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Spring Practice: Position Battles
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Spring Practices … By the numbers …
Spring Practices open February 22nd, with the Spring Game on Saturday, March 18th (1:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks, KOA radio).
Teams are allowed 15 practices over 29 days. Teams are allowed, per NCAA rules: three in shorts (no contact), four in pads (no tackling), four in pads (tackling allowed 50 percent or less of the practice and four in pads (with tackling throughout).
Posted … Under Position Battles: Offense … Quarterbacks and running backs … Wide receivers and tight ends … Offensive Line
Posted below … Defensive line
Still to come: Linebackers (Wednesday, February 15th) … Defensive backs (Friday, February 17th) … Special Teams (Sunday, February 19th) … First practice, Wednesday, February 22nd
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Defensive Line
Players lost: Jordan Carrell; Josh Tupou; Samson Kafovalu; Aaron Howard
Seniors: Leo Jackson III, 6″3″, 275; Timothy Coleman, 6’3″, 250
Juniors: Jase Franke, 6’3″, 260; Michael Mathews, 6’4″, 260; Eddy Lopez, 6’3″, 315; Javier Edwards (JC), 6’3″, 350; Chris Mulumba (JC), 6’4″, 280; Shamar Hamilton (JC), 6’5″, 230
Sophomores: Brett Tonz, 6’3″, 285; Lyle Tuiloma, 6’3″, 320; Frank Umu, 6’4″, 315
Red-shirt freshmen: Terriek Roberts, 6’6″, 265
True freshmen: Dante Sparaco*, 6’5″, 250; Jalen Sami, 6’6″, 320; Terrence Lang, 6’6″, 265
bold = starter in 2016 … Italics = non-scholarship player … *Early enrollee, will participate in spring drills…
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2016 statistics for returning players:
– Leo Jackson, III – 1 start … 254 plays … 16 tackles
— Timothy Coleman – 0 starts … 174 plays … 12 tackles … one sack
— Jase Franke … 0 starts … 76 plays … 11 tackles
— Aaron Howard … 0 starts … 19 plays … 5 tackles
— Frank Umu … 0 starts … 18 plays … 1 tackle
— Brett Tonz … 0 starts … 16 plays … 1 tackle
— Michael Mathews … 0 starts … 15 plays … 1 tackle
— Lyle Tuiloma … 0 starts … 3 plays … 0 tackles
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What to Watch For this Spring
Even a quick glance through the above numbers gives you all the details you need to know as to why the Colorado defensive line is going to be the most watched unit this spring.
Colorado loses all three starters along the defensive line. Josh Tupou plugged up the middle at nose tackle for 14 straight games in 2016, with Jordan Carrell alongside for all 14 and Samson Kafovalu for 13 (Leo Jackson started for an injured Kafovalu in the USC game).
The backups to these starters saw limited action, with five of the returning eight defensive lineman seeing action in fewer than 20 plays all season.
JC’s to the rescue!
Colorado brought in six new defensive linemen this spring, with three of those coming from the junior college ranks. Expected to compete for starting positions this spring are defensive tackle Javier Edwards and defensive ends Chris Mulumba and Shamar Hamilton (note … I understand that several defensive players, including Hamilton, who is 6’5″, 230, will be used as rush ends or outside linebackers in CU’s 3-4 alignment. For purposes of discussion, however, I am using the designations assigned each player by CU in its Signing Day press release).
Edwards may be asked to fill some rather big shoes right from the start. Josh Tupou, like most nose tackles, did not rack up overly impressive stats (49 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures). Instead, his job was to clog up the middle, and Tupou did so with great effectiveness … well enough to earn All-Pac 12 honorable mention status. Edwards, all 350 pounds of him, will be pushed for playing time by Jase Franke, Brett Tonz, and Lyle Tuiloma. The three returning Buffs, however, were in for less than 100 plays combined last fall, so, until demonstrated otherwise, the all-important nose tackle position remains a question mark.
Jim Jeffcoat, the CU defensive line coach – and the only returning Buff coach on the defensive side of the ball – has more options at defensive end. Leo Jackson does have 11 career starts under his belt, and Timothy Coleman was on the field for 12 of CU’s 14 games last fall. Red-shirt freshman Terriek Roberts and early enrollee Dante Sparaco will help add to the depth of the unit, and may even compete for playing time this fall.
Still, the junior college signees may be pressed into immediate duty (as the old saying goes, “you don’t bring in junior college players to sit on the bench”). Shamar Hamilton recorded ten sacks in his 17 games playing for ASA junior college in Miami the past two seasons, posting 65 tackles, 16 of which went for losses. Hamilton didn’t play football until his senior year in high school, so he remains a work in progress.
As does CU’s other junior college signee, Chris Mulumba. Before attending junior college in California, Mulumba lived in Finland, where there was no organized football. He was a four-time national judo champion (2009-12), and also served his mandatory one year in the Finnish Army. Already 24, Mulumba has two years of eligibility remaining, and hopes to make the most out of them.
“I like rushing the quarterback and playing the run,” Mulumba said. “I think I can do both very well. Coach Jeffcoat told me that he wants me to be ready for passing situations to rush the quarterback, so I’m excited about that.”
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So, for Colorado to be successful on defense this fall, the Buffs must replace all three starters along the defensive line. Jim Jeffcoat is hoping to do so with a patchwork of returning players with limited playing experience and junior college transfers … with little playing experience.
When the preseason magazines come out in June, and Colorado is moved down a peg or two in the projected Pac-12 standings, the defensive line will likely be pointed to as an Achilles’ heel for the program.
The addition of six new defensive linemen this off-season gives Buff fans hope for a quick fix … and a point of interest this spring.
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Stuart
Continue reading...
Spring Practice: Position Battles
—
Spring Practices … By the numbers …
Spring Practices open February 22nd, with the Spring Game on Saturday, March 18th (1:00 p.m., Pac-12 Networks, KOA radio).
Teams are allowed 15 practices over 29 days. Teams are allowed, per NCAA rules: three in shorts (no contact), four in pads (no tackling), four in pads (tackling allowed 50 percent or less of the practice and four in pads (with tackling throughout).
Posted … Under Position Battles: Offense … Quarterbacks and running backs … Wide receivers and tight ends … Offensive Line
Posted below … Defensive line
Still to come: Linebackers (Wednesday, February 15th) … Defensive backs (Friday, February 17th) … Special Teams (Sunday, February 19th) … First practice, Wednesday, February 22nd
—–
Defensive Line
Players lost: Jordan Carrell; Josh Tupou; Samson Kafovalu; Aaron Howard
Seniors: Leo Jackson III, 6″3″, 275; Timothy Coleman, 6’3″, 250
Juniors: Jase Franke, 6’3″, 260; Michael Mathews, 6’4″, 260; Eddy Lopez, 6’3″, 315; Javier Edwards (JC), 6’3″, 350; Chris Mulumba (JC), 6’4″, 280; Shamar Hamilton (JC), 6’5″, 230
Sophomores: Brett Tonz, 6’3″, 285; Lyle Tuiloma, 6’3″, 320; Frank Umu, 6’4″, 315
Red-shirt freshmen: Terriek Roberts, 6’6″, 265
True freshmen: Dante Sparaco*, 6’5″, 250; Jalen Sami, 6’6″, 320; Terrence Lang, 6’6″, 265
bold = starter in 2016 … Italics = non-scholarship player … *Early enrollee, will participate in spring drills…
—
2016 statistics for returning players:
– Leo Jackson, III – 1 start … 254 plays … 16 tackles
— Timothy Coleman – 0 starts … 174 plays … 12 tackles … one sack
— Jase Franke … 0 starts … 76 plays … 11 tackles
— Aaron Howard … 0 starts … 19 plays … 5 tackles
— Frank Umu … 0 starts … 18 plays … 1 tackle
— Brett Tonz … 0 starts … 16 plays … 1 tackle
— Michael Mathews … 0 starts … 15 plays … 1 tackle
— Lyle Tuiloma … 0 starts … 3 plays … 0 tackles
—
What to Watch For this Spring
Even a quick glance through the above numbers gives you all the details you need to know as to why the Colorado defensive line is going to be the most watched unit this spring.
Colorado loses all three starters along the defensive line. Josh Tupou plugged up the middle at nose tackle for 14 straight games in 2016, with Jordan Carrell alongside for all 14 and Samson Kafovalu for 13 (Leo Jackson started for an injured Kafovalu in the USC game).
The backups to these starters saw limited action, with five of the returning eight defensive lineman seeing action in fewer than 20 plays all season.
JC’s to the rescue!
Colorado brought in six new defensive linemen this spring, with three of those coming from the junior college ranks. Expected to compete for starting positions this spring are defensive tackle Javier Edwards and defensive ends Chris Mulumba and Shamar Hamilton (note … I understand that several defensive players, including Hamilton, who is 6’5″, 230, will be used as rush ends or outside linebackers in CU’s 3-4 alignment. For purposes of discussion, however, I am using the designations assigned each player by CU in its Signing Day press release).
Edwards may be asked to fill some rather big shoes right from the start. Josh Tupou, like most nose tackles, did not rack up overly impressive stats (49 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 10 quarterback pressures). Instead, his job was to clog up the middle, and Tupou did so with great effectiveness … well enough to earn All-Pac 12 honorable mention status. Edwards, all 350 pounds of him, will be pushed for playing time by Jase Franke, Brett Tonz, and Lyle Tuiloma. The three returning Buffs, however, were in for less than 100 plays combined last fall, so, until demonstrated otherwise, the all-important nose tackle position remains a question mark.
Jim Jeffcoat, the CU defensive line coach – and the only returning Buff coach on the defensive side of the ball – has more options at defensive end. Leo Jackson does have 11 career starts under his belt, and Timothy Coleman was on the field for 12 of CU’s 14 games last fall. Red-shirt freshman Terriek Roberts and early enrollee Dante Sparaco will help add to the depth of the unit, and may even compete for playing time this fall.
Still, the junior college signees may be pressed into immediate duty (as the old saying goes, “you don’t bring in junior college players to sit on the bench”). Shamar Hamilton recorded ten sacks in his 17 games playing for ASA junior college in Miami the past two seasons, posting 65 tackles, 16 of which went for losses. Hamilton didn’t play football until his senior year in high school, so he remains a work in progress.
As does CU’s other junior college signee, Chris Mulumba. Before attending junior college in California, Mulumba lived in Finland, where there was no organized football. He was a four-time national judo champion (2009-12), and also served his mandatory one year in the Finnish Army. Already 24, Mulumba has two years of eligibility remaining, and hopes to make the most out of them.
“I like rushing the quarterback and playing the run,” Mulumba said. “I think I can do both very well. Coach Jeffcoat told me that he wants me to be ready for passing situations to rush the quarterback, so I’m excited about that.”
—
So, for Colorado to be successful on defense this fall, the Buffs must replace all three starters along the defensive line. Jim Jeffcoat is hoping to do so with a patchwork of returning players with limited playing experience and junior college transfers … with little playing experience.
When the preseason magazines come out in June, and Colorado is moved down a peg or two in the projected Pac-12 standings, the defensive line will likely be pointed to as an Achilles’ heel for the program.
The addition of six new defensive linemen this off-season gives Buff fans hope for a quick fix … and a point of interest this spring.
—
Stuart
Continue reading...