SB Nation - Brandon Gouin

Current Colorado Buffaloes' Defensive and Special Teams Roster

irish1611 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:38:30 -0000

Following our offensive roster chart, below is the 2009 Colorado Buffaloes' defensive and special team players. Compared to the offensive piece, this chart has a little more distribution between years of each position as well as depth oming down the 2010 pipeline unlike tight end and fullback on the offensive side of the ball.

Position		SENIORS	JUNIORS	SOPHOMORES	FRESHMEN	INCOMING Fr
DT		Taj Kaynor	Eric Lawson	C Cunningham	Will Pericak	Nate Bonsu
DT		Tyler Sale*	Eric Lawson	Eugene Goree	Will Pericak	Edward Nuckols
Sch	7	1	1	2	1	2
NSch	1	1
DE			M Herrod	Kevin Cooney*	Nick O'Neill*	Nick Kasa
			Joe Silipo*	David Goldberg*		J. Forrest West
				Conrad Obi		Sc Fernandez*
				Tony Poremba*
				Lagrone Shields
Sch	5		1	2		2
NSch	6		1	3	1	1
LB		Marcus Burton	Michael Sipili	Tyler Ahles	Jon Major	Liloa Nobriga
		Shaun Mohler	B.J. Beatty	*Brandon Gouin	Doug Rippy	Derrick Webb
		Jeff Smart		*Zackary Farley	*Guy Sergent	Geoff Sissom*
		*Bryan Stengel		Josh Hartigan
Sch	11	3	2	2	2	2
NSch	5	1		2	1	1
CB		Cha Brown	Jalil Brown	Jon Hawkins	Stephen Hicks	Deji Olatoye
		Ben Burney	Jimmy Smith	*Arthur Jaffee	Paul Vigo	Cody McAninch*
				Anthony Wright
Sch	9	2	2	2	2	1
NSch	2			1		1
S			*Bret Smith	Patrick Mahnke	Vince Ewing	Parker Orms
				*Erik Manarino	Ray Polk
				*Matt Meyer
				Anthony Perkins
				*T Sandersfeld
Sch	5			2	2	1
NSch	4		1	3		0
K			Aric Goodman	Jameson Davis		Z Grossnickle
P		Matt DiLallo
SN		J Drescher	Austin Bisnow
Sch	5	2	1	1		1
NSch	1	0	1
DEFENSIVE AND SPECIAL TEAMS TOTAL
Sch	42	8	7	11	7	9
NSch	19	2	3	9	2	3
Total	61	10	10	20	9	12
TEAM TOTAL
Sch	78	12	14	24	10	18
NSch	37	5	5	13	5	9
Total	115	17	19	37	15	27
*italics - transfer / - non-scholarship player**

The linebacking and cornerback spots are the class of the defense. The Buffs will have solid depth for many years at linebacker, assuming Jon Major recovers from his ACL injury and Doug Rippy continues to develop. I would expect the Buffs to take a couple more 'backers in the 2010 class to keep the continuity going. The linebacking depth is exactly what you want as a coach when you look at your group of players; a great mix of experience as well as young talent who are pushing the veterans. As for cornerback, the next two years look very solid as long as Jimmy Smith doesn't jump for the NFL early. I think he is still in need of all four years of college but if he has the year that I expect him to have, he may be tempted by the NFL scouts who would be drooling over a sub 4.5, 6'3" physical cornerback. After the next two years, the Buffs will need to get help at corner as you will be looking at all new starters after 2010 with not much known about the players behind the juniors and seniors.

The rest of the defensive positions, youth prevails. There are only three scholarship upperclassmen at defensive line and safety. The Buffs are young at safety with potential starters Patrick Mahnke and Anthony Perkins both sophomores but they gained valuable experience as freshmen. Defensive line continues to be the main question mark on the defense mostly because we don't know what we are going to get from the underclassmen, who will be forced to play this year. Guys like Eugene Goree, Conrad Obi, Lagrone Shields, Curtis Cunningham, Nick Kasa, Edward Nuckols, Nate Bonsu, Will Pericak, Lagrone Sheilds, etc. haven't showed us a lot because they are all first or second year players. They might be great but the doubt surrouding them is one reasons many Buff fans wonder if the team will turn the corner and get to that 8+ win mark.

On special teams, the Buffs had to take a kicker in the 2009 class in Zach Grossnickle after the dismal performance last year. Grossnickle (both a placekicker and punter) may technically be the only punter on the team after this season with starter Matt DiLallo graduating. Special teams is another part of the equation that most Buff fans forget about but shouldn't in evaluating the possible success next year. You name it, it went wrong in 2008 so improved play is a must.

Spring Recap - Linebackers

irish1611 — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:34:35 -0000

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Pre-Spring Thoughts:

Coming into spring ball, the Buffs only had to replace one linebacker in Brad Jones. Not an easy task considering Jones was the only Buff selected in the 2009 NFL draft but most importantly, Jones was the Buffs only consistent pass rusher from a year ago. Couple that with an inexperienced defensive line, many think getting to the opposition's quarterback will be the main reason the Buffs won't be able to take the next step and win the Big 12 North. Jones was 5^th in tackles from a year ago with 78 total (3^rd among the linebackers), lead the team in sacks (7), TFL (7) and quarterback pressures (14).

Although Jones the pass rusher will be hard to replace, the initial thought going into camp was the linebacker positions would be one of the deepest on the team with a healthy mix of experience and youth. The experienced portion begins with returning starters; MLB Jeff Smart and OLB Shaun Mohler, who finished first and second, respectively, in total tackles in 2008. Mohler started the year as a sub but quickly worked his way into the starting lineup and was selected Honorable Mention in the Big 12 by the AP. Smart was named Second Team All-Big 12 by the AP in '08, as he led the Buffs with 118 tackles, good for fourth in the Big 12. Most Buff fans would have probably slotted these two players in the starting linebacker spot for 2009 and been perfectly content.

Next comes an interesting trio of veterans in B.J. Beatty, Michael Sipili and Marcus Burton. BJ Beatty may be able to fill "the Brad Jones role" in 2009 as he was often a rush end last year. Beatty's propensity to make plays and stand out makes him a player that will be hard to keep off the field. He was slowed by injury at the beginning of 2008 but with him healthy, he was expected to be a leading candidate for a starting spot this spring. Sipili and Burton were sort of unknowns coming into spring. They are bigger, "Levon Kirkland" style linebackers. Many thought Sipili might be the next great linebacker at Colorado but with off the field problems and injuries, Sipili never hit full stride in '08. With Mohler and Smart both gone in 2010, Sipili, along with Beatty, will be in a position to play a big role in the defense for the next two years if he can show consistency. Same desire to see consistency would also describe senior MLB Marcus Burton. You look at this guy from the sideline and you see a big athlete who passes the eye test. He wasn't really a factor in 2008 and for the most part, thought we would have to wait and see after spring as to what role he will play in '09. Most figured that Beatty would emerge as the Brad Jones replacement and the starting three linebackers would be set with a few of the younger guys challenging for time.

Then comes the youth and the guys that get people excited about the future of Buff linebacking: Jon Major, Doug Rippy and Lynn Katoa. All three redshirted last year with Major and Katoa being highly touted recruits and Rippy having the "most ready college body" of the trio. Major's freshman campaign was cut short by a torn ACL in fall camp while Lynn Katoa ran into trouble off-the-field and in the classroom. We knew going into camp that Major was going to be very limited if not out this spring as he was still recovering from the ACL injury. As for Lynn, rumors were swirling before camp, whether he would ever play a down for the Buffs. He was once again held out of spring practice for academic reasons and at one time, Natalie Meisler of the Denver Post had a story that LB coach Brian Cabral confirmed Katoa wouldn't return to the team. Katoa is still on the roster and for good reason. Other than being a talent, one theory is that the Buffs need Katoa to stay with the program to avoid hurting their APR score, an NCAA metric that tracks a program's academic achievement. The Buffs are flirting with running into NCAA sanctions which could cost them as many as five scholarships in the upcoming year or two. Katoa's potential departure would almost make that sanction a certainty. Who knows what the real story is but the team has even more incentive to get him on. Most of the optimism about the 2008 linebacker class was subdued as only Doug Rippy would be able to fully showcase his talent this spring.

As for the scheme, it was reasonable to think that the Buffs might implement a 3 - 4 this season considering the depth at linebacker and the unknown of the down linemen. In principle, this is the right direction but last year when the Buffs brought in an extra linebacker or defensive back, the defensive staff would rarely bring extra pressure from the back eight. Many remember Todd Reesing running around in the pocket waiting for options to open up down field. Along with the question of who will be the other one or two starters, the aggressiveness of this unit and the scheme Ron Collins implements was another pressing issue.

Post Spring Thoughts:

Answering the second question first, Ron Collins had this statement in the Boulder Daily Camera early in spring with my commentary:

Two things that we like to hear around here regarding the defense is the combination of "3-4" and "aggressive." Kyle Ringo of the BDC notes that defensive coordinator Ron Collins is all about getting his 11 best players on the field and if that means playing the 3-4 exclusively, so be it. Fine with me as long as the word "aggressive" is attached to it.

The defense was aggressive and it was multiple from what I saw in practice. He was not kidding about playing the best 11. The sets ranged from 3 - 4, 4 - 3, 3 - 3 - 5 with varying blitz packages that saw players like S Patrick Mahnke and S Tyler Sandersfield lining up close to line or moving to a rover spot. I did like the look of the 3 - 4, considering who was where and how they were playing it this spring. If Collins sticks to this aggressive, multiple defense, the Buffs might be able to compensate for a defensive line that has yet to prove much at the college level but the learning curve will be steep since the Buffs have not committed entirely to it as of yet. It was clear this spring that Collins recognized the strength of this team is in the back eight with strong enough corner play to drastically change the defense from a base 4 - 3 a year ago to a more "attack the weakness of the offense" type set. Whether the aggressiveness is implemented in the fall or when it is 3^rd and 8 against CSU remains to be seen but right now, it looks good.

As for the personnel, it was a shocker this spring. Quite possibly the most impressive defender was senior Marcus Burton. At the first practice, I remember thinking to myself "I was right, the Buffs are going to move him to defensive line, he must have put on 10 - 15 pounds from last year and is too big/slow to play the inside." I was wrong. Burton quickly inserted himself at middle linebacker and on many occasions showed his ability to get sideline to sideline. Quietly, last year's starting middle linebacker and award winner, Jeff Smart, was battling for an outside position. Burton's size (6'0" 260) might be an early indication that the Buffs are closer and in a better personnel spot to implement the 3 - 4, although the depth chart is still showing the standard 4 - 3 look. Burton would be better suited to handle interior offensive lineman with his size.

Burton lead the team in total tackles 2 of the 3 scrimmages and ended spring ball as the Buffs most productive tackler:

Name	Tackles	TFL	Sacks
Marcus Burton	21	2	2
Michael Sipili	15	4	2
Jeff Smart	13	2	1
Shaun Mohler	11	1	1
B.J. Beatty	10	3	2
Zack Farley	7	2	1
Bryan Stengel	4	1	0
Doug Rippy	4	0	0
Guy Sergent	4	0	0
Brandon Gouin	2	0	0
Josh Hartigan	DNP	DNP	DNP
Jon Major	DNP	DNP	DNP

Spring stats hardly tell the story nor should they be considered the indicator for future success but Burton's play was very impressive this spring. Michael Sipili also had a strong spring, showing his ability to play behind the line of scrimmage, leading the team in tackles for loss with four. Sip was second in total scrimmage tackles this spring.

Ron Collins was noted saying good things about all the linebackers, including the two vets:

"The linebackers were running around pretty well today," Collins added. "The edge guys, B.J. (Beatty) and Doug (Rippy) came off the edge pretty well. I think Mike (Sipili) and Marcus (Burton) are both playing pretty well right now."

If the Buffs do go 3 - 4, the combination of Burton, Sipili and Smart will be a good trio to hold down the middle. Sipili did a great job this offseason, losing a noticeable amount of weight, helping his quickness. Burton and Sipili are also one year more mature and looks to be making a world of difference.

On the outside, four players were battling it out: Shaun Mohler, Doug Rippy, B.J. Beatty and Jeff Smart. You might throw Jon Major into that list (when healthy) and Smart out of it considering he might be switched back to middle. Both Mohler and Smart, two starters last year are going to have their hands full with Rippy and Beatty on the outside. Rippy, still very young and learning, didn't compile the stats but the amount of playing time he received was enough of an indication that the coaches like his size and athleticism. The growing pains will be there for the redshirt freshman but the talent is evident. Beatty is also still learning. He sat out a lot last year and now as a junior is getting a crash course in playing every down and being a more well rounded linebacker, not just a straight ahead player. He showed he could get in the backfield averaging just under a sack a scrimmage along with a total of three tackles for loss.

If I had to guess who would be the starters in a 4 - 3 day one, it looks like Marcus Burton in the middle, B.J. Beatty at one outside backer and to me, either Shaun Mohler or Doug Rippy. The trendy pick right now is Rippy but he is young and Mohler returns off a solid year last season. Any one of Jeff Smart, Michael Sipili and Jon Major trio would not be a surprise starter at all, especially if the 3 - 4 becomes a reality. The Buffs go seven, maybe eight deep at linebacker.

Injuries/Players Out:

Fr Lynn Katoa - academics/off the field incidents. Status unknown for 2009 and beyond.
Fr Jon Major - recovering from 2008 ACL tear. Should be full go by fall, giving Buff fans their first real look at the highly recruited 'backer.

Player(s) Who Emerged:

Hands down Marcus Burton and Michael Sipili. Most Buff fans would have been content with Shaun Mohler, Jeff Smart and B.J. Beatty starting in 2009. They would have been solid. With the emergence of Burton and Sipili (you can also throw in Rippy), competition for the starting spots is going to be heated the rest of the way with the potential of three new ones from last season. The way Burton played this spring, it will be hard to keep his big frame away from the middle of the field. The added depth will go along way in possibly making a move to a 3 - 4 and being more aggressive in the passing game. Plus the Buffs now have options.

Final Assessment:

This unit has all of the makings to be a top three linebacking corp in the Big 12 but I am not quite ready to commit to that due to the unknowns up front. A linebacker's best friend is penetration/clogs from the defensive linemen to keep blockers from getting to the second level. If no one up front can get attention, it could seriously diminish the production of the linebackers.

If they do get some help from the big guys in the trenches, they are top three in terms of talent especially if the Buffs get the same production from Burton & Sipili and Major progresses this fall. Couple that with a strong linebacker mind in coach Brian Cabral...it could be fun.

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown

irish1611 — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:37:15 -0000

Here is the defensive class breakdown for the 2009 season as we stand today. Here is the offensive breakdown I posted last week. See analysis of the defensive squads after the jump...

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown
2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown
Pos.	Senior	Junior	Sophomore	Freshman	Incoming
DT	Taj Kaynor	Eric Lawson	C Cunningham	Will Pericak	Nate Bonsu
DT	Tyler Sale*		Eugene Goree
DE		M Herrod	Lagrone Shields		Nosa Eguae
			Conrad Obi
			Tony Poremba*
			Kevin Cooney*
LB	Marcus Burton	BJ Beatty	Tyler Ahles	Lynn Katoa	None
	Shaun Mohler	Micheal Sipili	Josh Hartigen	Jon Major
	Jeff Smart	D Goldberg*	Brandon Gouin*	Doug Rippy
	Bryan Stengel*			G Sergent*
CB	C Brown	Jimmy Smith	Anthony Wright		Deji Olatoye
	Ben Burney	Jalil Brown	J Hawkins
			Lamont Smith
S		Bret Smith*	Patrick Mahnke	S Hicks	Parker Orms
			A Perkins	Vince Ewing
			T Sandersfield*	Paul Vigo***
			Matt Meyer*
P	Matt DiLallo
K		Aric Goodman	Jameson Davis
SP	J Drescher	A Bisnow*
* walk on / potential medical redshirt / * grey shirt 2008 class
Total	10	10	17	8	5
%	20.0%	20.0%	34.0%	16.0%	10.0%
Scholarship	8	7	12	7	5
Walk On	2	3	5	1	0

As you can see again, the sophomore class is, once again, extremely large compared to the other classes. Combining the offensive chart's 18 sophomore players, 35 of the total 100 players are in year number 2. If you add in incoming freshman, 63 of the total players are underclassmen. No excuses, right?

Just don't look at the defensive line spots. The Buffs seem to be in a good position on the offensive line, especially with the two new additions in the 2009 class. If they could add one more offensive lineman for depth, I feel good about that unit for the next 2 - 3 years. It is just the opposite for the defensive line. They all might be players but the fact that we haven't seen any substantial results from these guys scares me to death. Their are clearly depth issues as well. The fact that the front four were dead tired in the Nebraska game and the coaching staff refused to substitute any of these guys for a substantial period would conclude that this year could be a struggle upfront. Right now, the Buffs don't seem to be in on a ton of DL and DE which is extremely troubling. If the Buffs could get 2 - 3 JUCO players to fill this void, it would go a long way to solidifying the defense.

For as much as the defensive front might be a worry, the linebacker and corner positions must make all CU fans smile. LB coach Brian Cabral has a ton of talent to work with at the linebacker spot. The X factor of this whole unit will be Katoa and Major. If Katoa can right the ship and Major can fully recover from the ACL injury, this unit could be the best in the Big 12. If the defensive line situation does not improve, look for guys like B.J. Beatty, Marcus Burton and Michael Sipili to be a pseudo-defensive end/rush end all year. In the defensive backfield, the Buffs are young at safety but Anthony Perkins and Patrick Mahnke showed that they have some talent and stepped in pretty well as freshman last year. The Buffs will also get 2008 grey shirt S Paul Vigo in this year as well as S Steven Hicks and S Vince Ewing to add depth. You might also seem some slotted at corner back make the move back to safety (Jalil Brown would be a likey candidate to get more playmakers on the field). CU is also in on a few other safeties in the 2009 recruiting class that would provide much needed depth on both defense and special teams.

Now to the corners. This could rival the linebacker spot for the best unit on the team. Cha'pelle Brown and Ben Burney (2007 starter who was injured last year) return as well as juniors Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith. Smith really stepped up last year and played a ton down the stretch. He looks to be piecing together the consistency that goes with playing corner as he has all of the physical attributes that you crave in a corner. The Buffs will play some good receivers next year and I expect Smith to be on all of them. If we could only generate a pass rush!

I am not going to talk about punters and kickers because we all know we need new one(s).

In summation, we can see the depth starting the build in certain spots but their are still some major concerns at a few positions: defensive line, wide receiver (could be fixed if Josh Smith progresses, Andre Simmons qualifies and Diante Jackson becomes a Buff) and can the Buffs win with their current situation at quarterback?

SB Nation - Brandon Gouin

Current Colorado Buffaloes' Defensive and Special Teams Roster

Spring Recap - Linebackers

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown

2009 - 2010 Buff Defense Class Breakdown

DT

DE

LB

CB

S

P

SP