A little preview of the positions, updated who’s who, a couple predictions, and anything else I could come up with about each grouping.  Alas, I will be on the Akumal, Mexico beach for the next 10 days or so, and I will miss the beginning of camp, but I’ll get to a few and update after I return.

Offense: It sounds like Connor Wood is the man at quarterback (remember he was also named captain by his peers) unless he really screws it up.  JC transfer Jordan Gehrke is the backup now, although he is very confident and is definitely talking about the starting job.  He will have to really pick up nuances of the offense to catch up with Wood, or really wow with other ability to overtake him, but it will be good to have a backup with some experience above high school.
Frosh Sefo Liufau will be given a chance early to compete.  If he is close to the 2^nd team but not much “separation” the other guy would go, but if Sefo is the 2^nd best, he will be the backup; they might even try some trick plays using him in different ways, especially if his redshirt is going to be pulled.  It sounds like his arm probably needs another year and OC Brian Lindgren has even said it will be difficult for Sefo to compete against the experience at this point, so he will likely be slated for a redshirt, barring injuries. However, Kyle Ringo of the Camera said his “gut feeling” is that Sefo will play in some capacity this year.  
Stevie Joe Dorman (not his Uncle Koy), actually the longest tenured Buff QB, is not conceding anything, as I guess any scholarship player should, but, c’mon…although we could possibly “get” to see him on the field this year as he will be third string. 
No matter what this position will get a lot of press during camp. The QB will have more to work than anyone in a while. It may have just been to get a read on all the QBs but they certainly threw the ball a lot in the spring, so one question is “how much will they really throw the ball?”

Whoever the QB is will especially be excited for the deep group of wide receivers the team has, with P-Rich leading the way.  Coaches are super excited for him to get on the field, but not as much as he is, calling sitting out last year a “humbling experience…you can’t help but wonder.”  When asked if he is faster after the injury and rehab he said, “Oh definitely. I’m a lot faster than I used to be.  It’s scary.”

 This receiving corps is actually in great shape, going at least six deep, even with Gerald Thomas slinking away back to Texas: DD Goodson moving into the slot from RB is going to be a great fit; both of last year’s starters Nelson Spruce (Ralphie Report’s David G predicts he will lead team in receptions again) and Tyler McCulloch (even though he still can’t catch a ball with a DB in his face) should grab a lot of catches but might not even start; greyshirt WR Jeff Thomas, who has size, speed and ability, got a lot of hype all spring is the guy with the most potential to take attention away from P-Rich. Even walk-on Wesley Christensen caught a lot of balls and turned some heads in the spring.

Lastly, there are also three talented freshmen-Bryce Bobo, Elijah Dunston and Devin Ross-who have all received rave reviews from teammates in summer workouts and will compete for some playing time, although at least one will likely redshirt.  This group alone makes Wood better this year.

Unfortunately, the tight end position is not as well-stocked and may not be utilized a ton this year. Vincent Hobbs was by far the best pass-catcher at the position and without him they are very mediocre. Seniors Kyle Slavin, Alex Wood and Scott Fernandez will get some snaps, but all have their drawbacks: Slavin has always looked the part without performing much; Wood has bounced between FB and TE; and “Scooter” is a really an extra lineman, who will only catch the ball occasionally (although it could end up a big play like his 71-yarder last year). Hopefully, one of the redshirt freshmen Sean Irwin or Austin Ray can develop into a contributor. Late 2013 recruit Connor Center will almost assuredly redshirt learning to block and a little TE and OT while putting on some weight.

The team did not seem to focus as much on the run game or the running backs during spring ball because of the QB situation and there may be some more of that at the beginning of camp.  However, it appears Christian Powell will be the starter, main back; he has been getting some nice national attention, getting named to the Doak Walker Watch List.  However, the Buffs have a bunch of backs with some experience, talent or both.  Jr. Tony Jones and Sr. Josh Ford figure to get some carries and there are a bunch of younger guys: Donta Abron showed some flashes last season; Terrence Crowder and Malcolm Creer are both almost two years removed from nasty knee injuries; true frosh Michael Adkins and possibly Phillip Lindsay could contribute.

I think this team will more heavily favor the pass (60-40 maybe), but they will still run the ball and if P-Rich and some of the young speedy wideouts can stretch the field and hit a few longs ones, the defense will open up underneath for the RBs.

The starting offensive line is 4/5 set with one guard position still up for grabs after Alex Lewis left to beat up people way smaller than him so that he could enroll at nebraska.  There could be some shifting in the interior depending on who wins out at center, Daniel Munyer, who has recovered from leg injury, or Gus Handler, who struggled with snaps in the Pistol (shorter snap than traditional shotgun) during the spring.  Jack Harris and Stephane Nembot appear to have solidified their spots at the tackles.  The starters will still likely be the expected quint of Harris- -Handler-Munyer-Nembot. Kawai Crabb, Alex Kelley and Jeromy Irwin (could also play tackle) are battling for that last guard spot. All the freshmen should be able to redshirt.

MacIntyre: “I felt that coming out of spring we have 8 guys that are pretty good players. The good thing is four of them can switch positions. Then we have young guys that can be thrown into the mix. I’m pleased with the OL and their toughness. Our OL coach has done a great job. He has I think 24 years of experience in the Pac-12. We’ll run to their strengths”.  I am not sure who the “eighth” guy is, maybe tackle Marc Mustoe.

Defense: While the defense struggled overall, in the spring and all of the last two years, there is some hope as the group returns a lot of guys with playing experience, and there are a lot of coaches focused on supporting them.  The goal is a little improvement everywhere can add up to some decent, visible overall improvement.

Coach MacIntyre gave the linebacker position a lot of attention when he got here and it started to show this spring, although they are still a “we’ll see” from the ESPN Pac12 blog. We all know Derrick Webb will start at one inside slot and is a captain and leader of the D, second only to Chidera.  The coaching staff spoke highly of San Jose greyshirt Addison Gilliam and he did not disappoint, spending most of the spring working with the first string.  Sophomore Woodson Greer III also had a great spring showcasing his speed and hard hitting.  Brady Daigh was expected to grab another but struggles with some injuries and inconsistency in the spring leave him with some uncertainty. Don’t forget Sr. Paul Vigo, who was named captain and was very effective last season, especially in passing situations. Gilliam and Greer will be hard to keep off the field so I expect to see all five play. After that hey finally have some depth with Jr. Lowell Williams and Clay Norgard, who both had some nice tackles in the Spring game, plus a few freshmen who can redshirt unless they play special teams.

The defensive line is young but fairly deep, and most got some experience last year so they should be better based on that alone.  After seniors DT Nate Bonsu and DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe (captain and on many preseason “lists” getting a lot of hype), most everyone else who expects to earn playing time are underclassmen, with sophomore DTs Josh Tupou, Tyler Henington and Justin Solis leading the way along with DE Samson Kafovalu who had a monster spring after getting arrested in the offseason. DE De’Jon Wilson, the scout team defensive MVP last year but had some struggles in the spring, now has a slightly bigger chance to get some playing time as John Stuart has left the program, as does fellow redshirt Kory Rasmussen.  The forgotten man might be Jr. DE Juda Parker, a four star recruit who has played his first two seasons, but not very much and then missed spring ball with shoulder surgery. Many in this group were expected to work on losing weight and improving quickness over the summer but I have not heard any “recent updates”, although their coach, Jim Jeffcoat, who almost looks like he could still suit up, could probably lose a few along with them. Then, there are freshman Derek McCartney, Tim Coleman, Jimmie Gilbert (Chidera mentioned him as frosh to watch), who might fight their way into the mix (although at least one will redshirt and put on weight). This group could be the biggest key to the defense’s success or failure—if they can plug the holes a little better and get a little more pressure on opposing QBs, and the seven guys behind them can do a much better job and they might be able to stay a little closer in games later.  If this unit gets pushed around again though, it may not matter how well anyone else does.

The secondary has the most work to do still (and would benefit the most from improved d-line play), but also has the most support with two position coaches, Andy LaRussa on the corners and Charles Clark with the safeties, not to mention a hands-on head coach who is a former safety himself and Toby Neinas (Special Teams), who has also coached DBs in the past. This after only having one of Greg Brown’s fingers and some grad assistants the past two seasons.

Jr. Greg Henderson is just plain solid at one cornerback, and So. Kenneth Crawley should be much improved in confidence and ability, on the other side.  After that there will still be a lot of competition in August between Jr. Josh Moten and Sophs Yuri Wright, John Walker and Jeff Hall (brief spring experiment at WR).

There still seems to be a lot of uncertainty at the safeties. Srs. Terrell Smith and Parker Orms (who has continued to have injury problems) figure to play a lot, but there are others in the mix: Jered Bell came on toward the end of the spring now that he is fully recovered from his knee injury; So. Marques Mosley was pretty quiet in the spring; even Josh Moten was listed as the “starter” at one point in the spring.

Almost any of these guys could end playing the nickel (which will be a starter for at least half the games) and/or dime slots in a pass-happy conference so expect most, if not all of the ten names above to get some defensive snaps.  There is still a good chance that some of the freshmen, like S Tedric Thompson or CB Chidobe Awuzie, could contribute as well, especially if they can contribute on special teams.

It would appear there is depth and talent here, but they need to stay healthy (Orms especially), find the right combinations and get a little more consistent.

Overall, the defense has a looooong way to go.  They were basically dominated in the latter scrimmages, giving up a lot of yards and points, without making many turnovers.  DC Kent Baer is openly concerned about his team’s ability to tackle.  However, with just a little improvement in each area and grouping, the Buffs could keep themselves in games in the second half of games, which might just be the best we can hope for this season.

Special Teams: Wil Oliver is looking to kick a few more than his total of 8 FG attempts last year.  He is feeling very confident and excited to have a full-time coach dedicated to working with him and his mates.  He also wants to try and win the kickoff job over Justin Castor. Oliver said he definitely thought JD Brookhart was stretched thin last year coaching TEs, helping coordinate the passing game (because EB couldn’t handle it) as well as trying to coordinate the special teams.  O’Neill is the obvious choice a punter, and he had the heads up to make sure a blocked punt was only a safety. 

We are still waiting on freshmen to decide returners.  No one stood out in the limited spring game reps, except Keenan Canty who dropped a punt and Josh Ford had one ill-advised kickoff return.  They let P-Rich field a punt and everyone held their breath when Addison Gilliam hit him hard.

Although there is a ton of work to be done here, just having Neinas as a full-time coordinator should make this group much better across all coverage and return units than we have seen in years.

Overall, the coaching staff and players have kept up a positive attitude and are anticipating surprising some people this year.  Jon Embree was expecting this team to be able to make a big jump, and now everyone is biting their lip, hoping MacIntyre can bring that dream to fruition.  Although they are picked last in the Pac12 South by just about everyone and their grandmother, they are a hungry and ticked off.  With much improved wide receivers, more organized coaching and just a little tightening up at each other position grouping could go a long way.  The csu game will be telling and will set the tone for the season.

Go Buffs!

Catching up on lots of news...

One sure way to get some news out of the Buffs is for me to post.  Shortly after I posted my last update, it was announced that the school had a new AD and not too long after that, yet another QB left the team, I had a class all week so couldn’t keep up, Media Day, three more players leaving, all kind of random shit, and most importantly…fall camp opens in less than two weeks! And I am trying to get Fall camp preview up before I leave for Mexico.  So here it goes with the latest…

Rick George was named Athletic Director and chief fundraiser after a relatively short search.  It seems he was the only candidate they seriously considered.  He has background everywhere in sports and previous experience as Asst. AD and also worked as Dir. of Football Operations under Coach McCartney. He is receiving almost unanimous praise in the media and on message boards.  George plans to thoroughly look at everything, form his own opinions on everything (including 10% budget cut request) and then go about making decisions.  On paper he appears to be a good match to me at least, with a stellar resume, says all the right things (even that the $50 million is still feasible by December?!), has infectious enthusiasm and passion similar to MacIntyre.  Although, I have not met him yet, I do not sense any of the smug, arrogant attitude vibe I always felt from the bohner and tharp. But what the hell do I know?  We all want to be positive but can only wait and see. 

For the first time this year, someone has chosen NOT to list the Buffs as an underdog, listing CU as 1.5 point favorite over csu by VegasInsider.com.  Does this mean there has been a lot of betting on the Buffs as a dog?  They also expect a shootout and lay the over/under at 54 points, even though these teams have not combined to score that much since the 2008 38-17 Buff win. 

QB Shuffle: Okay, is it time to get worried at all about the QB position?  Since entering spring with what most perceived to be too many QBs at six, three of those have left, and one is in limbo.  Walk-on John Schrock is the latest to bail, having deciding to focus on academics so he can pursue becoming a doctor.  His leaving only really hurts for practice purposes, so I would expect them to bring in another local walk-on QB. 

I guess this is the QB preview: It sounds like Connor Wood is the man (remember he was also named captain by his peers) unless he really screws it up.  Frosh Sefo Liufau will be given a chance early, but his arm probably needs another year, OC Brian Lindgren has even said it will be difficult for Sefo to compete against the experience at this point, and he will likely be slated for a redshirt, barring injuries. JC transfer Jordan Gehrke is the backup now, although he is very confident and is definitely talking about the starting job.  He will have to really pick up nuances of the offense to catch up with Wood, or really wow with other ability to overtake him, but it will be good to have a backup with some experience above high school.

Stevie Joe Dorman (not his Uncle Koy), actually the longest tenured Buff QB, is not conceding anything, as I guess any scholarship player should, but, c’mon…although we could possibly “get” to see  on the field this year as he will be third string. 

Wood also was a counselor at the now famous Manning Camp along with about 30 other college QBs. I guess he actually woke up, participated and stayed the whole time unlike the Heisman winner.  Wood said he got a lot out of listening to the Mannings, as well as watching and competing against some other top QBs: “I definitely feel like I can stick with those guys.”

ESPN “carwash” and Media Days: Mike MacIntyre toured ESPN studios Thursday and got all kinds of exposure.  Chris Fowler came away impressed after his interview and tweeted out twice about it, including “Relentlessly positive, a true rebuilder. Buffs WILL be improved.” & “To (Buff) fans who have asked, I AM quite impressed with (him) natural rebuilder: enthused, positive. Buffs will improve fast.”

Pac12 Media picked CU to finish last in the South and received fewest vote points in the whole conference, a few behind WSU-big whoop, so has everyone else, but has to be written. The team is shrugging it off and using it as a little motivation.

Pac12 Commish Larry Scott is asking all Pac12 fans, or anyone even knows a Pac12 fan, well, everyone, to drop DirecTV, since they refuse to cut a similar deal with Pac12 Networks as every other major provider has done.  The conference has even set up a website outlining how to go about dropping the provider.

Coach MacIntyre was again relentlessly positive and reminded us that it wasn’t too long ago that Colorado was one of the top-15 programs in the country, and that the predictions don’t matter, the “future is bright” and the team will work hard to continue getting better.

Also incredibly upbeat, enthusiastic and ready for the year was WR Paul Richardson, who has huge expectations from everyone outside the team, but none bigger than his own.  David G. of 
RalphieReport did a nice little interview with him that will get you pumped for the season: http://www.ralphiereport.com/2013/7/27/4561960/paul-richardson-interview-pac-12-football-media-day

Team will be adding eight total, four in-state, walk-ons for camp.  One is Ath. Ryan Moeller (Rifle), who has been known for a while, but if you really need to know who the rest are, go to one of the websites listed  on the right.

Fellow Pac12 coaches from Oregon’s Mark Helfrich (who asked what happen with CU and where are they now if Alex Henery doesn’t make that ridiculous 58-yard FG for the fuskers-Buffs would have gone bowling and…) to Stanford’s Brian Shaw (who almost lost to MacIntyre’s San Jose Spartans last season) and UCLA’s Jim Mora all had great things to say about MacIntyre and the Buffs future.

Recruiting 2014: After the flurry of commits in early July to get the Buffs to eight (see list at right), the trail has been pretty quiet since.  We probably won’t hear a lot more except rampant speculation until the season gets started and kids take actual visits.  The Buffs have probably offered most who they are targeting, keeping in contact with the next tier of players, waiting to see where their first choices pick.

MacIntyre told Kyle Ringo of the Camera that he planned on signing 22 this cycle.  That number seemed a little high to most people when it was announced, but it had been speculated that up to three players were possibly still questionable. On the ESPN podcast he told Ivan Maisel that there were still a few players not quite all the way on board with the new program.  The next day it was announced during Pac12 media days that three players were indeed removed from the roster (MacIntyre said two had no choice in the matter-he wouldn’t say who but I would bet Thomas and Stuart).  One unfortunate but not startling was WR Gerald Thomas, who has had various struggles and is intending to transfer to Sam Houston St., in order to be closer to home and his child.  It is not a surprise to learn that TE Vincent Hobbs will go back to Texas to be near family and his paralyzed father—all the best to his family, but this one is going to hurt, after it was thought he would stick around.  The third, and most surprising, was that defensive lineman John Stuart was leaving for “personal” reasons.  MacIntyre even hinted some more that some are still not following through on all their responsibilities, so the exodus may not be done-I bet at least one or two more players are gone.  Even though he plans to reward a few walk-ons with a scholarship, now the 22 makes a little more sense.

Avinash Kunnath of PacificTakes.com did a CU recruiting roundup, listing a lot of names that are connected to Colorado. http://www.pacifictakes.com/2013/7/17/4530384/colorado-buffaloes-recruiting-zach-gentry-darius-lee-campbell-matt-dickerson-reggie-turner/in/4219153

One name that will basically be added to that list is LB Deaysean Rippy, cousin of former Buff LB Doug Rippy, who is transferring from Pitt and all indications are that he is coming to Boulder.  The younger Rippy was a highly sought after four-star recruit that ultimately chose Pitt, close to home.  Things didn’t work out well there-questions about academics and work ethic-but his talent is too much to pass up.  He was in the 2012 class and would have to sit out a transfer year here to be eligible for 2014 with three years to play.

Preseason honors, previews and premonitions:  Christian Powell was named to the Doak Walker Watch List for running backs.  I’d say this one is the biggest stretch so far.

Derrick Webb then made it seven Buffs on preseason watch lists, making the prestigious Butkus Award Watch List for linebackers.

One note: These “watch” lists are typically pretty large and expansive, although they tend to also still leave out a few players. While the recognition is nice, it is doubtful any Buffs will win one this year, even their most talented player, Paul Richardson, who is competing against a deep field of wideouts.

Sophomore S Marques Mosley (special teams), O’Neill (punter) and Richardson (wide receiver) are all on the initial watch lists for the College Football Performance Awards, a computer-based system that gives out a performer of the week throughout the season and then awards players of the year at each position.

ESPN Pac12 blog has previewed all the offensive groups and while they were in the “good shape” category for RBs and WRs, they are in the “we’ll see” for QB, O-line and TEs, which makes them a “we’ll see” overall in my opinion.  They have some skill position talent, but the QB and how much protection he gets are the two biggest factors to see if they can get the ball to those players like Powell, P-Rich and others in successful situations.

Since Wil Oliver is experienced the Buffs are in “good shape” at kicker!

PacificTakes’ Jack Follman seems confident the Buffs will rally and get revenge for the Fresno St. game last year when the Bulldogs come to Boulder the second game.

Other Buff Notes: Pac12 Networks is doing a “Timelines” series on each school and their athletic program’s year; Colorado’s aired Thursday, but should be shown numerous times. 

Seven current Buffs were listed as possible NFL prospects: P-Rich, Chidera, O-lineman Gus Handler, Daniel Munyer and Jack Harris, as well as LB Derrick Webb and DB Parker Orms.
It turns out that MacIntyre’s contract does not actually contain an “out” clause based on money raised toward a facilities upgrade, only that a plan be submitted this year. By December 1, 2014, the “design contract” must have been started.  The $50 Million was merely the bohnhead’s big splash unrealistic goal statement, even though George still thinks it’s “doable”.  So, basically they only need to submit (any) plans this year, but would need the cash by next year to actually get a contract going.

Mark Kizla of the Denver Post came up with a decent piece on the state of college football and where the Buffs fit in the big picture. http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_23701271/kiszla-how-cu-buffs-won-football-national-title-1990-wont-work-now

Grantland did a very nice article on Mike MacIntyre-nothing new but great exposure for the program. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9486558/can-mike-macintyre-lead-colorado-winning-season

Jeremy Bloom will be announcing at least the first three Buff games on the Pac12 Network.

Former Buffs: S Ray Polk was released Monday by the Seahawks but then picked up the next day by Jacksonville, where he will be teammates with WR Tony Clemons.

OT Ryan Miller was knocked out and taken to the hospital during Browns practice and has since been released.

I heard somewhere that FB Lawrence Vickers got cut by the Cowboys, but no word if anyone else had picked him up.


Shane Dillon is transferring to the University of San Diego to play basketball, presumably on scholarship since it is private and they couldn’t afford to pay for him to walk-on at CU. Stay classy Shaney D.

Another QB transfers and lots of little morsels

July rolls on, taking us that much closer to camp and real football on August 6^th (players report the 5^th).  I had been compiling small bits and was ready to post when the BIG news hit…

The man who would have been Jon Embree’s starter (from all indications at that point anyway), redshirt freshman QB Shane Dillon, who had also tried to finagle it to bring his adopted brother and best friend Jason Gaines to Boulder, has announced he is going to transfer from CU to pursue college basketball, (suddenly) his true love.  He can’t afford to pay his own way and walk-on for Tad so he is just going to go…somewhere.  This was rumored on the internet earlier but nothing was ever substantiated until Twitter blew up this afternoon with the news.  The QB position has now lost three of its top four guys from spring ball.  This gives frosh Sefo Liufau and JC transfer Jordan Gehrke a huge opportunity, as well as giving the possible return of Jordan Webb even more credence.

Summer Workouts: The only member of the staff that is allowed to work with the players during the summer is Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Forman who says that the 20 new freshmen are impressive, already in shape (definitely not usually the case) and bringing the right attitude to Boulder.  He won’t name names but said he expects a few to contribute this fall.  He specifically said that the three guys who enrolled in January-LBs Markeis Reed and Addison Gilliam as well as DE Derek McCartney have all put on significant weight and strength and are looking good.  He also said, although he cautioned not to read anything into it about playing time, but that QB Sefo Liufau is in excellent shape and already running with the older players, who do a lot more running according to Forman.

Offensive lineman Daniel Munyer is recovered from his broken leg in a spring practice fumble drill and working out.  After having focused on weightlifting while he was in a boot, he is focusing on his “footwork, (his) steps and learning the offense.”  He is very confident, saying, “I can make All-Pac-12. I’m always looking to improve and I don’t think this injury changes anything.”   I am not sure if the coaches are still thinking about him for center, but I would think so as Handler and his backups all struggled somewhat with the pistol snaps (shorter than traditional shotgun) this spring.

WR Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Troy Walters did a Q&A on Twitter last week and here are some of the highlights: “all 3 (frosh WRs) have the mindset of contributing this season so camp will be competitive”,

“I am expecting a special season from P-Rich. We will get the ball in his hands as many ways as possible #gamechanger #creativity…has opportunity to be All-American!”,

“u can expect a team that competes every game…Bowl game is the goal”, “to be the BEST in the Pac12!”,

“we will be in pistol at times…several runs and passes out of it. We will be creative…we will be in attack mode…we will have the ability to change tempos easily”,

“we will work on press releases everyday…not letting the DB get his hands on us and disrupt our route”,  “tradition of CU (is) lost to younger generation so that is important to re-establish”,

“the players know we CARE about them so they r buying in”,

“Players are beginning to hold each other accountable on and off the field”,

(downplaying the “stars” system) “what?...stars? I was a 2 star out of HS and look what I did…we don’t look at who’s offered…if we like a kids we r going to offer”.

Recruiting 2014: Eight verbal commits so far: LB Zach Brown (San Diego), TE Dylan Keeney (Granite Bay, CA), S Evan White (Cherokee Trial), LB Rick Gamboa (Chaminade/West Hills, CA-same school as frosh WR Elijah Dunston), QB Cade Aspay (Canyon Country, CA), DB/WR Chance Waz (Pflugerville/Hendrickson, TX), LB Grant Watanabe (San Antonio) and OT Oliver Miller (Longmont/Silver Creek).

BuffPlaybook is doing profiles on the verbals and did an interview with Rick Gamboa’s high school coach (Ed Croson/Chaminade College Prep), who had fabulous things to say about him (no big surprise) being a defensive tackling machine, having been all-state as a sophomore, and being a leader and on-field coach for the defense.  Gamboa was high on CU early after his visit and committed shortly thereafter.

Next up was versatile DB Evan White (Cherokee Trial) who scouts say could play s, possibly corner and even linebacker, and he also excels as a WR.  Safety is the most likely landing spot as he might not be quite fast enough to cover Pac12 receivers, but the type of player (Parker Orms-y?) that can be very effective against some of these versatile offenses because he can move around, cover and hit.

Young prospects get a lot of attention these days with all the sites and “reporters” devoted to high school football and college recruiting.  One of the many questions they are asked is who their favorites are, usually giving a top 3 or 5 or sometimes as many as 10.  CU is showing up on a lot of kids’ lists, recently including CA safety prospect Glen Ihenacho, who lists the Buffs among his top 6.

The state of Colorado’s top prospect, four star 6’2” 226 pound Falcon RB/LB Kallen Ballage, said his top 4 schools are Michigan, Michigan St., Boise St. and Nebraska, but also said that he is still “just playing it by ear” and would not rule at in-state suitors.  CUattheGame poster John coached Ballage in track and said he has run consecutive 4.3 40s and a 10.6 100, and that’s only during his junior season, with one more to play and without any college weightlifting or coaching. His uncle Howard Ballage also played at CU (1976-78) and RB Josh Ford is his cousin (according to an internet poster).  Long shot, but we can hope.

Preseason honors, previews and premonitions:  P Darragh O’Neill continues to rack up the recognition, being named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List.  He was 18^th in the country in yards averaged last year, only his second as a full-time American Football player.

And as he should be, Paul Richardson has been named as a Biletnikoff Award Watch List, although he is up against stiff competition in his own conference from defending winner Marquise Lee of USC among others.

C Gus Handler was named to the Rimington Award Watch List for the second year in a row, even though it’s possible he doesn’t even end up starting there.

Captain and senior LB Derrick Webb is finally getting a little love, being named to the Butkus  Award Watch List, even though Jack Follman of PacificTakes, continuing with his positional previews with the linebackers, completely overlooks Sr. ILB Derrick Webb (only Buff LB worth mentioning at this point), not even including him among “others considered”.   When I asked him what was up with this on Twitter, he replied that LB is very deep in the conference this year: “guys who didn’t make the Top 15 could be Top 5 some years.” I hope Derrick surprises him and many others. 

Follman also ranked the defensive line groups placing the Buffs (projecting DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, DT Josh Tupou, DT Nate Bonsu, and DE Samson Kafovalu as starters) 11^th (not last!).  He had this to say about CU’s d-line:  “it never seems to matter anymore if the Buffs have experienced players but they do a bit on the line this year. Uzo-Diribe is probably the Buffs best defensive player though and can rush the passer.” They were ranked ahead Arizona, who he described as “one of the worst defenses in the country in 2012 and a lot of that had to do with how weak they are along the line and there's really no reason to think they will be any better in 2013 with limited talent and experience returning.”

Follman didn’t list any DBs among his Pac12 best, but that is hard to argue with, although CB Greg Henderson could be a sleeper pick here.  If S Parker Orms could possibly stay healthy he would warrant some consideration, but that prospect appears doubtful.

Follman and some other Pac12 bloggers also put together their preseason awards and All-conference team and, again this is not really a surprise, but no Buffs were listed, except of course P Darragh O’Neill, who tops just about everyone’s list for Pac12 punter.

ESPN Pac12 Blog did a piece on players “with something to prove” choosing 6 players from the north division and 6 from the south.  For all the obvious reasons, WR Paul Richardson was one of the southern six.
In their QB Preview they put CU in the “We’ll See” category, listed last. “Connor Wood is the favorite over  Shane Dillon* and freshman Sefo Liufau. He has some experience but it's not terribly impressive. Still, Wood had enough talent to be originally signed by Texas. If he gets comfortable and confident, he could be at least solid. It will help having receiver Paul Richardson back.”  *oops not anymore
However, CU got a "Good Shape" at Running Back: "Everybody of note is back, led by 235-pound sophomore Christian Powell, who rushed for 691 yards and seven TDs, averaging a solid 4.4 yards per carry. There's also Tony Jones and Donta Abron to compliment Powell's power with some breakaway ability. Of the Buffs worries, running back is way down the list."

Another cliché preview of Buffs in foxsportssouth article on how new coaches will do, predicts 3-9, but give glimmer of hope for the future: “Progress will come, but it's a slow build in Boulder.”

There is nothing mind-blowing or of particular note from MountainWestConnection’s preview of the Rocky Mountain Meltdown (But what did you expect from anything from that conference?): http://www.mwcconnection.com/2013/7/9/4475940/colorado-state-preview-colorado-buffaloes

Other Buff Notes: Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 17 at 11am Coach Mike MacIntyre will host another fan forum, using the same format as they did right after he was hired where you listen in on a conference call. You need to register ahead of time and will have the opportunity to ask him a question and/or just listen in. (I will be in a workshop all day so I will have to recap through others’ recaps.) https://registration.broadnet.us/event_registration.php?

Pac12 Media Day is next Friday, July 26.  Coach Mike MacInytre will be accompanied by WR Paul Richardson and DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe and they will be on at 11:00 AM (allegedly).

RB Malcolm Creer, who is healthy and hopes to compete for playing time this year, has also worked hard to overcome his dyslexia and succeed in the classroom as well.  Kudos to him for doing this story and sharing his positive attitude with others who may struggle with a learning disability or even look down at others around them who do.  He takes full advantage of the academic advisors and tutors, and also takes his tests in a separate room with a “reader” who can read the questions to him so that he may focus on the content matter, not the reading (both very common accommodations for students with a learning disability). Creer says, “"Everyone needs extra help with something. It can be extra help on the field or extra help from the coaches with something. Everyone needs help somewhere. So it's just the person I am." He is following in his mother’s footsteps, studying Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, with the intention of helping others with disabilities. http://www.buffzone.com/ci_23655756/football-cu-buffs-malcolm-creer-overcoming-learning-disability?source=rss_viewed

The Athletic Department is reporting that season ticket renewals are at about 85% of last year.  Considering that they were 1-11 last year and that Buff fans can be very fickle, this is probably a good number. 

Shoutout to Spencer Dinwiddie, who played very well for Team USA at the World University Games, even though they choked, losing to Australia and Canada to finish a very disappointing 9th.

Former Buffs: Besides dan hawkins moving up north to coach the Montreal Alouettes, former Buffs RB Hugh Charles is also tearing it up for the Edmonton Eskimos and was named CFL offensive player of the week for his 11-119 yards rushing day, including a 70-yard TD as well as going 3-27 receiving with another TD.  He is coming off a solid year in which he ran 170-887 with 6 TDs and caught 32-522 yards with 2 more TDs.  He is also making a name for himself up there for his back flips after TDs.
Former CU offensive linemen Marvin Hage (Hamilton) and Edwin Harrison (Calgary) also are getting paid to play in the CFL.

BTW the way, commit Evan White reports that his cousin, JJ Billingsley is a (volunteer?) track and football coach at Overland.

Former Buff WR Scotty McKnight’s mom Kathy is a chef and she recently appeared on the Food Network series “Chopped” where 4 chefs face off against each other using mystery ingredients.  Unfortunately, we didn’t see the end so I don’t know how she fared, but it was nice to see some Buff gear on random cable TV.

July Updates-tryin' to keep up

It’s less than a month away from Camp opening, lots of mindless preseason talk and predictions going on and the Buffs have been very active on the recruiting front.  Here’s the latest, but something else probably will have happened by the time you have read this.

Recruiting 2014: Colorado is on a roll, having picked up three more verbal commitments, including two in one day to kickstart the month, giving them eight total, while @TroyWalters has hinted that more may still be on the way.

July started with a bang as three-star LB Zach Brown (no band) from San Diego sent twitter afire with #CUin2014 retweets and shortly thereafter there was yet another flurry of #CUin2014 posts when three-star TE Dylan Keeney of Granite Bay, CA became the third new future Buff in three days.  Keeney committed shortly after his visit, while Brown gave his verbal based on discussions at camp in his home state and has yet to visit Boulder (but will soon).  That is a good sign as the staff is able to get guys excited before they even visit and numerous guys have then committed once they have seen campus and the environment around it.

Then, this weekend three-star S Evan White (Cherokee Trial) became the second in-state player to commit to CU, bring the cycle’s total to eight. White was ranked as the 5^th or 6^th best prospect in the state and had been very high on the Buffs; many thought it was a matter of when not if he would make the commitment, and he almost did while he was in Boulder at their camp June.  There are some minor concerns about his academics but he is retaking some classes this summer and should be on top of it his senior year with a scholarship on the line.White has a cousin who is a pretty famous Buff, but "Ev-an Whi-ite" just doesn't have the same ring as "J-J Bil-ings-leeeeeeeey!" 

The three new recruits join LB Rick Gamboa (Chaminade/West Hills, CA-same school as frosh WR Elijah Dunston), QB Cade Aspay (Canyon Country, CA), DB/WR Chance Waz (Pflugerville/Hendrickson, TX), LB Grant Watanabe (San Antonio) and OT Oliver Miller (Longmont/Silver Creek).

The recruiting class of 2014 is starting to take shape and has moved up the ranking s to 8^th/9^th in the Pac-12 and into the 60’s nationally (before White’s announcement).  Adam M. of “BuffStampede” said he expects the team to sign about 18 total players in this cycle. He said that although there might be a couple more verbals in the near future, the staff will not over offer right now, especially with some good prospects already in the fold, and he would expect a bunch more during the season, especially if they play okay and win a couple of games.  They will probably hold a few spots for December and January to see if they can convince a bigger name or two, before dropping down their board if need be.

Preseason honors, previews and premonitions:  Preseason award watch lists are coming out and Sr. DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe has been named to the Bednarik Award list for best defensive player.  He is a long shot (How good of a year would it be for the team is he ended up in the finalist talk?) but a very nice recognition.

Phil Steele projects nine of CU’s 12 opponents to go to bowl games, even csewe.  The only omissions from bowl play, in addition to the Buffs themselves, were Central Arkansas, Cal and Utah.

The first over/under lines for wins has come out with CU checking in at 3.5 (at 5Dimes anyway) which I think is about right.  CBSSports had this to say on the line: “The good news for Colorado is that the worst is probably over. Jon Embree is gone and Mike MacIntyre is a proven turn-around artist who should get the program back on the right track. He’s got enough talent at his disposal to surpass this total, but much will depend on the team’s psyche coming off a 1-11 disaster. The Buffaloes have a chance to get three wins right off the bat, with Colorado State, Central Arkansas and Fresno State to start the season. At that point, Colorado might actually start believing in itself and steal a win or two the rest of the way. VERDICT: Over.”

Jack Follman continues his Pac-12 positional (player and groupings) analysis at PacificTakes.com.  In his defensive line individual player rankings he listed no Buffs, not even Chidera as “others considered”.  As for offensive line groups he rates CU (he names Nembot, Harris, Munyer, Handler and Kawai Crabb as their five) dead last in the conference: “Munyer made honorable mention All-Pac-12 last season and Harris and Nembot are returning starters too, but there's no other reason to think that Colorado's line will be anything but one of the worst in the conference yet again.” Follman’s Presseason All-Pac-12 team is heavy with Stanford and Oregon players, but devoid of Buffs.

Athlon with yet another article, which also includes links to most of their other Pac-12 material: http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/mike-macintyre-creates-hope-colorado

Other Buff Notes: We are less than a month from camp opening and the real start of the Mike MacIntyre era.  I can’t wait to see practice, which will be open to the public and media! I will be there as much as I can the week of August 12 after a vacation and before school starts.
Coach MacIntyre is going to do another mass-call/call-in with fans, donors and ticket holders on July 17.

One reason WR Gerald Thomas’s play was very inconsistent last year, especially later in the season, was that he was preoccupied with being a father to a daughter back in Texas that he basically kept a secret.  He did, as was widely speculated in the spring, briefly consider leaving CU to move back to Texas and be closer to his family and child.  MacIntyre told Thomas to take the second half of spring practices to focus and his grades, get his head together and to get ready for summer practices.  He has since opened up to everyone and has embraced the role of father.  Hopefully, that leads him to find success on the field as well.  Thomas’ anticipated speed last year was one of the missing pieces on a terrible offense.  He showed an occasional flash but was generally a non-factor.

Walk-on FB Jordan Murphy, who is listed atop the current depth chart, was in the Aurora theater during the shootings last year and feels lucky to be alive.  The experience also makes it easier for him to shrug off his roller coaster college career, having played under four coaches and at least started to learn four different offenses, in less than two years.  He had played a small amount his freshman year under Steve Fairchild at csewe in 2011, but after the following spring session under macelwain, was told the Lambs didn’t really need a fullback.  So, he ended up at CU with Embree’s staff, sitting out a year for the transfer before promptly having his coaches fired again, leaving him in limbo once more.  However, MacIntyre is pretty loyal guy, having even offered WR Jarrod Darden the chance to come back for a fifth year, even though he has never contributed and certainly won’t crack the lineup with the depth they have at WR now (WR/TE 

DaVaughn Thorton and P/K Zack Grossnickle were also offered that chance, but have moved on the UNC and Washington, respectively). So, Jordan was also told he could stay on and that the offense will probably utilize a fullback for 15-20 plays a game, but enough for Murphy to “feel part of the team”.

http://www.buffzone.com/cu-news/ci_23588496/football-cu-buffs-murphy-thankful-chance-play

Great piece on the O’Neill brothers by John Henderson of the Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_23602024/oneill-brothers-shane-darragh-getting-their-kicks-rapids Darragh has been working hard on the offseason, traveling to work with specialists and other punters, watching a ton of film and taking lots of reps to improve his muscle memory.

Congratulations to WR Coach and Recruiting Coordinator and his wife on the birth of their first child Tate Jackson Walters.

The AD search committee appears to be doing very little, but I am sure they would say a lot is going on “behind the scenes”.  A few names have been bantered about (former Buff staffer and current Texas Rangers management Rick George most recently) but nothing substantial.  Meanwhile, no money is being raised for facilities or anything else.

Nice mention of CU Associate athletic Director Mindy Sclaro in Brian Howell’s Camera article on incoming frosh hoopster Tre’Shaun Fletcher. When discussing why he chose Colorado her name must have come up and here was his quote: “I think I had my best opportunity here and I really like the academic system. I know (associate director of academics Mindy Sclaro) does a great job with us and coach Boyle is a great coach." http://www.buffzone.com/cu-news/ci_23607293/mens-basketball-fletcher-eager-be-part-cu-buffs

Former Buffs: Nice interview with former LB and DOF Jashon Sykes, who is now the Director of Football Operations at San Diego St.  He says that although he originally called CU inquiring about coaching opportunities when his NFL career was done, he loves the administrative side and now has aspirations to become and Athletic Director. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/05/qna-sdsu-jashon-sykes-dfo-broncos-colorado/

Congrats to former Buff WR Dustin Ebner and 3 other Buff student-athletes, who earned a $3000 post-graduate scholarship to continue their studies.  Ebner had finally earned a scholarship in his senior season last year. Others Buffs earning the award were Brianne Beemer (Track & Field) as well as skiers Eliska Hajkova and Ian Mallams.

Also, props out to graduated Buff student athletes hoopster Sabatino Chen and steeplechaser Emma Coburn, who were both named Tom Hansen Conference Medal winners, given to each Pac-12 school’s outstanding senior male and female student-athlete based on the combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.

Former LB/S Kyle Washing ton, who medically retired due to concussions, has moved on to be able to play his “first love” basketball at NAIA Lindenwood University-Belleville in Illinois.  He will receive a full scholarship and will be eligible for three seasons.  Good luck Kyle!

QB Jordan Webb (I think he is actually still on the team) and former lineman Alex Lewis, both waived their rights to a preliminary hearing, which basically acknowledges there is more than enough evidence to move forward with the prosecution.  Both “players” are free on $10,000 bond and will now have separate arraignments.  Webb’s will b arraigned August 2 while Lewis’ will be July 26.

Lastly, RIP Dan Creedon, a legend in Boulder and Colorado sports reporting and former sports editor of The Daily Camera (when it was still actually used “Daily”), who covered the Buffs for many years.