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Spring Practices … First Look: Tight Ends and Fullbacks
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Program Note … Spring practices will begin February 16th (Spring Game: March 17th), so over the six weeks, previews will be posted for each unit of the 2018 Colorado roster.
… Previously posted: Quarterbacks … Wide Receivers … Up next (Sunday): Normally, up next would be the running backs or the offensive line, but, as CU is currently pursuing junior college and graduate transfers for these units, we may move on to a defensive unit, then come back to the offense …
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The roster:
Players lost (with 2017 season stats) … George Frazier (49 career games; 11 starts … one catch for nine yards)
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WIDE RECEIVERS (5 scholarship):
Seniors: Dylan Keeney; Eddy Lopez
Juniors: Chris Bounds; Darrion Jones
Sophomores: Jared Poplawski
Redshirt freshmen: none
True freshmen: none
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The stats (2017):
— Chris Bounds … Played in all 12 games; one start … Seven receptions for 102 yards; two touchdowns
— Dylan Keeney … Played in 11 games; one start … one reception for eight yards
— Eddy Lopez … Played in eight games … used as a blocker in CU’s “jumbo package” in short yardage situations
— Jared Poplawski … Played in nine games as a true freshman … no stats
— Darrion Jones … Played in eight games (Los Angeles Harbor College) … 41 receptions for 795 yards; five touchdowns
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Welcome to the University of Colorado’s witness protection program.
Got a young man you want to hide, but he’s 6’4″, 230-pounds, and might otherwise stand out in a crowd?
No problem.
CU will take him, give him a uniform, and call him a tight end or fullback.
Okay, perhaps it’s not that bad for Buff tight ends and fullbacks … but it’s close.
Chris Bounds led the group last season, with all of seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. The only other Buff tight end with a catch was Dylan Keeney, with one catch.
Not exactly huge numbers, but they were actually a step forward from previous seasons:
— In 2016, three Buff tight ends tied for the season lead in receptions – with one apiece. It was the lowest production from the tight end position since, well, ever. Since CU started tracking tight end receptions as a separate category in 1964, the fewest receptions a tight end for a season was four (George Heminway in 1987; John Perak in 1988). In 2016, the entire unit produced only three catches;
— Chris Bounds’ two touchdowns in 2017 were the most for a CU tight end since 2012, when Nick Kasa had three on the year; and
— Bounds had both of his touchdowns in one game (against Arizona), marking the first time a Buff tight end had two touchdown receptions in a game since 2005, when Joe Klopfenstein had two against Kansas.
Baby steps.
Now, with former offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren moving on to ply his trade at Oregon State, Colorado will enter spring practices on February 16th under new leadership, with wide receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini and offensive line coach Klayton Adams wearing the hats as co-offensive coordinators.
What will that mean for the tight ends and fullbacks?
To be determined.
Colorado did not sign a freshman from Recruiting Class of 2018, but the Buffs did bring in a junior college transfer by the name of Darrion Jones. Jones comes to CU as a three-star prospect (with three years to play two), rated as the No. 6 tight end prospect in the nation, and the No. 77 junior college prospect overall.
Last season, in eight games at Los Angeles Harbor Community College, Jones had 41 receptions for 795 yards and five touchdowns.
That’s more receptions, yards receiving, and touchdowns than all of Colorado’s tight ends have posted in the past five years combined.
Does that mean that Colorado is actually going to throw the ball to the tight ends this fall?
Not so fast, my friend.
First, while Jones did have almost 100 yards receiving per game last year, it is worth noting that those numbers were posted with Jones a member of the Los Angeles Harbor Community College Seahawks, and came against the likes of Grossmont College and Bakersfield College (and, sad to report … the Seahawks went 2-8 in 2017).
Second, Buff fans also had great excitement for Chris Bounds when he came in a few years ago, and for Jared Poplawski when he came in as part of the Recruiting Class of 2017. When the fall rolled around, however, it was another year with precious few passes thrown to tight ends.
Will 2018 finally be the season with production from the tight end position?
We won’t know for sure until September, but Darrion Jones has enrolled at CU, and will be participating in spring practices.
Buff fans will be paying close attention to the news coming out of spring practices this February and March to see if Darrion Jones is becoming a factor in the new CU offense …
… or just another name on the roster.
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...
Spring Practices … First Look: Tight Ends and Fullbacks
—
Program Note … Spring practices will begin February 16th (Spring Game: March 17th), so over the six weeks, previews will be posted for each unit of the 2018 Colorado roster.
… Previously posted: Quarterbacks … Wide Receivers … Up next (Sunday): Normally, up next would be the running backs or the offensive line, but, as CU is currently pursuing junior college and graduate transfers for these units, we may move on to a defensive unit, then come back to the offense …
—
The roster:
Players lost (with 2017 season stats) … George Frazier (49 career games; 11 starts … one catch for nine yards)
–
WIDE RECEIVERS (5 scholarship):
Seniors: Dylan Keeney; Eddy Lopez
Juniors: Chris Bounds; Darrion Jones
Sophomores: Jared Poplawski
Redshirt freshmen: none
True freshmen: none
–
The stats (2017):
— Chris Bounds … Played in all 12 games; one start … Seven receptions for 102 yards; two touchdowns
— Dylan Keeney … Played in 11 games; one start … one reception for eight yards
— Eddy Lopez … Played in eight games … used as a blocker in CU’s “jumbo package” in short yardage situations
— Jared Poplawski … Played in nine games as a true freshman … no stats
— Darrion Jones … Played in eight games (Los Angeles Harbor College) … 41 receptions for 795 yards; five touchdowns
—
Welcome to the University of Colorado’s witness protection program.
Got a young man you want to hide, but he’s 6’4″, 230-pounds, and might otherwise stand out in a crowd?
No problem.
CU will take him, give him a uniform, and call him a tight end or fullback.
Okay, perhaps it’s not that bad for Buff tight ends and fullbacks … but it’s close.
Chris Bounds led the group last season, with all of seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. The only other Buff tight end with a catch was Dylan Keeney, with one catch.
Not exactly huge numbers, but they were actually a step forward from previous seasons:
— In 2016, three Buff tight ends tied for the season lead in receptions – with one apiece. It was the lowest production from the tight end position since, well, ever. Since CU started tracking tight end receptions as a separate category in 1964, the fewest receptions a tight end for a season was four (George Heminway in 1987; John Perak in 1988). In 2016, the entire unit produced only three catches;
— Chris Bounds’ two touchdowns in 2017 were the most for a CU tight end since 2012, when Nick Kasa had three on the year; and
— Bounds had both of his touchdowns in one game (against Arizona), marking the first time a Buff tight end had two touchdown receptions in a game since 2005, when Joe Klopfenstein had two against Kansas.
Baby steps.
Now, with former offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren moving on to ply his trade at Oregon State, Colorado will enter spring practices on February 16th under new leadership, with wide receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini and offensive line coach Klayton Adams wearing the hats as co-offensive coordinators.
What will that mean for the tight ends and fullbacks?
To be determined.
Colorado did not sign a freshman from Recruiting Class of 2018, but the Buffs did bring in a junior college transfer by the name of Darrion Jones. Jones comes to CU as a three-star prospect (with three years to play two), rated as the No. 6 tight end prospect in the nation, and the No. 77 junior college prospect overall.
Last season, in eight games at Los Angeles Harbor Community College, Jones had 41 receptions for 795 yards and five touchdowns.
That’s more receptions, yards receiving, and touchdowns than all of Colorado’s tight ends have posted in the past five years combined.
Does that mean that Colorado is actually going to throw the ball to the tight ends this fall?
Not so fast, my friend.
First, while Jones did have almost 100 yards receiving per game last year, it is worth noting that those numbers were posted with Jones a member of the Los Angeles Harbor Community College Seahawks, and came against the likes of Grossmont College and Bakersfield College (and, sad to report … the Seahawks went 2-8 in 2017).
Second, Buff fans also had great excitement for Chris Bounds when he came in a few years ago, and for Jared Poplawski when he came in as part of the Recruiting Class of 2017. When the fall rolled around, however, it was another year with precious few passes thrown to tight ends.
Will 2018 finally be the season with production from the tight end position?
We won’t know for sure until September, but Darrion Jones has enrolled at CU, and will be participating in spring practices.
Buff fans will be paying close attention to the news coming out of spring practices this February and March to see if Darrion Jones is becoming a factor in the new CU offense …
… or just another name on the roster.
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...