Camp Preview by Position Group

[Duff Man]

I thought the biggest mistake with the 2018 defense was moving Lewis outside instead of starting him inside with Landman. Gamboa & Lewis should have been in a rotation like Gamboa & Gilliam were a few years ago.

We were just fine on the outside with Taylor + the Callier/Wells/Tchangam platoon.

Exactly right. Lewis was playing out of position all season.

 

[68buffs]

QB +1 5th year senior who will actually run a legitimate offense and do all the things pre snap like all the other qbs get to.
RB -1 Probably not this bad
TE +1 1st they have a coach this year,
OL +1 1st they have a coach this year,
WR +1 Healthy, a real offense, another year older.
DL -1 1 known P5 player, no one else proven as a starter. No expectations for any of the frosh.
OLB +1 Wells should be inline for post season honors, Pell could be a freshman suprise.
ILB +1 Speed every player has speed and LBers diposition
CB 0 Thin in experiance, size, NUMBERS.
S 0 This is my suprise group, I think they will be better than last years group
ST +1 Healthy and hopefully they stay that way.

 

[JMBuffs]

Coach Kap might be the most significant change on the Offensive side of the ball from 2018 to 2019. If he gets this line right I see a +1 across the board qbs, rbs, wrs.

 

[BuffNut]

Coach Kap might be the most significant change on the Offensive side of the ball from 2018 to 2019. If he gets this line right I see a +1 across the board qbs, rbs, wrs.

Agree completely, and would add that having a head coach that values size and has released Drew Wilson to help the lines get bigger and stronger will have an impact as well along with Kap. And hard to think that having DL practice against a quality OL instead of being the worst they will see all week won't hurt either.

 

[White_Rabbit]

Coach Kap might be the most significant change on the Offensive side of the ball from 2018 to 2019. If he gets this line right I see a +1 across the board qbs, rbs, wrs.

I think Johnson for Chev is the more massive upgrade, but both combined will be huge. We traded out two huge negatives for some really big positives with those two changes.

 

[Darth Snow]

I think Johnson for Chev is the more massive upgrade, but both combined will be huge. We traded out two huge negatives for some really big positives with those two changes.

Eh, Johnson is not on the same tier as Kap. He's proven to be an average to potentially above average P5 OC in one year. Chev was below average (what a tale of two seasons, he was setting records early on). So while Johnson from Chev should be a decent step up, it's no where near as big a change as Kap coming in.

 

[White_Rabbit]

Eh, Johnson is not on the same tier as Kap. He's proven to be an average to potentially above average P5 OC in one year. Chev was below average (what a tale of two seasons, he was setting records early on). So while Johnson from Chev should be a decent step up, it's no where near as big a change as Kap coming in.

MT could've hired Kap as OC or even co-OC, he did not.

Even if you buy that Kap is a better coach overall (MT doesn't apparently agree), OC/QB coach is the more vital position than OL coach.

 

[Darth Snow]

MT could've hired Kap as OC or even co-OC, he did not.

Even if you buy that Kap is a better coach overall (MT doesn't apparently agree), OC/QB coach is the more vital position than OL coach.

Bad logic here. First, you ignore the floors (previous coaches). Second, you also ignore that Kap is an excellent, top tier OL coach. for the purposes of improvement IN THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS, Kap is far more proven as OL then Johnson as OC. For the purposes of this discussion, it doesn't really matter which of them MT thinks is the better OC.

 

[White_Rabbit]

Bad logic here. First, you ignore the floors (previous coaches). Second, you also ignore that Kap is an excellent, top tier OL coach. for the purposes of improvement IN THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS, Kap is far more proven as OL then Johnson as OC. For the purposes of this discussion, it doesn't really matter which of them MT thinks is the better OC.

Then I suppose in the constraints of the thread, I'd agree that the difference between Roper and Johnson as QB coach isn't the massive upgrade that Kap for Adams is.

But I'm saying a good OC will be a +whatever for the entire offense. Which is what I was responding to JMBuffs about. I'd go a lot further than saying Chev was below average as OC. He had WR screen to Viska and that's it.

 

[Darth Snow]

Then I suppose in the constraints of the thread, I'd agree that the difference between Roper and Johnson as QB coach isn't the massive upgrade that Kap for Adams is.

But I'm saying a good OC will be a +whatever for the entire offense. Which is what I was responding to JMBuffs about. I'd go a lot further than saying Chev was below average as OC. He had WR screen to Viska and that's it.

Vegas Glance left or whatever was also Chev's doing. Until teams caught on, he was on a huge tear. It's really weird for a guy to get an A in the first 5 or games and then fail the rest, but he did.

 

[Highlander]

Vegas Glance left or whatever was also Chev's doing. Until teams caught on, he was on a huge tear. It's really weird for a guy to get an A in the first 5 or games and then fail the rest, but he did.

Let's be clear, it was Deuce Vegas Glance (Nixon was also on a streak route on the opposite side, forcing single high coverage to shade one way or the other). I happen to be wearing the shirt right now and will be wearing it to Sackygate and Folsom on Sept 7th!

 

[Duff Man]

Big question mark.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Big question mark.

Sounds like it’s a competition that will likely come down to who can separate themselves come live games. I’m also sure they are trying to find two guys who can carry the load, much like UGA has done in recent years

 

[Da Lama]

Eh, Johnson is not on the same tier as Kap. He's proven to be an average to potentially above average P5 OC in one year. Chev was below average (what a tale of two seasons, he was setting records early on). So while Johnson from Chev should be a decent step up, it's no where near as big a change as Kap coming in.

Johnson for Chev is a lateral move AT BEST. Hopefully together they make one full real OC.

 

[married2abuff]

Johnson for Chev is a lateral move AT BEST. Hopefully together they make one full real OC.

Nah...I love Chev but he his first stint at OC was terrible.

 

[BuffsRising]

I think Johnson for Chev is the more massive upgrade, but both combined will be huge. We traded out two huge negatives for some really big positives with those two changes.

Its worth pointing out that that Johnson is replacing both Chiavirini AND Adams, as Adams was co-OC in charge of the running game. I dont want to give Chiv a pass, but we could only run two running plays, and not very well. Thats going to make the playcaller look bad under most circumstances.

 

[hawg1]

Its worth pointing out that that Johnson is replacing both Chiavirini AND Adams, as Adams was co-OC in charge of the running game. I dont want to give Chiv a pass, but we could only run two running plays, and not very well. Thats going to make the playcaller look bad under most circumstances.

Adams wasn’t in charge of anything. He ceded power to Chiv. And said so.

 

[vinniew_11]

Eh, Johnson is not on the same tier as Kap. He's proven to be an average to potentially above average P5 OC in one year. Chev was below average (what a tale of two seasons, he was setting records early on). So while Johnson from Chev should be a decent step up, it's no where near as big a change as Kap coming in.

Johnson is a very creative play caller and has done it for years. This isn’t some rookie coming in. I don’t care what school he came from, he’s a good football mind.

 

[Darth Snow]

Johnson is a very creative play caller and has done it for years. This isn’t some rookie coming in. I don’t care what school he came from, he’s a good football mind.

He's certainly got a wealth of lower level experience. He hasn't proven anything beyond decent at this level though. I may sound like I'm knocking him, but I like the hire. He's the best OC on paper we've hired in at least 25 years. He just hasn't shown that he's elite.

 

[GoldenSkier]

He's certainly got a wealth of lower level experience. He hasn't proven anything beyond decent at this level though. I may sound like I'm knocking him, but I like the hire. He's the best OC on paper we've hired in at least 25 years. He just hasn't shown that he's elite.

How is big ten "lower level experience," currently the big ten makes the Pac-12 look really bad. I assume you're referencing his time at Louisiana.. where he turned their offense into one of the most explosive units in the country. There is no reason for pessimism when it comes to Johnson. He has produced with far less than with a complete stud like Viska.

The biggest question mark is our RB room on offense. We finally have some decent guys in the OL room, a 5th year QB who has shown flashes at times and a plethora of dynamic receivers. All of that is promising enough, add Viska to the mix and we could have an offense that could more than compensate for our very mediocre defense.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

How is big ten "lower level experience," currently the big ten makes the Pac-12 look really bad. I assume you're referencing his time at Louisiana.. where he turned their offense into one of the most explosive units in the country. There is no reason for pessimism when it comes to Johnson. He has produced with far less than with a complete stud like Viska.

The biggest question mark is our RB room on offense. We finally have some decent guys in the OL room, a 5th year QB who has shown flashes at times and a plethora of dynamic receivers. All of that is promising enough, add Viska to the mix and we could have an offense that could more than compensate for our very mediocre defense.

He spent 1 year at Minnesota. He seemingly did a pretty good job there, but it was 1 year. Darth isn’t ripping him, he’s just saying he doesn’t have a ton of P5 OC experience, which is a fact. I’m confident he will be a solid OC for CU.

 

[Buffs35]

Johnson for Chev is a lateral move AT BEST. Hopefully together they make one full real OC.

I'll have what he's having.

Just crazy talk.

 

[BuffG]

Coming off a 5-7 season and on a long losing streak, what do we have by position group and how does it stack up to 2018's roster? Where did we upgrade, where did we take a step back, and where do we not know what we have?

Quarterback
Have to assume this is an upgrade from 2018. No one graduated or transferred out, so it's the same guys with a year more of development. Montez is a 5th year senior who will be the full-time starter for a 3rd season. Primary backup looks to be Lytle after him moving past Noyer in the spring. Stenstrom was injured in the spring but will compete for a role in fall camp as a RS-Freshman.

Tailback
Losing McMillian to graduation was a blow. 1,000 yard rusher and home run threat every time he got the ball. Also lost Evans to graduation, who didn't have great stats but the fact remains that no one returning was able to beat him out last year. Our 2018 RB3, Bisharat, has moved to H-Back. Returning is Fontenot, who is up to 195 lbs and had a better YPC than Evans last year. Also returning are Smith, who redshirted last year and is up to 190 lbs, and Broussard, who also redshirted and is up to 180 lbs. Newcomers are Mangham, a 4* recruit who weighs in at 215 lbs, and Davis, who weighs in at 210 lbs.

Wide Receiver
Graduated Winfree, a super talented player who struggled with injuries and hardly got on the field, MacIntyre, a highly productive slot receiver who had a knack for getting open and had reliable hands, and Ento, a jump ball threat who played sparingly.

Returning players are led by Shenault, who might be the best WR in the nation and is almost certainly the top WR in the conference. Next is Nixon, who caught over 50 balls last season and would be the #1 option on many P5 teams. Brown returns for his senior year after being 3rd on the team in receptions (33) and yards (333) last season.

So with the top 3 guys on production coming back, the question is on depth. Stanley, Arias and Jackson flashed last season and all look like they have a lot of potential. Bell showed what he could do with a great performance in the Spring Game. Thomas is hopefully healthy this season as he works his way back, but was the most heralded of the young guys when they were recruited in 2018. From the 2019 class, we have another Shenault along with Huffman-Dixon to add a couple more big WRs. Last, 4* Luckett will get his first opportunity at WR.

Tight End
Last year we entered the season with Bounds as the starter, Russell as a walk-on, Poplawski making a return from injury, and Jones learning the position as a raw JUCO transfer. Bounds quit football, Russell earned a scholarship, Poplawski got hurt again and Jones never earned playing time.

This year, Poplawski is healthy and up to 250 lbs. Russell is established as a quality H-Back in the conference. Jones remains a question mark, but he like Russell has beefed up to 255 lbs. Bisharat has moved over from tailback to add depth at H-Back. Leading the newcomers is Harris, a grad transfer and former top 20 TE recruit who was a part-time starter at Auburn and had a very nice spring game. Also new is Stillwell, a JUCO transfer who was a wildcat QB in HS and has switched to TE in college. There is also a chance that Gustav moves to TE rather than sticking at OLB.

Offensive Line
Last year's starting OL was a bit of a revolving door, but 3 guys who were usually in that mix were Tonz, Haigler and Kaiser. All 3 graduated. That leaves the following with starting experience: Lynott, Pursell, Sherman and Fillip. The major addition is Hambright, a grad transfer who was Oklahoma State's starting LT last season until he suffered an injury. Other players who played last year and return are Kutsch -- a JUCO transfer last year, Moretti -- still in injury recovery but probably the most talented OL on the roster, Shutack -- a walk-on who transferred from Rutgers and could earn a scholarship, and Lytle, Paige & Vaughn who have yet to play much.

Newcomers and those coming off redshirt years are Sauvau, a JUCO transfer, Ray, a former 4* who was recovering from injury last year, Roddick, a well-regarded recruit who redshirted while getting into better physical condition last year, and a group of true freshmen we don't yet know much about: Wiley, Johnson, Senn and Pohahau.

Defensive Line
This position group had the biggest offseason shakeup, by far. 2018 starter at NT was Edwards and his backup was Tuiloma while Sami redshirted. 2018 starters at the 2 DT positions were Antwine and Johnson with Mulumba, Franke and Lang the primary backups. Edwards, Tuiloma, Antwine, Mulumba and Franke have all departed along with a couple other depth pieces in Roberts and Finau.

For those scoring at home, that's 1 returning starter in Johnson -- an all-conference player who is up to 290 lbs and may be an NFL draft candidate after this year. Sami and Lang are the other expected starters and both physically look the part at 6'6" 320 and 6'7" 280, respectively. Two JUCO transfer sophomores were brought in to bring immediate depth -- Doss as a 255 lb DE and Jordan as a 305 lb DT. The freshman newcomers are big, but we don't know anything yet: Williams (6'5" 320), Murray (6'2" 325), Rodman (6'2" 295) and Simon (6'2" 265).

Inside Linebackers
The only loss here was Gamboa, a 4 year starter who made a lot of tackles and was a very intelligent player but was a bit undersized and lacked ideal speed. One starter returns with Landman, who may be the best ILB in the conference this season as a junior. Also returning are Van Diest -- a 4* recruit who was working his way back from injury last year but had a great spring, along with Newman, Robinson and Jones who haven't played enough to distinguish themselves.

Additions to this group are a couple heralded JUCOs with Allen and Perry along with a top recruit in Ham. A recent surprise addition is Lameta, a JUCO transfer from Garden City CC who was an all-conference player last year and could earn a scholarship.

Outside Linebackers
The main departure from this group is Lewis, who had been slated to start at ILB last year until Landman's emergence pushed him to the outside. Hamilton, who sat out last year, has also left. Leading the returning players are Taylor -- a 2018 starter with elite speed, Callier -- a starter at the start of 2018 who missed most of the season with injury, Wells -- a pass rusher who emerged toward the end of the season, Tchangam -- another pass rusher who emerged as the season went on, and Falo -- a player who has had an up and down career but has flashed. Newcomers include a heralded JUCO with Montgomery, a top in-state signee with Pell, and a potential TE who will get his first look at OLB with Gustav.

Cornerbacks
Returning as a starter is Abrams, who was probably CU's best DB in a forgettable 2018 secondary. Departures include Wigley -- a part-time starter, Sanchez -- injuries & graduation, Udoffia - a part-time stater who is now a safety, Ronnie Blackmon -- a punt returner & nickel back, and George -- a player who never cracked the depth chart.

Other returning players would seem to give CU some options at the top of the depth chart. Mekhi Blackmon came on as 2018 progressed to become the 2nd best CB last season while Miller has been heralded as the best athlete with the most potential in the group -- if he can bulk up a bit and stay healthy. Hudson is an upperclassman walk-on who could figure in as a nickel back. It is likely that 1 or more true freshmen will have to factor in from a group that includes Trujillo, Oats and possibly Luckett if he doesn't stay at WR.

Safety
Going into 2018, this was supposed to be one of the strengths of the defense with Fisher and Worthington, but both had uneven seasons with injury issues. They have graduated along with Trego, a backup who played a lot. Promising freshman Hypolite also left the program. Returning are a few players who got time last season: Udoffia -- who was a part-time starter at CB, Rakestraw -- who saw significant action after injuries hit the position last year, and Maddox -- also saw significant action after injuries hit last season. The other returning scholarship player is Lewis, who hasn't been able to crack the rotation yet.

Newcomers are a highly regarded freshman in Perry and a grad transfer in Onu who started for SMU and was a pre-season all-conference pick in the AAC. This position group also has a walk-on in Cooper who might earn significant playing time and a scholarship this camp.

Specialists
CU lost some expected depth when Loy transferred out from the Punter position. However, this is more than offset by an extra year of eligibility from Kinney, who is potentially an all-conference Punter. Also returning from injury is Placekicker Stefanou along with his backup and 2018 scholarship P/K Davis Price. Joining them are walk-on RS-freshmen Francis and Evan Price who both played last season, making field goals, while not appearing in enough games to lose their redshirts. Returning as the Long Snapper is Bale, one of the best in the college game.

Really informative write up. I do feel like the Star position should be given its own space. It’s kinda off to lump Taylor in with the pass rushers. So much of the D hinges on Taylor excelling in that role because it’s hard to imagine someone else doing well with it.

D-line is the group that I’m most excited to see. Jalen Sami was named by Summers as the standout in spring despite being less than 12 months removed from the ACL. Got a little love from Phil Steele. DJ Eliot called him an NFL player last year. Can’t remember the last time we had two specimens on the line like Sami and Lang. Also, can’t remember the last time we had a preseason 1st team D-end. The depth is a big unknown but there’s several guys who could be promising.

 

[patebuff]

Teams are going to double team the hell out of Johnson, if they can. Lang really needs to take that next step forward and be disruptive this year.

 

[hawg1]

Teams are going to double team the hell out of Johnson, if they can. Lang really needs to take that next step forward and be disruptive this year.

Sami needs to occupy onside G so he can’t double Mustafa. If C blocks Sami 1:1, it’s easier for for guard to double 34.

 

[J.R. Ewing]

Roster is pretty similar with a upside if we avoid a rash of injuries.

I'm hopeful for :
- Better effort and less quit down the stretch.
- Better scheme and halftime adjustments.
- Some leaders to emerge. The team has seamed leaderless since the Lindsey left.

 

[onealcd]

Roster is pretty similar with a upside if we avoid a rash of injuries.

I'm hopeful for :
- Better effort and less quit down the stretch.
- Better scheme and halftime adjustments.
- Some leaders to emerge. The team has seamed leaderless since the Lindsey left.

I want to know what happened to the half time adjustments last year after the first 5 games. The staff dominated the second half of games at the beginning and then it was like they were barely hanging on down the stretch in the first and then got whooped in the second.

 

[Bison]

We need to develop the RBs this year because the RBs will be carrying the load next year while we break in a new QB and at least two WRs...could be three if Nixon decides to leave early along with Viskia.

 

[BuffLuke80]

I want to know what happened to the half time adjustments last year after the first 5 games. The staff dominated the second half of games at the beginning and then it was like they were barely hanging on down the stretch in the first and then got whooped in the second.

I wasn't in the locker room, it looked like they didn't adjust to Jack ****.

 

[BuffLuke80]

I want to know what happened to the half time adjustments last year after the first 5 games. The staff dominated the second half of games at the beginning and then it was like they were barely hanging on down the stretch in the first and then got whooped in the second.

I wasn't in the locker room, it looked like they didn't adjust to Jack ****.