Some practice observations from August 4

It was great to get out to the practice fields on a gorgeous Boulder Monday. The Buffs’ third practice of August was the first in shoulder pads/shells with supposedly minimal contact but I was impressed how physical it was.  There was a lot of hitting, although only wrapping up and no tackling.  Coach MacIntyre spoke to the fact that he thought the team was very aggressive in how they practiced.  However, the best news of the day came well after practice when it was announced that the NCAA had granted So. o-lineman Shane Callahan a waiver to play immediately after his transfer from Auburn (as one of his reasons was a sick family member), putting him immediately in competition for a starting spot.

The second thing that impressed me was the pace of practice in general, during drills and in between.  Players were usually kept moving at all times and if they weren’t, coaches let them hear it and many players, both veterans and rookies, heard their names yelled often and did some laps. The team often split into two groups-basically ones and twos on one field, with everyone else on the other, including some 11-on-11.  They also employ many drill stations, with players usually in position groups moving quickly through various centers, which rarely involve any standing around.  The coaches are also kept moving constantly and the equipment staff is always working to set up the next set of necessary items.  I tried to keep up with one defensive graduate assistant coach as he acted as QB for DBs, worked with d-lineman in various blocking and footwork drills, ran stations for the rotating defensive position groups, frequently sprinting across the field and even setting up much of his own equipment, and then he even ran some extra conditioning drills with some players after practice.  MacIntyre himself is very active (and super skinny), moving around the field, but getting down and dirty on a few drills as well.

The third impressive item of note was the size of the team.  They look much more physically imposing, stronger and just plain bigger.  In the past, Stephane Nembot stood out like a throbbing cartoon thumb in offensive line drills.  But now, he is just another large body among many, with the addition of guys like massive frosh Isaiah Holland, transfer Shane Callahan, and visibly bulked up current “starting” LT Marc Mustoe, as well as R-Fr. Jonathon Huckins and Sam Kronshsrage.  Across the board they look a lot bigger and much more ready for Pac12 play. Huckins looked like he was getting as many “first team” reps at center as Alex Kelley and Kawai Crabb.  In fact, offensive linemen were all over the place, being tried out in a variety of positions and combinations, both to see what they have and to develop versatile players and depth.  I noticed that both Jeromy Irwin and Sully Wiefels spent a lot of time at guard. With Callahan eligible to play, the line just got very interesting, as the LT job is wide open, the guards could possibly shuffle some, and even Nembot’s RT slot might be in jeopardy.  RG Daniel Munyer might be the only guy who is 100% guaranteed of a starting job right now.

One of the players that caught my eye was T-Fr. WR Shay Fields, who blew by DBs on more than one occasion.  When I first arrived I saw #5 make a play and when I checked the roster, I was not surprised to see it belonged to Fields. I also liked the way he got down on himself, when he let Yuri Wright knock a ball away from him, but then jumped right back up.  Another impressive player was DT Josh Tupou, who is slimmed down but still very big and very buff (pun always intended).  S Ryan Moeller seemed to be running with 1s/2s, while Marques Mosley was with backups.  With the latest attrition on the d-line (some only temporary due to injury), walk-on Garrett Gregory got some time with the first two units.  I actually didn’t watch nearly as much offense as defense, so I can’t give much opinion on QBs or RBs.  Unfortunately, I never got to see K Diego Gonzales really boom the ball, but Chris Graham has the longest kickoff run up I have ever seen. There was no return work that I saw.

I am hoping to head back up Thursday, the first day of full pads and tackling. 

Injury notes:

§  LB Addison Gillam left practice early to get fluids as I guess he has been sick.  

§  S Ryan Moeller was losing fluids all over the field late in practice, but continued to play, even as he was getting chewed out for not making a play.

§  DE Markeis Reed was back in practice, but was not a full participant, a day after suffering what coaches feared could be a hernia.  Hopefully, that is a good sign.  

    Tyler Henington was out with his sprained ankle.

§  There were a couple of other guys in weight vests who were not practicing.

§  S Jered Bell banged an elbow but it is not considered serious.

§  WR Lee Walker and S Tedric Thompson both got some treatment but returned to the field.

§  This was not reported anywhere (it didn’t look like any of the chatting reporters even noticed when it happened and nobody asked MacIntyre about it), but true frosh TE Dylan Keeney limped off early in the session and did not return, sitting off to the side with ice on his knee.