run.

8. Washington State Cougars

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Change is in the air in Pullman. Mike Leach may be the new head coach, but it will be Mike Breske coming in to coach the defense.
The Cougars hope the defense’s four takeaways in the spring game is just a sneak preview after the team had just 17 in 2011.
Travis Long led the team in tackles for loss with 12 last season and was named second-team All-Pac-12. He will be depended upon to bring constant pressure as a “buck” linebacker, a hybrid between outside linebacker and defensive end.
Xavier Cooper has shown flashes of being a forceful attacker at the tackle spot, while safety Deone Buchanan will anchor a secondary that needs to improve its coverage after allow opposing quarterbacks to complete 64.2 percent of passes in 2011 while only picking off eight.
The Cougars return nine starters from last season, which will allow for consistency despite coaching changes across the board. The Cougars have depth as well and will build upon last year to earn respectability in the Pac-12.

7. Oregon State Beavers

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The Beavers appear to be in a bit of a rut, finishing under .500 in consecutive years. The running defense was awful last year in allowing over 200 yards per game, while the Beavers were near the bottom quarter nationally in surrendering 31 points per contest.
The line was ravaged by injuries last season, which opened up playing time for Scott Crichton. The freshmen ended up with 14.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and six forced fumbles and will be relied upon to spearhead a better effort to contain opponent’s ball-carriers in the backfield.
Jordan Poyer is a star in the back seven who possesses the speed and ability to shut down top receivers. The Beavers return four of five starters at linebacker, but both the linebacking corps and the secondary need a less porous run-stopping performance from the line in order for the defense to achieve balance.

6. UCLA Bruins

Harry How/Getty Images

The Bruins have a wealth of talent on defense and this should be the year to see that talent actualize into results.
Safety Tevin McDonald had three interceptions against Cal last year and the sophomore looks to be a rising star. Cornerbacks Sheldon Price and Aaron Hester could provide a dynamic duo, with Hester having the speed to cover deep while Price has the ferocity and physicality to lock in on opposing runners.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks is another sophomore poised for greatness and will learn from senior Patrick Larimore how to become a leader of the defense.
Finally, five-star defensive tackle recruit Ellis McCarthy was the big score in new head coach Jim Mora’s first offseason. He will join a group with plenty of untapped potential on the defensive front, and will be sure to receive instant playing time.
UCLA has less established stars than the top defensive outfits in the conference, but 2012 could see a large number of former top recruits taking a large step forward in their on-field performances.

5. California Golden Bears

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The Golden Bears are solid all-around, but will need some stars to emerge in order to become a defense to be reckoned with.
The player with the highest upside is defensive end Deandre Coleman. He has all the physical tools to become a versatile and explosive pass rusher, while fellow starting end Mustafa Jalil has the strength to be a beast in stopping the run.
The loss of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Mychal Kendricks will be felt at middle linebacker, as no starting spot is safe with all four linebacker positions up for grabs. The Golden Bears will have depth, but need one or two of their young guns to emerge as a leader.
Cornerbacks Marc Anthony and Steve Williams will be able to shut down opposing wideouts, but uncertainty at the free safety spots could bring down the entire unit.

4. Stanford Cardinal

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Not only did Stanford finish second nationally with 88.4 rushing yards allowed per game, but they return almost everyone from the front seven.
Without a doubt, the Cardinals has the best linebacking corps in the Pac-12 and possibly the country. Shayne Skov missed all but three games in 2011 due to a knee injury, but his aggressiveness and status as a hard-hitting tackling machine have him as an All-American candidate
Yet, the accolade of best Cardinal linebacker belongs to Chase Thomas, who passed up the draft after having eight-and-a-half sacks and five forced fumbles last season in spite of an increased focus after Skov went down.
Even scarier, fellow backers Jarek Lancaster, A.J. Tarpley and Trent Murphy would be top linebackers on most other Pac-12 squads.
Unfortunately, the defensive line and secondary are not of the same caliber. Defensive end Ben Gardner was second-team All-Pac 12 last year, but the line will not make many big plays behind the line of scrimmage. Though it will be effective in preventing opponents in establishing an effective running game.
The secondary is raw and those who do win starting jobs will need to grow up quickly or be eaten alive against Stanford’s slate of pass-happy Pac-12 opponents.

3. Oregon Ducks

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Lost in the wake of Oregon’s perennial fireworks on offense was a relentless pass rush that finished fourth nationally with 44 sacks. The pass defense was not shabby either, as the Ducks led the nation with 69 passes defended and finished tied for 16^th with 17 interceptions.
Like Stanford, the Ducks’ primary strength lies with its linebackers. Dion Jordan will be rushing quarterbacks in the NFL soon enough, while inside linebackers Michael Clay and Kiko Alonso will take down any ball carriers in their area code.
Free safety John Boyett was a second-team All-Pac-12 choice last year and will continue to be ever-reliable in the back after leading the Ducks with 108 tackles. Cornerback Terrance Mitchell will also be a menace after starting 12 games last year as a freshman.
Nose guard Taylor Hart is the leader on the defensive line, and will be joined by a group of reliable veterans and talented recruits pushing for playing time.
Six starters return, but Chip Kelly’s recruiting is paying off dividends now and shows in the Ducks’ remarkable depth on the defensive side.

2. Utah Utes

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The Utes led the Pac-12 in scoring defense last season at 20.2 points per game.
Nose tackle Star Lotulelei is a projected All-American and possibly top-five draft choice and will be an immovable object that many an unfortunate running back will be stopped dead in their tracks by this season.
Lotulelei will attract constant double-teams, so the focus is upon Nate Fakahafua and brothers Dave and Joe Kruger to rise up and create a pass rush.
The Utes also led the Pac-12 in interceptions with 19 and held opposing quarterbacks to the lowest yards per attempt and completion percentage as well. Strong safety Brian Blechen has a nose for the ball while also being an aggressive stopper in the run game, while free safety Eric Rowe had 69 tackles starting as a freshman.
The one reason Utah’s defensive lineup falls to second is the linebackers. Only Trevor Reilly has extensive experience, so Utah’s third game of the season against rival BYU will serve as an ideal early indicator of how the unit is going to shape up.

1. USC Trojans

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The Trojans will be hunting for a national title and their stars are not all on the offensive side of the ball.
Safety T.J. McDonald was an All-American last year and there should be no reason not to expect a repeat performance.
Nickell Robey and Isiah Wiley front a pesky cornerbacking unit too, with Robey’s knack for interceptions likely to result in a big play or two in 2012 as well as some postseason accolades.
All sophomores, Hayes Pullard, Dion Bailey, and Lamar Dawson all settled in well at linebacker as freshman in 2011 and look to be a cohesive and dangerous unit for the next couple of years. Dawson looks to be a star at middle linebacker
The one area of concern is on the defensive line. Tackle George Uko as well as ends Devon Kennard and Wes Horton have NFL talent, but need to show some semblance of NFL performance in order to keep pressure on opposing offensive lines. That will be the USC coaching staff’s biggest focus this offseason.
USC’s defense is young and/or unproven up front, but if former four and five-star recruits can live up to their billing, then the Trojan defense will make USC almost unbeatable.

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Keep Reading

§  Coming soon: “Pre Camp Positional Outlook”

More Summer Grazing

The offseason summer tidbits continue to trickle in as we eagerly await the start of camp a little more than a month away.

2013 Recruiting

§  The total number of verbal commitments has grown to 12 recruits, well ahead of previous years’ pace. 

§  The newest member of the 2013 class is 2/3-star OT Gunnar Graham (Kentfield, CA).  He is a little under the radar as he has only played a year of offense, but has the size, speed and “motor” the coaching staff likes.

§  Although none of the new guys have been “big name” 4 or 5-star national prospects, the class is shaping up nicely and filling out the roster with some depth. Both Scout and Rivals have them ranked #48 in the country.  They have commits from a QB, RB, TE, 2 WR, 5 OL, 1 s, 1 LB.  Even with the huge class they are bringing in this year, they could still use a couple of DL and CBs, and will likely want to sign a couple more LBs and even another OL.

§  The Buffs are going after many of the biggest names, often offering earlier than other schools, but still not able to compete with USC, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA or Michigan once they do offer.

§  And now add Washington back to that list as they just had a huge week, jumping to #15 after receiving eight verbals in one day over the weekend from a lot of highly recruited Pac-12 prospects, including one that CU had offered-DL Elijah Qualls (Petaluma, CA).

§  3-star North Hollywood, CA 6’-5”, 280-pound OL Thomas Oser put CU in good company when he said, "If you told me two years ago that I would have scholarship offers from schools like Colorado, Vanderbilt, Oregon and Stanford, I would have laughed in your face.”

§  The last nationally recruited prospect from the state Colorado (#4 in the state), Ralston Valley’s OT Dan Skipper, announced he has verbally committed to Tennessee.

§  From the REALLY?! Dept: We have heard of numerous 2014 offers and even commitments but 2016 prospect rising freshman 6-3, 220 lb. DE Rahshaun Smith (Towson, MD) has already received TWO scholarship offers (BC and Maryland).

Roster talk

§  BuffsScoop.com posted this interview on NetBuffs.com with TE/Special Teams Coach JD Brookhart: http://www.netbuffs.com/message_board/football/2012/July/2/725264.php

§  The highlights of the interview:

  -Brookhart definitely expects the special teams units to be much better this season and wants more starters, the team’s best athletes and players, playing more on special teams in general.  However, he also said that he expects to see a minimum of 12 true freshmen playing on special teams, including at least 3 DBs, some DL and TE, FB Cristian Powell;

-WR Gerald Thomas could very well be one of the returners, as well as DBs Jeffrey Hall, Marques Mosely, Kenneth Crawley, RB Donta Abron;

-He expects the unit to be generally more aggressive, going after punts, attempting some fakes, trying to influence field position, hopefully averaging net punting in the 40 yard range, adapting to the new kickoff rules and average starting field position out past 25.

-Brookhart also has big hopes for his TEs but is definitely cautiously optimistic, knowing that Nick Kasa is a great athlete, but not yet a great TE, and that his frosh, like Austin Ray, Sean Irwin and Vincent Hobbs, will all likely need to contribute but are still freshmen.

-While he admitted that the Buffs need to take back the state in terms of recruits, he also said that “even though many kids have left the state over the years, the facts are that a lot of those kids haven't done very well.”

§  Finally, after being rumored for months, it just might be almost official, as former Kansas QB transfer Jordan Webb confirmed that he is indeed coming to Boulder to meet with school officials and expects to be officially admitted this week.  He will two years of eligibility left, will be by far the most experienced QB on the roster (although it was leading weak Kansas team) and definitely expects a shot at the starting job. 

 -Supposed frontrunner for the QB job Connor Wood said of the addition and QB competition: “Obviously it increases the competition and increases the dynamic of how we're going to do into fall, in terms of reps and that sort of thing.  As I said in the offseason, as you bring in good players and better players, obviously it encourages competition because no one's spot is sealed. You've got to embrace it. You can't be threatened by it or put off by it. You've got to embrace it and think it's going to be good for the team."

§  DE Kisima Jagne will likely go a Junior College and/or WR Peyton Williams could still be a greyshirt candidate, although nothing has been announced on either front. The Buffs do need to have a third member of the 28-recruit to somehow delay enrollment in addition to DE Derek McCartney and OG Gerald Kough, to be at the 25 member class limit. 

Other Program Notes

§  CU added a home game vs. Grambling St. to complete the 2015 schedule and announced an away game at Michigan for 2016, which would be the “extra” 12^th game allowed because of the @Hawaii game that year, in addition to a $1.45 million payday and national TV and Midwestern (i.e. Chicago area alumni) exposure..  It is not known if a home game will be reciprocated 2017 with the Pac12-Big10 conference thingy, but Utah and Oregon St. also have future dates lined up with Michigan, who is either taking the so-called “alliance” seriously or just see good value in scheduling Pac-12 “lower” echelon teams that would still look pretty good in the eyes of pollsters and committee voters.

§  Jon Embree has stated that freshmen will not being doing any interviews until at least September.  This will keep Yuri Wright from having to answer questions about his Twitter posts last spring, allow Shane Dillon to focus on the quarterback competition as well as let the other 20 or so frosh who will be playing concentrate on getting acclimated to college life and football.

§  The Athletic Department hired former Charlotte Hornets executive Matt Biggers as its newly added “Chief Marketing Officer” to increase ticket sales and program exposure, especially with football.

§  The football program had its 2^nd straight year of posting its highest APR score ever. Let’s hope that players like Cordary Allen were academically on track before leaving.  Any players who finish their degree early certainly don’t hurt and we will still have to see how many are able to do that as Embree hopes some current juniors can.

§  The CSU game has been moved back to Saturday, Sept. 2 at 2:00 and will be televised by FOX.

§  Sr. LB Doug Rippy and Jr. 2^nd-team All-Pac-12 LT David Bahktiari will accompany Jon Embree and be interviewed first at the Pac-12 Media Day on July 24.

§  CU finished 57^th in the NCAA Director’s Cup (won by Stanford).  The Buffs have the minimum 16 sanctioned sports teams competing in order to qualify.

§  The new video boards appear to be coming along nicely (see AllBuffs.com for photo updates: http://www.allbuffs.com/content.php/1-University-of-Colorado-Sports-News ).  The South end is basically complete, as are some field level boards, and now the North end is being rebuilt on top of the Dal Ward Center.

§  New turf is also being installed at the practice fields before camp opens in August.

§  Any other news on the “major” renovation plans that have been drawn up but not approved or funded, may be farther off than Mike Bohn might have led us to believe previously.  Chancellor Phil DiStefano was not very optimistic when he talked about the project.  Although Embree and Co. are showing the drawings to recruiting prospects, I doubt that there is any chance that those recruits would ever see any of the plans come to fruition without a huge private donation.

§  Interesting perspective on the state of the entire CU Athletic Department and its leadership: http://www.allbuffs.com/content.php/1418-An-open-letter-to-the-CU-community