Pre-Camp Positional Outlook

The Buff players have been practicing informally since June while the coaches have been scheming and recruiting. Today, they will all finally have a chance to get together and begin working on proving all the national pundits wrong with their pessimistic predictions.  Here is a look at each position, its depth chart, how incoming frosh will affect it.

QB: Of course, this position is spotlighted even if there are not many questions, but this year the Buffs are wide open at QB and how the starter(s) perform throughout the season will ultimately go a long way in how the team’s record goes.  So.Connor Wood has been expected by many to just be the starter but it seems he has not quite grabbed the bull by the horns and therefore So. Nick Hirschman, finally hopefully completely healed, will get his chance.  Jr. transfer Jordan Webb is finally enrolled, brings a load of confidence and adds some experience to the competition, providing an at least decent safety net if anything goes terribly wrong; Brent Burnette is gone to graduation (no big loss).  True frosh Shane Dillon has the size, arm (strong and very quick release) and confidence to be the man, someday, but he is still listed as “day-to-day”, coming off shoulder surgery and will likely redshirt-we will likely know if he is for real now or just learning early in camp.  Hopefully, someone will step up and grab it, but it is all too probable that we will be waiting up until the week before the CSU game who will start it.  Walk-on John Shcrock and Stevie Joe Dorman will be in the battle for #3.

RB: So. Tony Jones looks to hold off the freshmen and get the most playing time, especially if he continues to improve in how he picks up reads and blocks.  Jr. Josh Ford has shown great potential running, but lacking in other areas.  R-Fr. Malcolm Creer is coming off a major knee injury but showed flashes in two games before he went down and is supposedly full go.  However, unless Ford and/or Creer develop enough trust with the coaches (and even maybe then), at least one of the true freshmen, Donta Abron, Terrence Crowder (coming off injury of his own) or the bigger Davien Payne, will almost assuredly get some playing time.

FB:  Although walk-on former TE Alex Wood will be listed first going into camp, Highlands Ranch standout and Buff legacy Clay Norgard (Highlands Ranch) enrolled early and participated in Spring practices, and I expect him to win the job at some point this season.  Christian Powell (Upland, CA) also has a chance to contribute.  Both true frosh have been mentioned as special teams units players.

WR: Paul Richardson went down with an ACL leaving this position group wide open, although he is “ahead of schedule” and hopes to actually play at some point in the season (we can’t count on anything from him at this point, no matter how optimistic everyone is).  Two Texas 3-star Thomases (no relation) will be counted on to compete for playing time with a few guys who return with some experience-Sophs.Tyler McColluch and Keenan Canty, and Sr. Dustin Ebner, who has stepped up as a leader in summer workouts-as well as Nelson Spruce, who was named to an Presseason All-Redshirt Frosh Team.  Will we ever hear from Jrs. DaVaughn Thorton or Jarrod Darden again? True freshmen WR Gerald Thomas might be the fastest Buff now and looks to see the field on special teams and offense; Jeffery Thomas (no relation) has great leaping ability and a lot of upside and could use a redshirt year to polish his skills, but will likely be needed.  The third recruit, Peyton Williams tore his ACL in the Texas state playoffs, and although he has said he expects to be ready to go, the coaches are not as optimistic for him as P-Rich and it looks like he will be asked to greyshirt.

TE:  This could be the surprise position, as it has some hidden depth and talent, if not experience.  Former blue-chipper Sr. Nick Kasa has one last shot to show his worth at a new position.  He looked okay at the end of last season and has worked hard in since.  It’s time for Soph. Kyle Slavin to step it up or he will disappear down the depth chart.  Two if not all three of the recruits here are likely to get on the field as true freshmen.  Sean Irwin (TX) is an exceptional blocker and has been told he will play, at the minimum in a similar fashion to the way the Buffs used tackle Alex Lewis in certain packages as a third TE last year.  Vincent Hobbs (TX) is just the opposite as a converted WR and will challenge Pac-12 safeties and linebackers to keep up with him. (Hobbs is going to be my big sleeper pick in my Pac-12 Fantasy League Draft.)  Austin Ray (MO) is an all-around guy who will be hard to keep off the field.  

O-Line: This group is probably the strength of the offense and won’t likely offer many surprises.  They should really help Tony Jones and whoever ends up at QB.  2^nd team All-Pac-12 David Bahktiari will definitely start at LT, So. Alex Lewis at LG, So. Gus Handler at C, So. Daniel Munyer RG, Jr. Jack Harris RT, with Sr. Ryan Dannewitz (currently listed co-starter at both right side slots) the backup for everyone except Handler (although he would step in at RG while Munyer spelled at C if need be.) The Buffs have a lot of depth in the interior with C/Gs So. Kawai Crabb and frosh Brad Cotner (redshirt) and Alex Kelley, with the team since the spring after he suffered a foot injury last summer and greyshirted.  R-Fr. T Stephane Nembot and Marc Mustoe are both probably still a year away from being able to play on a regular basis. True frosh G/T Jeromy Irwin will be given the opportunity to compete but will likely redshirt. There has been some talk of one of more of the many d-line recruits switching to offense, but if that happened, it would be well down the road.  OG Gerald Kough will reluctantly greyshirt and put on some weight. Lastly, T Ed Caldwell from Highlands Ranch agreed to come to Boulder this summer as a “preferred walk-on” to provide depth and work towards earning a scholarship sometime in the future.

D-Line: Overall the defense should be better, but this group brings the least experience back, will count on many freshmen, and therefore will be key to how successful the entire until can really be.  Four-year starter DT Wil Pericak will lead this group, which can only hope for some contribution from two seniors, the underachieving weightlifter Eric Richter and the oft-injured Nate Bonsu, as well as untested So.Kirk Poston.  On the outside (I am including the “Jack LB”/hybrid DE slot here) the starters will be the exciting Jr. Chidera Uzo-Diribe and So. Juda Parker. That’s basically it returning with any experience, except for a bunch of walk-ons who took up space during spring drills, from a group that was generally poor last year, providing very little quarterback pressure in a pass happy offensive conference.  This was then confirmed by the fact that they signed NINE defensive linemen, of whom at least 4, and maybe even 6 or 7, could find their way onto the field this year.  Josh Tupou (CA; nephew of former Buff DT Vili Maumau) is a big body who many think could contribute right away inside; Tyler Henington (Mullen) is ready to generally play inside, but is versatile and could play all over the line; Westlake, CA teammates DT Justin Solis and DE John Stuart provide a one-two inside-outside punch that are familiar with each other and could both get on the field;  Kory Rasmussen (HI)and Samson Kofavalu (CA) could both also play inside or outside;  De’Jon Wilson (part of the “DC 3”) is one of the DE prospects that could play the Jack LB.  Unfortunately, DE Kisima Jagne (AZ), who might be the prospect that got fans most excited with his many highlight reel hits, won’t qualify and will likely greyshirt along with Derek McCartney (Faith Christian) who needs to put on weight. It has been speculated that one or more might be able to switch to O-line, but that would only happen down the line out of necessity.

LB: This is the group that most people expect to be the best unit on the team, leading the defense with experienced veteran starters returning, Srs. Doug Rippy and Jon Major, as well as Jr. Derrick Webb.  Last year’s freshmen class will provide depth for now as there are no new freshmen to help out.  They will be led by Brady Daigh and Kyle Washington, who have received the most praise from coaches, as the main backups, with Woodson Greer III, KT Tu’umalo,and former DB and redshirt Jermane Clark filling out the depth chart. Jr. Paul Vigo was also recently moved from safety.  Jr. Lowell Williams is there but I don’t see him contributing except maybe on special teams.  Next year, LB becomes a definite priority and they will sign at least two, maybe more.

CB:  So. Greg Henderson should man one side and they finally have a little depth with Sophs. Jered Bell and Josh Moten along with the redshirted and still “limited”(knee) Sherrard Harrington are the top returning candidates to man the other side and the nickel position.  In the pass-happy Pac-12 at least 6 CBs will see action during any given game and probably upwards of ten for the season (remember last year they played all their safeties plus a WR and a RB at CB), and that’s without counting special teams.  Greg Brown and the Buffs will need at least a couple of their supposed “top four cornerbacks” from the 2012 class to play, and possibly all could earn see the field between defense and special teams. Two of the signees, 4-stars Yuri Wright (NJ) and Kenneth Crawley (biggest name of the DC 3), are expected by everyone inside and outside of the program to step in and contribute immediately.  Jeffrey Hall (LA) was hesitant to commit after the two big names but was promised a chance and he expects to be on the field as well.  John Walker (last of the DC 3) has a lot of upside but is the most likely to redshirt. There are a host of other players, mostly walk-ons (like Harrison Hunter) that hopefully now won’t need to see the field.

S: Sr. Ray Polk (albeit still too often out of position last year) will be a leader of the D but his counterpart, who will replace senior captain Anthony Perkins, is unclear.  IF he can stay healthy Jr. Parker Orms would be the obvious choice, but he has found that almost impossible to do, entering camp listed as “day-to-day”. Likewise, R-Fr. Wil Harlos should see the field if he can stay healthy (he had leg and concussion issues last year). Big-hitting Jr.Terrell Smith always seems to find his way on the field even though he is small.  Since the Buffs do have some depth here, they only signed one possible safety, Marques Mosley (Upland, CA), (who could also play CB or even WR) and will likely contribute on special teams.  Sophs. Kyle Washington or KT Tu’umalo, could each end up here depending on how much weight they put on and how things shuffle out at LB.

Special Teams: Since the Buffs already have a set young punter and kicker (sophomores to be Darragh O’Neill and Wil Oliver) as well as three solid backups they did not recruit any kicking specialists. Justin Castor and Zack Grossnickle will compete for kickoff duties and Grossnickle and DJ Willhelm will backup at punter.  However, they recruited many guys with speed that will contribute on the rest of the special teams units.  They will need to focus a lot on the return and coverage units since they did not do much during the spring.  They didn’t last year either and I believe that showed during the season.  It will be interesting how the team ultimately deals with kickoff due to the new rules.  JD Brookhart will be looking for a balance of young talent and veteran leadership to man the units and will include a number of starters as well as freshmen.  Speedy WR Gerald Thomas will definitely be in the mix for the return jobs, along with S Marques Moseley and maybe some (most?) of the other DBs, RBs and receivers; all of those will also look to contribute on the coverage units as well, as well as the FBs, TEs and possibly the faster D-linemen.