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No Shedeur, No Travis, Problem?
I don’t know if it’s the gross basketball season or the fact that Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders take up huge amounts of space, despite being pros now, but it feels like spring football snuck up on me. The Colorado Buffaloes are back and practicing! Coach Prime likes to roster build through and after the spring, so don’t expect it to be a finished product. However, this year’s Buff team is the most stable yet. We are close to a full house here. There are a lot of new faces and, you know, CU is replacing a HEISMAN, but I’m more excited than anything. I kind of believe Deion Sanders when he says that this is his best team yet.
Here’s what we’re watching this spring:
Easy Answer: QB Battle
I don’t know if you know this, but Shedeur Sanders was a very good college quarterback. For my money, the best thrower in Colorado history. CU has to replace that kind of quarterback. The Buffs will have their second year of Pat Shurmur as OC, so there will be some scheme continuity to play with. I still expect the flavor of the offense to be a lot more balanced and traditional. Why? Well, the Buffs have a fun choice to make. Kaidon Salter is an incoming senior who’s played a lot of basketball. He can throw it, especially deep, but he can really run. Are the Buffs ready to take advantage of a true dual threat behind center? Julian Lewis, or JuJu Lewis, is a top notch incoming-freshman. He is one of the best in the country and he has played a lot of football himself. He’s not a runner like Salter, but he is an RPO assassin and has incredible accuracy. Who will win this competition? More importantly, are they going to make each other better?
The Defense - is it legit?
Robert Livingston is a wonder. He immediately improved the Buffs’ defense in year 1. So much show that the New Orleans Saints almost hired him as defensive coordinator. He decided to stay in Boulder. Shurmur and Livingston together for a second year is a surprising amount of continuity in Boulder. Sure, there were some staff changes on the defensive side of the ball, but the Buffs have to be building up from good to better as to starting over.
The Buffs are losing Travis Hunter. This is a monumental loss that cannot be replaced. In terms of irreplaceable graduations or subtractions, that is about it. The interior of the line will be top 3 in the Big 12, with Jeheim Oatis, Anquin Barnes and Amari McNeil manning the middle. Keaton Wade and Arden Walker will be the main rotation players on the outside, and they both brought intense pressure. That front 4 will be nasty. Behind them, Martavis French is a huge addition to the linebacker room. DJ McKinney and Colton Hood are a great corner tandem. Preston Hodge is a top tier nickel back. There are studs all over this defense. Can some of the newcomers add to this monster? Will the Buffs have a plus for the first time since...2016?
Where else can the Buffs add?
The Buffs are close and they aren’t done. Where are the spots that CU desperately needs help? I think safety and running back are obvious spots for improvement, but I think there might be some more pieces that open up. Wide receiver has a lot of bodies, including Joeseph Williams, who is very exciting, but is there a #1 option? ILB is losing Vonta Bentley and Nikhai Hill-Green, can the Buffs get another difference maker? I don’t know, but I know I’m expecting at least 10-12 new faces after spring. Where do those land?
It snuck up on everyone, but welcome to spring football!
by Jack Barsch
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