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Revamped Backfield

Always BUFF

I post stupid ****
Looking at the additions and hold overs the backfield this upcoming season is intriguing to me.
The changes made in coaching and the offense as a whole has me interested.
Thoughts?
 
Always BUFF said:
Looking at the additions and hold overs the backfield this upcoming season is intriguing to me.
The changes made in coaching and the offense as a whole has me interested.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I can’t even tell which side of the ball you’re talking about.
 
goalline said:
Expand. Hagan is still coach. Only big change is Broussard needing to be replaced. What are you saying?
Click to expand...
We lost 3 guys.

Bru has been the most effective player on our offense for the last 2 seasons. That's a huge hole to fill.

Clayton was a pretty big loss of talent. Didn't play much, but was effective when he got in. I expect him to tear it up at Tulane.

Davis had about 30 carries over 3 seasons. I support him trying to finish up somewhere he can have a much larger role.

Returning:

Fontenot. Was very solid in 2019. After missing 2020 with a hip injury, he didn't have the same burst in 2021. Hope is he gets it back and is a reliably productive option in 2022.

Smith. Another guy who missed 2020 with injury (knee). One of those guys who always seems to do good things when he's on the field & will be an effective rotational back & ST performer.

Stacks. Situational player for when we have a package with a fullback and who makes our ST better.

Newcomers:

Jefferson. 2nd Team All American for FCS powerhouse San Houston State. Grad transfer. At the least, he'll split the RB load and be very productive. But could be a 1,000 yard guy who is featured.

Venn. All-purpose back with a ton of speed who is coming off 2 straight state titles in Georgia. Had options. Great get for CU in recruiting with significant playmaker upside.

Hankerson. Grey Shirt who had a lot of options. 3-time state champ from FL powerhouse St Thomas Aquinas. Expected to join this summer or for camp. Looks like he has potential.

Outlook:

It's a solid stable of backs with some diversity of play style and a lot of upside potential. Also, this looks like a high character group of winners & workers that Hagan should enjoy coaching. I can see us being really good here, but until we actually see it the objective analysis has to be that the biggest playmaker listed above was Bru and the guy with the most breakout star potential was Clayton - so we've seen a drain instead of a gain until proven otherwise.
 
Buffnik said:
We lost 3 guys.

Bru has been the most effective player on our offense for the last 2 seasons. That's a huge hole to fill.

Clayton was a pretty big loss of talent. Didn't play much, but was effective when he got in. I expect him to tear it up at Tulane.

Davis had about 30 carries over 3 seasons. I support him trying to finish up somewhere he can have a much larger role.

Returning:

Fontenot. Was very solid in 2019. After missing 2020 with a hip injury, he didn't have the same burst in 2021. Hope is he gets it back and is a reliably productive option in 2022.

Smith. Another guy who missed 2020 with injury (knee). One of those guys who always seems to do good things when he's on the field & will be an effective rotational back & ST performer.

Stacks. Situational player for when we have a package with a fullback and who makes our ST better.

Newcomers:

Jefferson. 2nd Team All American for FCS powerhouse San Houston State. Grad transfer. At the least, he'll split the RB load and be very productive. But could be a 1,000 yard guy who is featured.

Venn. All-purpose back with a ton of speed who is coming off 2 straight state titles in Georgia. Had options. Great get for CU in recruiting with significant playmaker upside.

Hankerson. Grey Shirt who had a lot of options. 3-time state champ from FL powerhouse St Thomas Aquinas. Expected to join this summer or for camp. Looks like he has potential.

Outlook:

It's a solid stable of backs with some diversity of play style and a lot of upside potential. Also, this looks like a high character group of winners & workers that Hagan should enjoy coaching. I can see us being really good here, but until we actually see it the objective analysis has to be that the biggest playmaker listed above was Bru and the guy with the most breakout star potential was Clayton - so we've seen a drain instead of a gain until proven otherwise.
Click to expand...
Hankerson will only be at fall camp if an injury occurs, or someone leaves this spring/summer. Otherwise, he won't enroll until next January.

I think we can get the same production as we got in 2020 from Bru with a combo of Jefferson/Smith/Venn/Fontenot. Although, Hagan has never really had much of a share load with his backs. I think this offense will be a little more pass heavy than we realize.
 
patebuff said:
Hankerson will only be at fall camp if an injury occurs, or someone leaves this spring/summer. Otherwise, he won't enroll until next January.

I think we can get the same production as we got in 2020 from Bru with a combo of Jefferson/Smith/Venn/Fontenot. Although, Hagan has never really had much of a share load with his backs. I think this offense will be a little more pass heavy than we realize.
Click to expand...
Last I'd heard was that Hankerson joins if we go below 85. That almost always happens.
 
I think Fontenot will still be the starter. But D Smith and Jefferson will get a lot of carries. Venn will get some carries and be more involved in the passing game as a tre freshman. Stacks will be the FB.
 
I’m not sure how talented Clayton actually is/was, in hindsight. His HS recruitment came down to CU and Florida (he was a back up plan for UF) and his transfer option was Tulane. I get that’s closer to home for him, but it’s the only offer he announced.

He’s about par for the course on the 4* recruits for CU. Guys rated that way due to a bunch of offers initially and then left behind by the big boys when it comes time to commit, for one reason or another.
 
Buffnik said:
Newcomers:

Jefferson. 2nd Team All American for FCS powerhouse San Houston State. Grad transfer. At the least, he'll split the RB load and be very productive. But could be a 1,000 yard guy who is featured.
Click to expand...

Jefferson is one who can play for sure given what I saw out of him for SHSU. And he led two different FCS teams to the playoffs since Maine was the other team in that case. He's a patient RB who waits for the holes to open. He did play alongside a good QB at SHSU so his success in Boulder could depend on how the Buffs QB does.

Ramon Jefferson - 2021 - Football - Sam Houston

Ramon Jefferson (4) RB - 2021 Season AP all-America second team ... Stats Perform all-America second team ... AFCA all-America second team ... HERO Sports all-America
gobearkats.com gobearkats.com

It's possible that we still got a slight upgrade at RB with the loss of Brou & Clayton.
 
PAC MAN said:
Jefferson is one who can play for sure given what I saw out of him for SHSU. And he led two different FCS teams to the playoffs since Maine was the other team in that case. He's a patient RB who waits for the holes to open. He did play alongside a good QB at SHSU so his success in Boulder could depend on how the Buffs QB does.

Ramon Jefferson - 2021 - Football - Sam Houston

Ramon Jefferson (4) RB - 2021 Season AP all-America second team ... Stats Perform all-America second team ... AFCA all-America second team ... HERO Sports all-America
gobearkats.com gobearkats.com

It's possible that we still got a slight upgrade at RB with the loss of Brou & Clayton.
Click to expand...
My theory on why Broussard was an effective runner: despite the catastrophe on the OL and their inability to hold blocks, he was able to hit holes very quickly thereby taking advantage of any split second advantage the linemen might have before the utter collapse of the hole. If Jefferson likes to wait for holes to open, that isn’t going to work with this OL.
 
Bliff Cranch said:
My theory on why Broussard was an effective runner: despite the catastrophe on the OL and their inability to hold blocks, he was able to hit holes very quickly thereby taking advantage of any split second advantage the linemen might have before the utter collapse of the hole. If Jefferson likes to wait for holes to open, that isn’t going to work with this OL.
Click to expand...
It is very safe to say our OL will look quite different in 22 compared to 21.

I'm not saying they will be good, but definitely different. That makes it hard to assume anything about an RB's style matching tendencies.
 
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