Under the Radar Return

I can't believe that I have yet to make a post in 2015, so I have entitled my return to the blog as an "Under the Radar Return" and will give my thoughts on a few players that I believe to be under the radar for the Buffs, a little more than a month before August camp for the 2015 season begins.

    There has been a lot written lately (CU at the Game, the Camera) about the CU defensive line, how even amidst the news that would-be anchor tackle Josh Tupou has been lost for (at least) the season due to undisclosed disciplinary reasons, the group still has excellent depth and potential to improve this defense overall.  There is certainly reason for optimism with a new defensive coordinator who has a solid dozen (or more) guys who could be part of the rotation.  Line coach Jim Jeffcoat brings back most of the other main players from last year (Derek McCartney, Justin Solis, Jimmie Gilbert, Christian Shaver), adds three junior college players (Jordan Carell, Blake Robbins, Leo Jackson), plus Samson Kafovalu (personal) and Tyler Henington (injury), and still has junior D'Jon Wilson and a slew of younger players itching to get on the field.
    However, there is one of these young players of whom we have heard surprisingly little about-redshirt freshman Michael Mathewes, a recruit originally heralded by coaches Jim Jeffcoat and Mike MacIntyre, as well as the Rivals' boys and others, as the freshman that could play right away last year, yet he never got on the field and was able to redshirt instead. I am not sure how much he weighs these days, but he is likely one of the guys that could play some outside linebacker when the team goes 3-4. At the minimum he should factor into special teams.  Two other names to watch for on the defensive line will be end Markeis Reed, who lost most of last season to a back injury in camp, and Eddy Lopez, a big sophomore tackle who will have to be counted on to offset the loss of Tupou.
    One more defensive player that is going slightly under the radar in my opinion is S Jered Bell, a sixth year senior who was expected to be one of the leaders of the defense last year before suffering the second preseason year-ending knee injury of his career. As he watched from the sidelines though, the Buffaloes developed a deep stable of defensive backs and Bell does not have a guaranteed spot in the lineup, although it is hard to see a rotation without him.  Part of his role will depend on where the coaching staff decides to use the versatile Chidobe Awuzie, who could truly play any of the DB positions.  Ken Crawley is a consensus pick to man one corner, but after those two it is wide open with many players vying for or even expecting playing time this season: Tedric Thompson, Evan White, Akhello Witherspoon, John Walker). The most likely place would be for Bell to be fifth man, coming in at safety when Chido moves to nickel, which could actually be the starting line up for more than a few games.  [Interesting fact on Bell: this summer, he took a Master's level class on bilingual education.]
    I don't know if K Diego Gonzalez is really under the radar, but it seems that most people expect incoming freshman Alex Kinney to win not just the punting job but also the place-kicking duties.  Maybe I am just pulling for Gonzalez because of his awesome story, how as a very under the radar recruit out of Monterrey, Mexico, he had shown a very powerful leg and garnered himself a scholarship offer at a big school in the United Sates.  He was given a couple chances at kickoffs last year, but may have tried a little too hard and did not get off the greatest of kicks.  I am hoping he will win at least that kickoff job this year, and maybe get a shot at some points kicks as well.
    On offense, QB Sefo Liufau has many returning weapons, with three of the top RBs ready to fight it out for carries and a slew of wide receivers from known commodities Nelson Spruce, Shay Fields and Bryce Bobo, to young guns Devin Ross, Donovan Lee and Lee Walker of whom we have only seen flashes.  However, the most intriguing offensive position for me is the tight end, which could be deadly in this system, especially taking advantage of the attention defenses have to pay to the above names. Sean Irwin will almost assuredly be the starter, but I don't think he will be the main pass catching target at tight end.  Redshirt freshmen Hayden Jones and Dylan Keeney will garner a lot of attention, but I am really curious to see if the coaches find a way to work the raw size and talent of Connor Center into the lineup.  If he has developed any touch with his hands and learned some basic routes and blocking responsibilities, he could be an excellent target over the middle and in short yardage and goal line situations.  If not, could incoming true freshman Chris Bounds make enough of an impression to burn his redshirt?
    Lastly, though none of these guys are currently "under the radar" by any means, the four candidates for the two vacant offensive guard spots could be the most crucial cogs in how good this offense can be and how far the team can go.  Last Fall, it was widely speculated that newcomers Shane Calllahan and Sully Wiefels would take over for the two graduating seniors, Kawaii Crabb and Daniel Munyer. However, when Jeromy Irwin went down, it was Gerald Kough came from under the radar to overtake everyone else and become the sixth man for the line last year, and he therefore looks to be one of the new starters.  That last spot is wide open, but my gut feeling is that Jonathon Huckins is going to end up grabbing it ahead of the higher profile, older transfers.
   If all of these highlighted mentions can reach their potential and make an impact this year, they just might be the difference in Mike MacIntyre's third Colorado team getting over the hump and squeezing out the necessary seven wins to earn themselves a bowl game.  There, I've said it, not sayin' its probable, but it is possible.