SB Nation - Ryan Wallace

Saturday Buff Bites - It's Been More Bearish, Less Bullish For the Buffs This Week

irish1611 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:41:35 -0000

Offseasons definitely have their ups and downs and the 2009 one is no exception. The highlights have included signing Nick Kasa and 18 other future Buffs, receiving the pledge of former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons for the 2010 season, learning wide receiver Andre Simmons is progressing nicely in summer school and has a shot to be eligible, and staying relatively healthy across the board (my apologies to Max Tuioti-Mariner who suffered his third ACL tear - file under the low lights category). Optimism also formed around the additions of offensive line coach Denver Johnson (and his possible connections to Texas recruiting although that might take a year or two to bear fruit) and offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau who has been given the keys to the 95th ranked offense from a year ago. Everyone likes Kiesau now and everyone will love him if he can limit the number of end-around play calls and get the ball into the end zone, something the Buffs have done very little of the last three years.

But like any college program and especially for the Buffs in recent years, the offseason always has its challenges. The official Big 12 sports site has a cool piece up where the media ranked the top 10 games from 2008. At #10 was Colorado vs. West Virginia. Sign up for an account and you can watch the game. Check out the first two drives against West Virginia. I think former Colorado wide receiver Josh Smith touched the ball ten times. Then in the second half, he was on the bench, for any number of reasons that never made sense to me last year, but the guy had the potential. Not to go down that worm hole again of how big a loss you thought Josh Smith was but losing TE Ryan Wallace, WR Chance Blackmon, OL Devin Head, QB Matt Ballenger and Smith this offseason were definitely some of those tough moments. Missing out on potential wide receiver commits Markish Jones, Emory Blake and Diante Jackson at the time were downers. The Buffs also had turnover in the coaching staff with offensive line coach Jeff Grimes going to Auburn and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich to Oregon. Although, seen as a net positive in most minds as to who we got out of the deal in Johnson and Kiesau, change is stressful and unknown.

I am sure I am forgetting some other negatives and positives but you get the point. Yesterday, we received some more troubling news that in addition to 2009 commit OL Shaun Simon not qualifying academically for the upcoming season, heralded commit DT Edward Nuckols has also been deemed ineligible for next season. Who knows if Edward will re-up with the Buffs in 2010 after gray shirting (a nice term for sitting at home, not working out with teammates in Boulder) but we do know he won't be helping the defensive line in '09, something many felt he could do from day one. Let's face it, we were bound for letdown anyway if we expected Nuckols to be all-world as a freshman and anchor the defensive line. No freshman should be counted on as a "big piece" to the puzzle and in most people's minds, he had the potential to be a big piece.

No more for Nuckols. At least for 2009. 2010, we will see. Pouring salt on an open would be if WR Andre Simmons doesn't qualify. Once again, it is troubling to have to rely on the unknown and project greatness on the field the first week against Colorado State but that is what we wanted to believe with both Simmons and Nuckols. It would be bad cap to the offseason if Simmons is told "sorry, come back next year." Again, though, the problems at wide receiver and defensive line should have been addressed in 2007 and 2008, not counted on in 2009 but as fans, it's easy to believe the unknown "highly ranked by stars" player will transition those stars on the field and go for 10 sacks and 1,000 yards receiving in year one.

Then, here comes the preseason predictions. Yes, my grandma can give a preseason prediction and because of that, their is no merit to any of this hoopla that has been sweeping the papers. But it would be nice for a little more optimism going into the season. With the exception of Phil Steele who has been called "insane" by about every Kansas Jayhawks' fan for picking them fourth in the Big 12 North (the Buffs were picked second in a tie with Kansas State, making Missouri fifth), the general consensus is Colorado will be on the bottom side of the North, a fourth place finish has been deemed. Not that it was a surprise, it's just when you look at it all on paper, this should be the Buffs year to show results. Missouri and Nebraska return the fewest starters of any team in the Big 12. They are both breaking in new quarterbacks and have holes to fill on both sides of the ball. Kansas has the gauntlet schedule. On the flip side, Colorado has it's easiest non-conference schedule in years and it's easiest for the foreseeable future. They play Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas at home in Folsom with revenge on the mind in all three: they could have beat Kansas last year, should have beat Nebraska and Missouri has used the Buffs as a stat padding game the last two years but now have to reload and look a little more vulnerable.

But not many are buying what our Buffs have to offer. I can see why based on past results, winning only twice on the road in the past three years (one legitimate against the Texas Tech Red Raiders), question marks at a few positions and an overall lack of flash, firepower, identifiable commodities like a Sam Bradford, Dez Bryant,etc. I am more bullish on Cody Hawkins than most, more bearish on the our issues at a position called play makers, wide receiver and defensive line.

Most think six wins, some think seven, plenty think five is more likely than eight and above. I have seen as low as three wins. Everyone is playing on the safe side with the Buffs and that pick is look at the past and project to the future...five to six wins. Vegas has Colorado pegged at 6.5 wins, I can't say I am drooling on either side of that line.

No one has ever won a national championship in the offseason or in the preseason media poll, every one is 0 - 0. That is the positive for the Buffs.

Stating the obvious, it's time to buck the mediocre trend that has become the expectation for Colorado outside the state of Colorado and it's fan base around the nation. This is the year to do it or is it? One can hope.

Tons of great Buff Bites after the jump including articles on why it is crazy to think Nebraska is back, how Cody Hawkins feels this upcoming season could be special, WR Terdema Ussery and WR Jarrod Darden impressing and why five years of eligibility makes sense.

Cody Hawkins feeling good about 2009 | The Buffzone Blog
Kyle Ringo had a chance to catch up with Cody Hawkins.

"So I’m excited about that. Finally, you know, when you take talent, depth and experience are really important to winning ball games, and any time you can put those three together, you’re going to have a chance to win. Last year we had a lot of talent, but, I mean, depth and experience are hard to find. This year I think we’re going to be in great shape and I’m excited about it.

Two FB Recruits' Enrollment Delayed - CUBuffs.com
Just in case you haven't read the article on Josh Moten and Edward Nuckols not making it through the clearing house yet and in Nuckols case, being deemed ineligible for the 2009 season. It looks like Moten might be okay but he cannot participate in offseason drills until the paperwork issues have been cleared up and has officially deemed eligible.

Brooks: Frosh WRs Eager, Able - CUBuffs.com
According to B.G. Brooks at cubuffs.com, true freshman wide receivers Terdema Ussery and Jarrod Darden have made a good impression on their teammates thus far in offseason camps, including Scotty McKnight who takes a shot at former Buff wide receivers when comparing them to the newbies:

"Both guys have really taken in trying to learn everything, unlike other receivers in the past. These guys are really kind of entrenched already, trying to get as much of the offense in as they can before camp. "Both of them look physically ready to be playing college football – big, strong, fast kids. The mental side usually is the toughest part, but it looks like both are taking it in stride – and we’re going to need them. Hopefully that keeps going through camp.

Hawkins Wins Accuracy Competition At Elite 11 Camp - CUBuffs.com
In some tough competition, Cody Hawkins won a pretty cool competition among quarterbacks at the Elite 11 Camp.

Media pick OU-UT tie and Nebraska to win Big 12 divisions - Big 12 - ESPN
As noted above the Buffs were picked fourth in the Big 12 North by the media.

2008 Greatest Games - Big 12 Conference
A great way to get you excited for the 2009 season is to watch the first couple of series against West Virginia. That was a good couple of minutes, going up 14 - 0 on the Mountaineers on our way to a week three victory.

Woelk: Important numbers for CU this year - Boulder Daily Camera
Neill Woelk thinks it is time for the Buffs to show results on the field, not just off the field. He also highlights a few important numbers for the 2009 season like selling out games, not losing contests by 20+ points and finding more season ticket holders.

These are the players that Big 12 teams can't afford to lose - Big 12 - ESPN
Tim Griffin of ESPN think LB Jeff Smart is a player the Buffs cannot afford to lose for the upcoming season:

Colorado: LB Jeff Smart. The Buffaloes could withstand the loss of a quarterback like Cody Hawkins or a running back like Darrell Scott because of the depth at those positions. But the Buffaloes would be hard-pressed to replace Smart, considering their lack of senior leadership on the defense.

With all due respect to Tim and Jeff, I think the Buffs have great depth at linebacker, enough to feel confident in a 3 - 4. There is even hints that Jeff Smart might be in a tough competition for a starting job due to the depth. It is a tough job to place a player under the category of "can't lose" for this team but I think better choices would have been either of our safeties (who else do we really have behind them that is ready - I don't think Ray Polk is ready), Ryan Miller, Cody Hawkins, Scotty McKnight probably would have been a better choice considering our lack of proven commodities at wide receiver.

Nebraska Isn't Back Yet | Campus Corner
Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star still thinks Nebraska has a ways to go before they should be considered the Big 12 North favorites. Here’s where I shake my head in wonder at anyone picking Nebraska over Missouri but over Kansas as well. The Cornhuskers have an inexperienced quarterback, lost just as much as Missouri on offense, don’t have a running back of the caliber of MU’s Derrick Washington. Shouting The Blackshirts Are Back! seems based more on the hope that Bo Pelini is a defensive genius rather than a first-year college head coach that was simply better than Bill Callahan.

Woelk: Five years of eligibility makes lots of sense : Top Stories : Boulder Daily Camera
I've always thought that moving to five years of eligibility was a good idea. More degrees, less confusion with medical redshirts. I'd love to see it happen. For the last couple of years, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has been trying to marshall support for a proposal that would give college football players a fifth year of eligibility.

Jaguars sign veteran defensive tackle, cut rookie tackle | Jacksonville.com
Former Buff DL George Hypolite was cut by the Jaguars.

The Jaguars also waived rookie defensive tackle George Hypolite, an undrafted rookie from Colorado who signed with the team following the April draft.

College Football Countdown: Nos. 51-55 - Washington Times

No. 54: COLORADO After three losing seasons, a 13-24 record and one bowl berth (an Independence Bowl loss to Alabama in 2007), just what has Dan Hawkins learned about coaching at Colorado? Well, it's Division I football. It's the Big 12. It ain't intramurals. Fun rants from coaches in the heartland aside, the Buffaloes should be better and could well be a sneaky division contender if they can survive a brutal early October stretch. The Buffaloes finally have some experience at quarterback. Their tailback tandem of Rodney Stewart and Darrell Scott is superb. And they get Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri --- the three presumptive favorites in the Big 12 North --- in Boulder. If the defense gets better --- and not having to contend with Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech for the second straight year won't hurt in that regard --- Colorado might just outdistance the mediocre prognostications it is receiving.

CU releases schedules for women's, men's hoops - Boulder Daily Camera
The Buffs basketball team has released its schedule for the upcoming season. It is highlighted by a trip to the Maui Invitational, with the big boys, and 11 conference games in all slated for television so far, including eight on Big 12 Network syndication, two on ESPNU and one on ESPN2.

Rams picked sixth in Mountain West | Out of Bounds
The Colorado St. Rams were picked to finish sixth in the Mountain West.

Boise State to the Mountain West? Perhaps - ESPN

It's Raining Donations - Buff Bites

irish1611 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:47:51 -0000

Former Buff, TE Ryan Wallace, Set to Transfer to Kentucky | KentuckySports.com
Ryan Wallace has decided to transfer to the Kentucky Wildcats. If you remember correctly, Wallace and Josh Smith's transfer were announced on the same day. While Smith's transfer has been much publicized due to the University blocking his plight to everywhere except the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins, Wallace was able to transfer to Kentucky:

Tight end Ryan Wallace, a former All-State player from Bowling Green High, is transferring to the University of Kentucky. Wallace spent his freshman season redshirting at the University of Colorado before leaving after the spring semester. He was in Lexington on Wednesday to meet with the coaching staff and applied for admission to UK. Wallace is expected to walk-on in 2009 and receive a scholarship in 2010. He will have three years of eligibility remaining after he sits out this season as a transfer. Wallace was a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com and performed mainly on the scout team during his only year at Colorado. Wallace's father, Kevin, who coached him at Bowling Green, said homesickness was the primary reason for his son's decision to leave Boulder. Wallace's grandfather passed away this past Thanksgiving. "Things happened personally within our family that had an impact on him, and he welcomes the opportunity to get closer to home."

Wallace also considered Western Kentucky but ultimately decided UK was the best fit. The Cats' top three tight ends, T.C. Drake, Ross Bogue and Maurice Grinter, are all seniors, which would give Wallace a chance to learn the system during his transfer year and compete for the starting job in 2010.

"The potential is there for me to get early playing time, and the fact that's it the SEC didn't hurt,"

Wallace said of his decision to attend UK.

"It's far enough that I can be myself, but close enough that my family can come watch me play." The 6-foot-5 Wallace said he gained 30 pounds during his redshirt year at Colorado and is now up to 245. He will report to UK in August and can began practicing immediately.

More cash comes CU's way : Top Stories : Boulder Daily Camera
Just a few weeks after the University said they were delaying the $10 million practice facility construction for basketball and volleyball, the athletic department has received a sum of $5.36 million in donations from three parties in the last few days. On Friday, we learned about Louise Bennett Reed donating $4.75 million to fund athletic scholarships. Today, two more gracious parties donated a total of $610,000 to the athletic department for various projects:

Colorado's energetic athletic director was even more atingle than normal on Tuesday while announcing that the department had recently received two private donations totaling $610,000. One of the gifts, an anonymous donation of $360,000, was given so the football offices in the Dal Ward Center would be renamed the Eddie Crowder Football Operations Complex in honor of the legendary CU football coach and athletic director who died last year. The funds also allowed the athletic department to immediately replace the 18-year-old floor in the Dal Ward Center weight room with a rubber tile sports performance floor. Installation of the new floor was already underway on Tuesday. The second gift, a donation of $250,000 from John and Debbie Raeder, was given in support of the student-athlete academic center in the Dal Ward Center, which is now named for the Raeder family.

Thanks to those three parties for their donations. In the arms race that is college athletics, donations like this are extremely important considering the Buffs are on the lower side of athletic budgets. Go Buffs!

K-State improvements on hold | CJOnline.com
The economy has also affected other Big 12 schools from going forward with their plans to improve facilities. Kansas State has put a halt on their $70 million facilities project.

There won't be quite as many NCAA handbooks and high school coaching directories lying around Kansas State's athletic department this year. That was one cost-cutting measure cited by new athletic director John Currie at an open forum for K-State faculty and students Monday. But for most Wildcat fans, the more significant revelation involves K-State's $70 million facilities project, which Currie said has been shelved pending further evaluation.

Early College Football Betting Lines | Barking Carnival
The Barking Carnival, a Texas blog, claims to have some early football lines from the Golden Nugget. Right now, according to the Barking Carnival, the Buffs are 13 point favorites over Colorado State and 6 point dogs to Nebraska. Again, I haven't seen it published anywhere else.

Baker's Dozen: Q&A with Colorado head basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik
Coach Bzdelik sat down with the Examiner to answer questions about his favorite food, superstitions, alternative jobs, hobbies, etc.

Fulton qualifies for worlds - The Denver Post
The Colorado Buffaloes will not be playing the Air Force Falcons basketball this upcoming season:

Air Force men's basketball coach Jeff Reynolds said Tuesday his team's 2009-10 nonconference schedule is close to completion. Reynolds declined to reveal any opponents because "we don't have any contracts back." But he confirmed one team that won't be on the schedule — Colorado.

"I've had some dialogue with (CU) coach (Jeff) Bzdelik about it," Reynolds said. "Nothing's really changed from our standpoint, and that's pretty much where it is." Reynolds, a former Bzdelik assistant, said he didn't want to play a Bzdelik-coached team again (the teams met in 2007) because they are best friends.

Huskers to Wear Throwback Uniforms against Louisiana Lafayette - Corn Nation

Hinder in passing lane at QB camp - The Denver Post

One of the most highly recruited players in the country at his position, the 6-foot-4, 182-pound Hinder has been selected for a quarterback challenge under tutelage involving Hall of Famer Joe Montana. At the Steve Clarkson Academy, Hinder will be one of the "Super Seven" competing Thursday through Saturday, along with other top-flight high school quarterbacks including Montana's son, Nick, who has pledged to attend the University of Washington.

The drills will be filmed for a potential reality series that will search for the next great quarterback. Clarkson, who has mentored Joe Montana, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart, Gino Torretta and Matt Cassel, among others, will be on the field for the challenge.

Offensive Guard, Devin Head, the Latest Player Off the Team

irish1611 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:07:31 -0000

OG Devin Head will not be on the team in 2009.

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The University of Colorado today announced scheduling news, coaching changes and personnel moves that cleared many rumors and discussions up; sort of. The main news centered around the three scholarship players leaving the program in Sr. G Devin Head, Jr. WR Josh Smith and RFr TE Ryan Wallace. The departure of Josh Smith and Ryan Wallace was confirmed, two days after the Saturday night release that caused a shock through the Buff faithful. Supposedly Smith is only leaving to pursue his music interests and Ryan Wallace is leaving to be closer to home in Kentucky. Read Saturday's post for thoughts on all of this.

The new player departing the team is senior guard Devin Head due to being academically ineligible. Head participated in 663 plays in 11 total games last season and started 17 games over his career. Head was suspended for the Eastern Washington game in '08 for an off the field incident. He would have been in a battle with at least five players for the remaining left guard spot in 2009 judging by the results of spring ball. Head was the only returning senior on the offensive line and was one of the few remaining Gary Barnett recruits from 2005.

Devin Head and Josh Smith are both good players, both had starting roles on this team but in regards to Head, he is part of an offensive line unit that is deep. What hurts most about Head is he was a senior, had experience and may have been a solidifying guy in the locker room. With the departure of Head, their are now only three seniors who will probably play significant roles in the 2009 offense: TE Patrick DeVenny, TE Riar Geer and FB Jake Behrens.

As for Smith, different story. He is a playmaker and is part of a unit that is thin. Regardless of his wide receiver production in years past, he was one of the strongest playmakers on the team and figured to play a key role if the Buffs were going to make the jump in 2009. Not saying the Buffs won’t win without Smith but his maturation and growth would have helped immensely this upcoming year all things considered.

One thing that should not be forgotten is how Head's departure will affect the Buffs APR academic progress. Since he left ineligible, that will have a negative impact on the NCAA sanctioned score. Coupled with the release of LB Lynn Katoa (also leaving ineligible), it seems the Buffs will lose some scholarships next year. We have talked about this a lot on this site but if this is the case and sanctions are on the horizon, hopefully the Buffs are proactive and self-impose penalties this year since the team is 7 scholarship players short of 85 by my count. I count 36 scholarship players on offense, 37 on defense including incoming freshmen and 5 special teamers. I will publish my list tomorrow.

The departure of FB Matt Burgner (walkon) also means the Buffs will have not have a fullback on the roster in 2010, causing concern if the Buffs use a two back set for the foreseeable future. Alex Wood of Steamboat Springs, a 2009 walkon, might be a good option for this position but he is currently listed as a tight end, another position that the Buffs will be extremely thin at after the 2009 season. So. Ryan Deehan and true freshman DeVaughn Thornton will be the only two scholarship players on the roster in 2010 that are currently known about.

Hopefully this is the end of the line for personnel moves off the current roster.

Onto the coaching moves. Dan Hawkins announced he would be coaching the wide receivers, an extremely important task considering the current situation. Hawkins will be in charge of getting Andre Simmons, Terdema Ussery and Jarrod Darden, all newcomers, ready to play immediately when they first step on the Colorado campus. He will also have the task of motivating Markques Simas to be a All Big 12 player for the Buffs in 2009. He also announced that Ashley Ambrose will be taking over the wide receiver coaching responsibilities in 2010, something that was important to state for recruiting purposes. Ambrose will be learning on the job this year as he just recently joined the Colorado staff last year. Dan Hawkins also brought on his mentor, 68 year old Bob Foster, to coach the outside linebackers. Research will have to be done on Foster as I know little about him. Foster will only stay on staff for a year. It's always interesting in Buff land. Not every day do you hear the head coach will coach the wide receivers and he then hires a 68 year old mentor for one year.

As we wrote about earlier today, the first three games of the 2009 were scheduled. The Buffs will open up against Colorado State in Boulder ~~Saturday~~ Sunday, Sept 6th 5:00pm on FSN. Just five days later the Buffs will travel to Toledo, Ohio to play in a Friday night game at 7:00 pm on ESPN, leaving the Buffs very little time to recover from their first game and prepare for Toledo (and travel to Toledo, a MAC school. Bad scheduling all around here). Colorado will then host Wyoming Saturday, Sept 19 1:30 pm. It does not look to be televised.

WR Josh Smith and TE Ryan Wallance Leaving Colorado

irish1611 — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:35:37 -0000

Colorado WR/KR Josh Smith - picture by Phil Coale

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All I can really say is "wow." I am in disbelief. Thanks to our loyal reader mam2jd, most of you have read about the decision of WR Josh Smith and TE Ryan Wallace to leave the football program. Wallace, the 6'5" 235 pound redshirt freshman, decided to go his separate way because he was homesick and wanted to be closer to his family in Kentucky. Wallace was currently fifth on the depth chart but three seniors were in front of him so he was in line to have a good chance at seeing time in two years as a sophomore. He never played a down for the Buffs so it is hard to judge the impact he would have had. It's definitely a loss of a player with great size but we never learned what we had on the field.

As for Josh Smith, the junior all purpose player, we saw glimpses and imagined greatness. That ability to achieve new heights on the offensive side of the ball will not be realized with the Buffs. His own self comparisons to former Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin will be left incomplete. Smith has decided to leave Boulder and pursue a music degree in California or Arizona that the University of Colorado does not offer. He was honorable mention All Big 12 last year for his special teams work, something that was indeed special. No matter what you thought of Smith here are the facts: last year he was 9th in the nation in all purpose yards with 1,987. Yes, the 2008 sophomore fumbled, he dropped a few touchdowns, was injured and made some poor judgment plays but losing a guy who contributed 165 yards a game is never a good thing. Couple that with now only two scholarship receivers on the roster in Scotty McKnight and Markques Simas, the situation is now bordering ridiculous. I hope Terdema Ussery and Jarrod Darden, both true freshman who might be at prom or graduating from high school right now, are ready to play.

Smith was most definitely a polarizing figure for the Buffs. I am not going to lie, I loved watching Smith play and figured he might be the type that had a revelation one day & became a complete player. There will always be that question whether Smith really wanted or had the desire to become that complete player. Either way, he won't be competing on Folsom Field. I am shocked. Flat out, he was a playmaker, you can't deny that and the Buffs haven't shown they have a lot of those. He was not a great wide receiver yet but he had the potential to be. If the Buffs had four or five receivers above Smith on the depth chart, this may not be as big of a deal as most are making it but because of the current depth at wideout, it is.

Moving on now and assessing the situation objectively, a few things come to mind right away:

1) I find it hard to believe that pursuing a music career is the only reason for a transfer of this magnitude. If your an outsider looking in at the Colorado Buffaloes, you once again start to wonder what is considered the "normal attrition" that goes on within a program or if their is a deeper issue? Perception effects recruiting, donor gifts, season ticket buyers, etc.

2) This was my first thought when I heard of the news and what guys like Tim Griffin of ESPN will ponder is in regards to the future of RB Darrell Scott and even if he does stay at Colorado, how will this impact his football career at Colorado? A big reason Scott came to Colorado was his uncle Josh Smith and although Kyle Ringo said in his column that this shouldn't have an impact on Scott's status, he is a 19 year old young man who lost his best friend/family member in school. It might not be a big deal now but what about when school starts? Either way, this isn't good for what needs to be our best player in '09. I wouldn't worry about this one too much yet as it might be the first overreaction on this story but a year from now, what if the Buffs don't turn it around to a satisfactory level? What will be the first question most will ask?

You just have to hope their isn't more to the story on this one.

3) Special teams, obviously, takes an immediate hit. Smith had 1,276 yards on kick returns, second in the nation last season. The Buffs already have major questions in every other facet of special teams play, something that probably cost them or severely impacted the results of a game or two last year. The Buffs won't get to 10, 9, 8 or even 7 wins if this part of team doesn't improve.

4) What do the Buffs do now about wide receiver? Probably nothing can be done this summer from an outside perspective. Smith was a starting receiver on the most current depth chart. Kendrick Celestine is supposedly ineligible from his return to the program so he looks to be out of the question. Right now, the Buffs have one receiver who has ever caught a pass in a division one football game. ONE. I don't think bringing in another player right now is going to do anything other than add depth with an athlete that might not be "scholarship worthy." There is pretty much nothing that the staff can do other than hope JUCO transfer Andre Simmons (still not completely qualified for admission), Darden, Ussery, Simas, Jason Espinoza and even Ryan Maxwell are ready to be superior receivers. It was something Colorado was going to have to deal with anyway but this news magnifies it. Can anything else possibly happen to the receiver position?

5) How does all of this effect the team? This was supposed to be the no excuses campaign. The way the players and coaches were talking, this was the "all or nothing" year. The year the turn around takes place. Gone is LB Lynn Katoa, WR Chance Blackmon, Wallace and Smith. Players like S Ray Polk, LB Jon Major, QB Tyler Hansen, DL Curtis Cunningham, OL Blake Behrens, OG Max Tuioti-Mariner are a few who were out or injured this spring. You have two coaches leave the program in Jeff Grimes and Mark Helfrich. Most are happy with the replacements but still, its a change, its a rocking of the boat, something we keep seeing with this program. Last year it was all about injuries and off-the-field issues. I wonder what the moral will be like in the fall time?

I find myself asking what's next? I didn't see this one coming. I wish Josh Smith and Ryan Wallace the best of luck in their future endeavors, wherever they may be. I enjoyed watching Smith with the football in his hands.

Just shocked...I guess I shouldn't be anymore especially with this hidden statement in Ringo's column:

The athletic department has planned several announcements concerning the football program for Monday. The updates will include the status of Hawkins' efforts to fill his coaching staff in the wake of Mark Helfrich's departure to Oregon and player personnel changes, including Smith and Wallace.

That including word might not mean this is over...stay tuned.

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.