SB Nation - Will Pericak

Wednesday Buff Bites - The Talk Continues to Center Around Dan Hawkins' Job Status

irish1611 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:26 -0000

Hawkins Tells Staff He's Got One More Year - cbs4denver.com

Two sources inside the CU football progam told CBS4's Vic Lombardi that Hawkins recently met with Unversity Chancellor Phil DiStefano and came away from the meeting with the understanding that he's safe for another year no matter what happens on Friday against Nebraska.

What went wrong? - The Longmont Times-Call

The Colorado Buffaloes are already wrestling with their lack of success in 2009. Have been for weeks. But with the end coming after Friday’s Nebraska game (1:30 p.m., ABC) and expectations so far from being met, hard answers are expected soon. No one wants 2010 to resemble 2009. At all. So here’s the key question: What went wrong? Maybe coach Dan Hawkins shouldn’t have publicly said anything —– no matter what it was — about winning 10 games. Maybe changing offensive coordinators after spring drills hurt more than anyone could have expected; four offensive line coaches in five years shows. And maybe a less funky schedule will help. But the consensus is that this team’s biggest problem boiled down to one word.

Confidence.

Huskers Prep For Potent Colorado Offense
Colorado with a potent offense??? News to me.

"He is similar (to guys we've seen). He has a good arm and he's real slippery. He can find his way out of pressure and when he does he is always looking downfield. Again, you have to do a good job in coverage, but you still have to deal with him. That has kind of been the theme of the last few weeks. We've been facing quarterback after quarterback who can run and hurt you with their feet. You have to account for that all the time." Pelini noted that while they know there is a possibility of seeing quarterback Cody Hawkins, the offensive scheme as a whole does not change. He said Colorado boasts one of the biggest offensive lines they have encountered all year. "(They are) one of the better lines we've seen. They are big and athletic, too. They can move their feet really well. They get out and pull on plays and find people in space. It's a good offensive line, they've come a long way."

Much more after the jump...

What would Cody do? | All Things Colorado Sports

The player said he was positive that Cody will return to the Buffaloes for the 2010 season, even if his father, Dan Hawkins, is fired as head coach following this season. "Cody loves this place, and he loves Colorado football," the player said. "I don’t think he’d go anywhere."

Big 12 predictions, Week 13 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Nebraska 23, Colorado 10: These two teams have played some great games in recent seasons. But the Cornhuskers’ defense is too solid not to come prepared, even if it did clinch the North title last week. The Colorado team should be poised for an emotional effort in what could be Dan Hawkins’ last game. Despite Colorado’s ‘strong showing at Oklahoma State last week, the Nebraska defense will be ready to throttle Tyler Hansen and whatever offense the Buffaloes can muster. Look for Alex Henery to be a huge factor kicking in the high altitude in Boulder.

Commentary: Win or lose Friday, CU Dan Hawkins coach deserves one more year - KDVR
Stick to the telecasts, not articles...

Here is the reality, though: win or lose Friday against arch rival Nebraska, Hawkins will most likely return to coach CU next year and here is the kicker, the decision has very little to do with football. The bottom line in Boulder is this: wins and losses are secondary to the image of the program.

CU Buffs land 14 on All-Big 12 academic team - Boulder Daily Camera

Fourteen members of the Colorado football team were named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, the conference announced today. Colorado placed nine players on the first team and five on the second team. In order to qualify, a player must have maintained at least a 3.2 GPA and participated in at least 60 percent of his team's games for first-team consideration and a 3.0 GPA for second team honors. Colorado's first team members include Jake Behrens, Ben Burney, Patrick Devenny, Dustin Ebner, Will Pericak, Travis Sandersfeld, Devin Shanahan, Bret Smith and Nate Solder. Second-team Buffs were David Clark, Marquez Herrod, Jon Major, Tyler Sale and Luke Walters. The conference named a total of 170 players from all 12 programs to the team. Nick Florence of Baylor and Austin Cassidy and Sean Fisher of Nebraska were nominated with a 4.00 grade point average.

What to watch for in the Big 12, Week 13 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Dan Hawkins' possible last game in Boulder: The embattled Colorado coach’s job has been in question since a slow start after he boldly predicting his team would challenge for the Big 12 North title. Instead, the Buffaloes were the first team in the conference eliminated from bowl consideration. The Buffaloes showed some promise in last week’s narrow loss at Oklahoma State, although they repeatedly made critical mistakes and penalties that kept them from winning. Will the Colorado coach be able to circle the wagons and get his team to play one final strong performance? Or is it already too late for him to save his job after a disappointing 16-32 career record?

A little doom, a little gloom at the holidays for CU football | All Things Colorado Sports

What, you think the economy stinks? Check out what’s going on on the Front Range football front, where …
* The Broncos’ offense considers a field goal a moral touchdown. Or maybe you haven’t noticed that the Local 11 haven’t scored an offensive touchdown at home in November.
* CSU just lost to New Mexico, which hadn’t won a game since New Mexico was a territory. Or seemingly so.
* CU has lost 20 of its last 22 road games and hasn’t won a Big 12 North roadie during the Dan Hawkins era.

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - Beleaguered Buffs won't back down

Colorado players say the uncertainty surrounding coach Dan Hawkins' job status hasn't been a distraction. "There's a lot of stuff being said outside of the program, but you step into our locker room or in meetings or in practice and it's hardly spoken of,'' CU tight end Devenny said.

Wideout Simas gives jolt to the Buffs' offense - The Denver Post

"The chemistry between the wide receivers and tight ends and Tyler has improved over the last few weeks," Simas said. "Tyler knows that if the defense gives us this look, I'm going to be here. And if the defensive gives us that look, I'm going to be there. It's a feel thing we're developing."

Brooks: Seniors' Legacy Better Than 3-8 - CUBuffs.com

The Colorado football program's 17 seniors have so much more to their collective resumes than a disappointing 3-8 record entering Friday's final game against Nebraska (1:30 p.m., Folsom Field, ABC). The Buffaloes' three senior captains - Marcus Burton, Riar Geer, Jeff Smart - are a storyline within the tale, each having persevered through individual hardships to reach the point where their teammates recognized and honored them.

CU's Hagan wants critics to stay patient - Boulder Daily Camera

Henderson: McCartney knows the heat under Hawkins - The Denver Post

Colorado comes up short against Arizona in overtime - KansasCity.com

For the second night in a row, not-so-lowly Colorado took a perennial powerhouse the distance. For the second night in a row, the Buffaloes barely missed a statement victory.

CU`s Higgins making name for self - Boulder Daily Camera

"Great player," Wildcats guard Nick Wise, an All-American candidate, noticed. "Before watching film on him I never really heard too much about him. He`s an All-Big 12 player and that says enough about him because it`s a great conference."

Buffs Drop OT Thriller in Maui - CUBuffs.com

Both teams protected the ball after halftime as Colorado committed zero turnovers in the second half and Arizona only committed two. Arizona's hot shooting from the three-point line proved too much for the Buffaloes to overcome though. The Wildcats shot 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc as a whole, including a perfect 5-of-5 from Jamelle Horne. Wise went 5-of-9 from long distance and his 30 points were a career high. Horne was Arizona's second leading scorer with 17. Arizona's 14 treys today was the most for the program in a single game since the Cats connected on 14-of-23 attempts (60.9 percent) on Jan. 17, 2004, in a 97-72 win at UCLA. That covers a span of 189 games played.

The North in 2010

Bill C. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:00:31 -0000

The 2009 Big 12 North race is, to say the least, intriguing heading into November, but the way my brain works, I can't help but keep an eye on the future as all of this plays out. And since it's in my head, I might as well type it out too, huh? As November 2009 begins, let's take a look at...2010.

What we're going to do is simple: we're going to take the most recent two-deeps listed on each team's website, remove the seniors, and see what's left. Obviously there will be plenty more analysis to come, but this will be a nice, preliminary peek. I can't help myself.

Missouri

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Blaine Gabbert (Jr) Jimmy Costello (So)	DE	Jacquies Smith (Jr) Marcus Malbrough (So)
RB	Derrick Washington (Sr) De'Vion Moore (So)	DT	Dominique Hamilton (Jr) Marvin Foster (RSFr)
WR	Jerrell Jackson (Jr) Brandon Gerau (Jr)	DT	Terrell Resonno (Jr) Bart Coslet (Sr)
WR	T.J. Moe (So) Rolandis Woodland (So)	DE	Aldon Smith (So) Brad Madison (So)
WR	Wes Kemp (Jr) Michael Egnew (Jr)	WLB	Zaviar Gooden (So) Donovan Bonner (So)
TE	Andrew Jones (Jr) Beau Brinkley (Jr)	MLB	Will Ebner (Jr) Luke Lambert (Sr)
LT	Elvis Fisher (Jr) Justin Britt (RSFr)	SLB	Andrew Gachkar (Sr) Tyler Crane (Jr)
LG	Austin Wuebbels (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	CB	Carl Gettis (Sr) Trey Hobson (Jr)
C	Tim Barnes (Sr) J.T. Beasley (Jr)	CB	Kevin Rutland (Sr) Robert Steeples (So)
RG	Jayson Palmgren (Jr) Travis Ruth (So)	FS	Jasper Simmons (Sr) Munir Prince (Sr)
RT	Dan Hoch (Jr) Jack Meiners (So)	SS	Jarrell Harrison (Sr) Kenji Jackson (Jr)

K	Grant Ressel (Jr)	P	Matt Grabner (Jr)
PR	Carl Gettis (Sr)	KR	Jasper Simmons (Sr)

I've got to say, this is the most complete team heading into 2010. Blaine Gabbert will be the most accomplished North QB heading into 2010 and Derrick Washington the second-most accomplished RB. The improved secondary will return just about everybody of importance, and a deep LB corps could be well-positioned to absorb the loss of Sean Weatherspoon with as little drop-off as possible.
Two major question marks: a) who replaces Danario Alexander, and b) who replaces Jaron Baston? Multiple candidates exist to replace Spoon, so that's actually less of a worry, but the WR situation is at least a bit worrisome. Wes Kemp has shown flashes, and if he continues to grow, he could be the deep threat this team needs, but what is it I always say? Until you actually prove it, it's a question mark. Beyond Kemp, guys like Jackson, T.J. Moe (remember him?), Rolandis Woodland, and one of the redshirting freshmen (L'Damian Washington, Jaleel Clark, Kerwin Stricker) will fill out the depth chart, and at least one of them will need to take a step forward.
Of course, you know who else could absorb the loss of Danario? Tight ends. Novel concept, I know.
I really like what I've seen out of Dominique Hamilton recently, but Terrell Resonno seems to have disappeared. Either he or one of the underclassmen (Marvin Foster, Jimmy Burge, George White) will need to raise their game. If somebody competent steps up at WR and DT, this team is loaded.

Colorado

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Tyler Hansen (Jr) Cody Hawkins (Sr)	DE	Marquez Herrod (Sr) Josh Hartigan (Jr)
RB	Rodney Stewart (Jr) Darrell Scott (Jr)	DT	Curtis Cunningham (Jr) Nate Bonsu (So)
FB	Ryan Deehan (Jr) ?	DT	Will Pericak (So) Conrad Obi (Jr)
WR	Scotty McKnight (Sr) Jason Espinoza (Jr)	DE	Forrest West (So) Nick Kasa (So)
WR	Markques Simas (Jr) Will Jefferson (So)	WLB	Jon Major (So) Tyler Ahles (Jr)
TE	Ryan Deehan? (Jr) ?	MLB	Michael Sipili (Sr) ?
LT	Nate Solder (Sr) Ryan Dannewitz (So)	SLB	B.J. Beatty (Sr) Doug Rippy (So)
LG	Ethan Adkins (Jr) Blake Behrens (Jr)	CB	Jimmy Smith (Sr) ?
C	Keenan Stevens (Sr) Mike Iltis (Jr)	CB	Jalil Brown (Sr) Arthur Jaffee (Jr)
RG	Matthew Bahr (Jr) Max Tuioti-Mariner? (So)	FS	Ray Polk (So) Anthony Perkins (Jr)
RT	Ryan Miller (Jr) Bryce Givens (So)	SS	Travis Sandersfeld (Jr) ?

K	Aric Goodman (Sr)	P	Aric Goodman (Sr)
PR	Jason Espinoza (Jr)	KR	Brian Lockridge (Jr)

I mentioned this past offseason that while Colorado was going to stink in 2009, they might actually be positioning themselves to actually fulfill the role of sleeper that has been foisted upon them for most of the last half-decade. Ironically, they might actually emerge as a sleeper just as everybody finally gives up on them.
Of course, there will still be some major question marks. You know I'm not at all impressed with Rodney "Another Short Gain By" Stewart, and while Scotty McKnight (how is he still an underclassman???) is a great possession guy, he'd be a helluva lot better as a #2 or #3 threat than a #1. Unless Markques Simas finally starts to live up to the potential everybody says he has, this team is still severely lacking at WR, and they're losing both of their top tight ends. (I'm going out of my way not to mention Darrell Scott here, as he...whatever. I have no expectations whatsoever for him at this point, and I'm going to let him surprise me.)
I really like Jimmy Smith at CB, but CU's going to be searching for some replacements in the secondary. Jalil Brown has potential, and Ray Polk is young, but depth could be an issue.
Same can be said for the LB corps. Luckily for CU, they should have a strong D-line to maybe deflect some of the concerns.
If CU really does live up to its annual sleeper reputation, it will be in the trenches, where a struggling O-line will at least have experience on its side, and the D-line could be strong. Then again, after watching CU's O-line attempt to handle MU's improving-but-not-amazing D-line, maybe returning a bunch of these guys might not be a good thing.

Iowa State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Austen Arnaud (Sr) Jerome Tiller (So)	DE	Patrick Neal (Jr) ?
RB	Alexander Robinson (Sr) Beau Blankenship (So)	DT	Bailey Johnson (Jr) Stephen Ruempolhamer (Jr)
WR	Jake Williams (Sr) ?	DT	Austin Alburtis (Sr) ?
WR	Sedrick Johnson (Jr) ?	DE	Roosevelt Maggitt (So) Cleyon Lang (So)
WR	Josh Lenz (So) Darius Darks (Jr)	SLB	Jacob Lattimer (Jr) ?
TE	Collin Franklin (Sr) ?	MLB	Matt Tau'fo'ou (Sr) A.J. Klein (So)
LT	Kelechi Osmele (Jr) Brayden Burris (So)	WLB	Jake Knott (So) ?
LG	Alex Alvarez (Sr) Mike Bangston (So)	CB	Leonard Johnson (Jr) Jeremy Reeves (So)
C	Sean Smith (Sr) ?	CB	Jacques Washington (So) ?
RG	Ben Lamaak (Sr) Trey Baysinger (Jr)	FS	Michael O'Connell (Sr) ?
RT	Scott Haughton (Jr) Zack Spears (Jr)	SS	David Sims (Sr) Zac Sandvig (Sr)

K	Grant Mahoney (Jr)	P	?
PR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)	KR	Leonard Johnson (Jr)

So Paul Rhoads' second year in Ames will potentially see a downright strong offense and a thin, depleted, inexperienced defense. I don't want to overstate the offensive potential (the WR situation is iffy, to say the least), but ISU might have the best O-line in the North blocking for what is at least decent skill position talent.
Arnaud vs Tiller. Could be interesting to watch this competition.
Really, if ISU returned just a couple more decent playmakers on defense, I could talk myself into them being a darkhorse contender. But while I do like what Rhoads has done with the talent on hand this year, I just can't figure they'll be that great next year. They will need another year or two of Rhoads developing his own recruits before I feel a lot more comfortable about the potential of their program.

Kansas

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Kale Pick (So) ?	DE	Jake Laptad (Sr) ?
RB	Toben Opurum (So) ?	DT	Jamal Greene (Sr) ?
WR	Dezmon Briscoe?? (Sr) ?	DT	John Williams (So) Richard Johnson (Jr)
WR	Johnathan Wilson (Sr) Tertavian Ingram (Sr)	DE	Quintin Woods (Sr) ?
WR	Bradley McDougald (So) Chris Omigie (So)	SLB	Justin Springer (Sr) ?
TE	Tim Biere (Jr) Ted McNulty (Jr)	MLB	Drew Dudley (Sr) ?
LT	Tanner Hawkinson (So) Ian Wolfe (Sr)	WLB	Huldon Tharp (So) ?
LG	Brad Thorson (Sr) Carl Wilson (Sr)	CB	D.J. Beshears (So) Daymond Patterson (Jr)
C	Jeremiah Hatch (Jr) Brad Thorson (Sr)	CB	Chris Harris (Sr) Calvin Rubles (Sr)
RG	Sal Capra (Sr) Trevor Marrongelli (So)	FS	Lubbock Smith (So) ?
RT	Jeff Spikes (Jr) Michael Martinovich (Jr)	SS	Phil Strozier (Sr) ?

K	Jacob Branstetter (Sr)	P	Alonso Rojas (Sr)
PR	Daymond Patterson (Jr)	KR	Bradley McDougald (So)

So KU's biggest question mark (offensive line) will return completely intact next year, while most of the known skill position talent disappears. I listed Dez Briscoe on the two-deep above, but I've got to be honest: I'm about 92% sure he's going pro this year. His stats are ridiculous, he's got decent NFL size, he's been suspended for academic reasons, and supposedly he was tied to those football-vs-basketball brawls earlier in the year. That's not a recipe for someone who's going to go out of his way to stick around campus for another season.
Without Briscoe, I have to figure this is going to be a run-heavy offense next year. Kale Pick's got a lot to prove, but with Toben Opurum and an experienced line, they might (might) be able to rely on the run. Then again, they'll still need some sort of passing attack, and...who will be the #1 receiver? Johnathan Wilson, I guess? Color me unafraid.
I'm not even going to try to figure out if KU's D is going to be any good. They've improved recently, but they lose Darrell Stuckey and two linemen, and the depth from LB corps vanishes. I assume this will be a decent unit, and really you can start to maybe see the identity KU might be going with--defense first, run-heavy, grind it out.

Kansas State

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Carson Coffman (Sr) ?	DE	Brandon Harold (Jr) ?
RB	Daniel Thomas (Sr) ?	DT	Prizell Brown (Sr) ?
FB	Braden Wilson (So) Lucas Hamm (Sr)	DT	Raphael Guidry (Jr) ?
WR	Lamark Brown (Sr) ?	DE	Antonio Felder (Sr) Joseph Kassanavoid (So)
WR	Collin Klein (So) Chris Harper (So)	LB	Kevin Rohleder (Sr) ?
TE	Travis Tannahill (So) ?	LB	Alex Hrebec (Jr) ?
LT	Zach Hanson (Jr) ?	LB	Troy Butler (Sr) Thomas Ferguson (So)
LG	Zach Kendall (Sr) Trevor Viers (Sr)	CB	Joshua Moore (Sr) Darious Thomas (So)
C	Wade Weibert (Sr) ?	CB	Stephen Harrison (Sr) David Garrett (Jr)
RG	Kenneth Mayfield (Sr) Colten Freeze (Jr)	FS	Emmanuel Lamur (Jr) ?
RT	Clyde Aufner (Jr) Ethan Douglas (So)	SS	Tysyn Hartman (Jr) Torrell Miller (So)

K	Josh Cherry (Sr)	P	Ryan Doerr (So)
PR	Tysyn Hartman (Jr)	KR	Daniel Thomas (Sr)

Like Kansas, this looks to be a pretty run-heavy, can't-pass-on-them team, with Daniel Thomas running behind a super-experienced line and a well-coached defense that is iffy in the front seven but stout in the secondary. In other words, this looks like a Bill Snyder team (sans the All-American linebackers). We've made a big deal out of the fact that they're losing about 35 seniors this year (and that's only a slight exaggeration), and that will absolutely murder their depth, but if they stay reasonably healthy, the Snyder identity might be able to take shape a bit more.
Now, I say they'll have a good secondary...I'm still unsure about how good the secondary is now, but returning all four current starters certainly suggests decent improvement for next year.
I believe I heard that Chris Harper is moving to WR instead of competing at QB, right?

Nebraska

Projected 2010 Depth Chart
QB	Cody Green (So) Zac Lee (Sr)	DE	Cameron Meredith (So) Josh Williams (So)
RB	Roy Helu, Jr. (Sr) Rex Burkhead (So)	DT	Baker Steinkuhler (So) Terrence Moore (Jr)
FB	Tyler Legate (So) Mike Hays (Jr)	DT	Jared Crick (Jr) ?
WR	Niles Paul (Sr) Antonio Bell (So)	DE	Pierre Allen (Sr) ?
WR	Curenski Gilleylen (Jr) Khiry Cooper (So)	Will	Blake Lawrence (Sr) Matthew May (Jr)
TE	Mike McNeill (Sr) Dreu Young (Sr)	Mike	Will Compton (So) Micah Kreikemeier (So)
LT	Mike Smith (Sr) ?	Buck	Sean Fisher (So) Eric Martin (So)
LG	Keith Williams (Sr) ?	CB	Prince Amukamara (Sr) Dejon Gomes (Sr)
C	Mike Caputo (Jr) ?	CB	Anthony West (Sr) Alfonzo Dennard (Jr)
RG	Ricky Henry (Sr) ?	FS	Eric Hagg (Sr) Austin Cassidy (Jr)
RT	Marcel Jones (Jr) D.J. Jones (Sr)	SS	P.J. Smith (So) Courtney Osborne (So)

K	Alex Henery (Sr)	P	Alex Henery (Sr)
PR	Niles Paul (Sr)	KR	Niles Paul (Sr)

How the hell is Pierre Allen still an underclassman? I was completely convinced that both he and Barry Turner were seniors, but I guess not.
Next question: how much of Nebraska's defensive identity is grounded in Ndamukong Suh? He and Turner depart, but will Allen and the stout Jared Crick be able to keep the great D-line play coming? And how much of Crick's success is due to offenses' fear of Suh?
The shine is quickly wearing off of Roy Helu, Jr., but he does return next year (lord knows he's not going pro), and with yet another experienced O-line, NU should be able to run the ball pretty well. That will obviously take some pressure off of Cody Green if Green is not, after all, ready to be NU's savior.
I really like what NU has returning at CB, but...safety? I think I like their second-string CBs more than their first string safeties. Will be interesting to see if there's some position shifting when all is said and done.

As a Missouri fan, I look at this information and quickly conclude that Missouri will be the 2010 favorite, and really I'd say I have pretty good basis in fact for that opinion. That said, Nebraska is intriguing, and even though K-State is not a stat-friendly team (I've already accepted that they're better than the stats say--I just can't figure out how much better), Bill Snyder really might get them back into the hunt despite the youth and lack of depth. Colorado could be interesting depending on who the head coach is (ahem), Kansas has recruited well and will see plenty of talented-but-young players hitting the field, and Iowa State might have the best offensive line in the division. I'd like to think Missouri might run away with this thing, and I'm sure it could happen (the trip to Lincoln aside), but with five of six North teams (all but Kansas) looking potentially better next year than this year, we might have another fun race on our hands.

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.

Five Things About Five Players - Things We Hope to Learn (Part Two)

irish1611 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:35:50 -0000

Part two of our "things we hope to learn" series features five players (see part one here), some not as well known as the other five we featured first but maybe just as important. It calls for people to fill voids, go beyond expectation and just flat out be prepared to compete.

Remember we are fast forwarding to April 25th, 6:00 pm. What do we hope to know about these five players at that time? Let's draw it up:

DL Conrad Obi - with Curtis Cunningham LIMITED this spring, the best chance for the Buffs to sure up the line looked to be a fall practice task. Further, many Buff fans are still holding out hope that incoming freshman Edward Nuckols and Nick Kasa may have an immediate impact but Conrad Obi has really stepped up and filled a vacant spot on the defensive line. At 6'3' 265, Obi has the ability to play both inside and outside and his motor looks have improved from his freshman year. Shields and Goree also showed well but Obi stood out the most of all defensive lineman and if the learning curve continues for young guys like Goree, Shields, Obi, Cunningham and Pericak, Colorado might not have to force incoming freshman Nick Kasa and Edward Nuckols into action, something that should be music to our ears.

WR Josh Smith - similar to the Simas situation, Buff fans were easily frustrated at Smith last year. We saw all the potential in spring and fall ball but rumors of a lack of commitment to the playbook to self prophesized comparisons to Jeremy Maclin to some head scratching decisions just kept Buff fans wondering if Smith would reach his potential and be our version of the Missouri all purpose player. Well, it looks like that frustration the players have had over the past couple of losing seasons really hit home with Smith. Coaches complimented Smith on his new dedication and like his nephew, he has assumed a vocal leadership role on this team. Finally healthy, Coach Kiesau and Helfrich have him inserted in the lineup on every play in the slot, being creative with Smith and getting the ball in his hands to make plays. When I was at practice, I didn't see one end around play called to #1, something that all Buff fans appreciated. What I did see is Simas and Smith working together to finally provide the Buffs a one-two punch in the offense-happy Big 12. Barring any injuries and the continuation of hard work from both Simas and Smith, we may be looking at a top four duo in the conference. Further, KR/PR Jason Espinoza looks to be healthy again, allowing the Buffs to monitor Smith's special teams output as to not affect his offensive production.

OL Bryce Givens - with Max Tuioti-Mariner out this spring and Devin Head & Mike Iltis LIMITED, guys not named Ryan Miller and Nate Solder have a chance to snag one of the three remaining offensive line spots come fall. No players' progress to gain weight has been followed more than Givens, a very talented redshirt freshman who's main task to go along with his athleticism was to gain weight this offseason. Givens succeeded to say the least. He added 25 pounds to get to 275 - 280 but I have heard rumors that he may be up to 290 pounds without having lost too much speed. Not only did he make it through camp without a re-occurrence of a concussion but he pretty much made it impossible for Denver Johnson not to find a place for him whether it means putting him at guard or moving Ryan Miller inside. He has the best feet of all the offensive linemen and now, can physically stand-up to the players on the other side of the ball. Givens provides another reason why Buff fans should be excited about the future of the offensive line.

TE Riar Geer - coming off a junior season where nothing seemed to go right for Geer both on and off-the-field, we saw a more effectively utilized tight end this spring. 2009 should be different for both Geer and Ryan Deehan as no position will get opened up more from what is going on around them than tight end. Injuries, the inability of the wide receivers to stretch the field, the spread offense and youthful core of players caused the tight end to be rendered useless in 2008. Last year, Geer had his least productive season as a collegiate player, only grabbing thirteen passes. With a new pro-style offense, the coaching staff made a point to bring back the tight end in both the passing game and as an effective second level blocker, something that Geer can handle well with his big frame. Other than the University of Miami, Colorado has had one of the more successful programs in turning out big time pro prospects at the tight end position. This year with a trio of impressive candidates in Geer, Deehan and Ryan Wallace, I would be shocked if we see the position go ignored again. If the Buffs are hitting the tight end like they showed in spring ball, this offense just became more dynamic.

K Aric Goodman - public enemy number one last year showed that he can respond. Goodman had a very impressive spring, gaining his confidence back with a more effective two step approach to place kicking. Although practice was not Goodman's problem in '08, he did nothing this spring that would hint to the coaches that he lost his confidence or had a hangover. Hawkins and Riddle made a point to make Goodman's life miserable with constant taunting and hints of 2008's misfortunes. Every day, the Buffs conditioning program was increased in severity based on the performance of Goodman, bringing pressure from both coach and player. Buff fans should be rooting for a turnaround from Goodman. Something tells me we don't want a freshman kicker trying to win the game at West Virginia. Goodman continued to show he had a strong leg and so far accuracy doesn't seem to be a problem.

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?

2009 Big 12 Recruiting As of Dec 22nd - By the Numbers

irish1611 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:05:23 -0000

As you can see from our countdown timer on the left side of the site, signing day is 43 days away. It is truly a great day to be a sports fan as it brings new hope and the possibility of so and so player really being the next big thing. That being said, I decided to put together a chart based off of rivals.com information for ratings for all the Big 12 teams to see how the Buffs and other schools were stacking up. Of course, ratings are one man's opinion and by no means the final say but their is most definitely a reason why the USC's and Florida's of the world are at the top of the list in ratings and usually in a BCS bowl. Anyway, it is something fun to look at as we are nearing the February 4th signing day.

Right now, the Buffs have eight commits with 3* DT Nosa Egaue still a very very soft verbal and 4* WR Andre Simmons still needing to prove that he is eligible academically to attend the University of Colorado. Yes, their is still 43 days and a lot can happen over that time and a lot did happen over that time last year. Coaches can get fired, coaches can change jobs, schools can cool on a kid and the Buffs could sweep them up. But the Buffs are in a middle of a pretty big dry spell since November 16th which was the last day a recruit committed. One month and six days of really stagnant news on the recruiting front while the Buffs have watched their top two priorities, 4* WR Diante Jackson and 4* DT Edward Nuckols, either take more time to think about it and entertain other schools. The fact that Nuckols has Florida calling on him scares the ever living crap out of me. Could Florida really single handily ruin the Buffs defensive line recruiting by taking big Ed and Kasa? They certainly have the power to do so.

But I am not freaking out, nor should you. Freak out time starts Feb 4th at 10 pm. Until then, anything is possible. I mean Rodney Stewart signed on the day last year to no one's knowledge and look what he turned out to be. The Buffs still feel they have a chance at 4* WR Bryce McNeal and have their name in the hat with a few other big dogs. Do I see them landing a ton of 4*? Not really because the wins aren't there but one of the few things Hawkins and Co. have not been a disappointment in is their ability to recruit supposed highly rated players. What they did last year was pretty phenomenal. This year, don't expect a top 15 - 20 class but if Hawkins can get the "Big 2" and guys like S Stan McKay, DE Iatu Tepa, WR Terderma Ussery, one of the two Union High School guys (S Terrell Williams and TE Tracy Moore), DE Colton Nash, maybe a big DL JUCO to support the middle and hold onto Eguae and Simmons, the Buffs might find themselves in the top 30 - 35 which would be adequate. Next year is all about the development of the last two classes that Hawkins has recruited and building enough wins to recruit BIG TIME in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Defensive line and wide receiver are still a major concern. One must hope that something serious happens to the DL this offseason and one of the unknowns on the roster really blows up because right now, other than possibly Nuckols, I don't see any of the potentials or commits not red-shirting. I think Goree, Obi Cunningham, Herrod and maybe Pericak or Shields can be solid but the pass rush will probably need to come from a linebacker like Brad Jones provided and we all know that wasn't nearly good enough or committed to enough last year. At wide receiver, every Buff fan should write on their Christmas list that Simmons qualifies, Simas stay eligible and Diante Jackson signs and is ready to play. Simmons, Josh Smith and Simas are really the "X" factors, though. If the Buffs could get the trio on track and up to speed, those three guys coupled with McKnight would be a big upgrade. In a perfect world, you would love to redshirt Jackson (if we get him) and get him acclimated, as CU fans now know, highly rated recruits aren't always an immediate slam dunk. A ton of "ifs" in the last couple sentences but in 2009, the Buffs need some luck, in fact, they deserve a lot of luck after went they went through last year.

Here is where the Buffs stand compared to others in the Big 12 as of December 22nd, 2008.

According to Rivals.com Recruiting
Team	The Numbers							The Averages
North	# of Commits	Rank	# of Off	# of Def	5*	4*	*3 or Less**	Average Stars	Rank	Offense Avg	Defense Avg
Nebraska	23	2	11	12		5	18	3.17	4	3.09	3.25
Missouri	18	6	9	9	1	1	16	3.06	5	2.88	3.22
Kansas	17	8	6	11		1	16	2.88	8	2.7	3
Colorado	8	11	4	4		1	7	2.88	10	3.25	2.5
Iowa State	16	9	9	7			16	2.44	11	2.44	2.43
Kansas St	8	11	4	4			8	2.25	12	2.25	2.25

Team	The Numbers							The Averages
South	# of Commits	Rank	# of Off	# of Def	5*	4*	*3 or Less**	Average Stars	Rank	Offense Avg	Defense Avg
Texas	19	4	9	10	2	13	4	3.89	1	4.0	3.8
Oklahoma	21	3	10	11		8	13	3.38	2	3.2	3.5
Texas A&M	26	1	10	16		4	22	3.12	3	3.2	3.06
Oklahoma St	16	9	6	10		4	12	3.13	6	3.5	2.9
Texas Tech	18	6	9	9		4	14	3.06	7	3.33	2.77
Baylor	19	4	10	9		3	16	2.68	9	3.1	2.22

Poll

Which current Buff commit are you most excited to see in spring and summer drills next year?

QB Clark Evans

45 votes

WR Andre Simmons

17 votes

DE Nosa Eguae

4 votes

DT Nate Bonsu

3 votes

WR Jarrod Darden

5 votes

S Parker Orms

5 votes

79 votes | Poll has closed