Colorado Daily

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Colorado Daily

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March 14th

... CU in a few minutes … 

Karl Dorrell already making an impression on players and their parents

From the Daily Camera … Karl Dorrell, introduced as head coach less than three weeks ago – on Feb. 24 – had been in scramble mode to build a staff and prepare for Monday’s scheduled start of spring workouts.

He put that on hold Friday and sent a letter to players and parents to update them on the situation, which includes CU letting players and their families use their discretion in going home to be with loved ones at this time rather than staying on campus.

Dorrell also told them that the lines of communication with him and CU’s trainers will be open at all times, gave them information on what to do if they feel sick, and informed them that all student-athlete support services would be available for those who remain on campus this next week.

“This is the first time in three years a parent has gotten an email like this,” one player’s father told BuffZone.

… Continue reading story here …

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Davion Taylor hopes his 4.39 40 moves him up NFL draft boards

From The Athletic … About a week after Colorado’s 2019 season ended with a loss at Utah, Davion Taylor began a second football season. For weeks, he commuted some 40 miles from Boulder to Centennial, Colo., to train twice a day, six days a week for the NFL Scouting Combine and his ensuing pro day.

The Mississippi native, who had no varsity-level playing experience in high school, has had his eyes set on the NFL for years, and in recent weeks he has inched closer and closer to making his dream a reality.

At the combine, he caught the attention of many who didn’t know his story — that of a rare athlete from a small town who in four years made the leap from junior college walk-on to FBS starter to pro prospect.

Wednesday afternoon on the turf of CU’s indoor practice facility, Taylor might have changed his career trajectory once more.

In front of 32 representatives from 25 NFL teams, Taylor ran a blazing 4.39-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 36-inch vertical leap. Those performances will likely improve his draft stock and put him in front of more teams before April.

Only two weeks earlier, Taylor ran a 4.49 40 at the combine, which ranked him as the third-fastest among linebackers in his class. He also had a 35-inch vertical, tied for 11th-best among his positional group.

His latest 40 time, however, put him in company with Isaiah Simmons, the former Clemson standout who is widely regarded as the top linebacker prospect in the class of 2020. Simmons’ 4.39 in Indianapolis was the second-fastest time by a linebacker in combine recording history (since 2006).

“I reached my goal, and I’m so excited and so happy that I did. Everything came out today,” Taylor said Wednesday. “I was smooth in every drill, smooth when I was running, smooth when I was doing my jumps. Everything felt comfortable and ready to go. I took last week to look at the combine and what I did wrong and what I wasn’t ready to do. So last week I was practicing hard and made sure I came focused and ready to go.”

… Continue reading story here (subscription required) …

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Karl Dorrell impressed by team unity in face of adversity: “They want to win”

From CUBuffs.com … Dorrell will be the Buffs’ third head coach in three years. That’s not recipe´ for continuity or consistency, and Dorrell knows he doesn’t have a lot of time to bring the Buffs together as they learn yet another coach’s preferred way of operating.

“They have a new coach, a new value system, a new way of doing things,” Dorrell said. “You have to make sure there’s a good foundation of bringing things together in the spring that we can take through the summer.”

One thing with which Dorrell said he has been extremely impressed thus far is the players’ attitude as he has met with them individually and as a team. A third head coach in three years could understandably produce some hesitancy, but Dorrell said he’s seen nothing but enthusiasm and an eagerness to get to work.

“They’ve been great,” Dorrell said. “They want to win. They believe they should have won more last year and this is a year they don’t want to take things for granted. Me helping them bridge that thought into winning is this: there’s a way you practice when you win, there’s a way of how you handle your business, there’s a way of taking care of your body. Those things don’t happen overnight. There’s a process to winning and that’s my job, to help them understand what that is. It’s not just a couple hours a day — it’s a commitment.”

Dorrell is already seeing signs of that commitment. As he leaves work each evening, he walks through the Indoor Practice Facility on his way to the parking garage. Almost always, he said, there are players getting in some extra work on their own.

“That’s what it takes, doing extra work,” he said. “It’s all an educational moment. It’s how you teach young guys. It’s not two hours a day and you’re done. There’s a bigger process and our job as coaches is to help them understand that’s what great teams do.”

… Read full story here …

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March 13th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Spring practices officially postponed 

From the Daily Camera … The Colorado football team’s first spring under head coach Karl Dorrell has been postponed.

CU had been scheduled to conduct the first of its 15 spring practices on Monday, but sports information director David Plati said on Friday, “We do not know if or when we will begin spring football practice.”

Along with many of the nation’s sports entities, CU announced Thursday that it will not participate in any competition for the foreseeable future because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

In football, CU was scheduled to practice three times next week and then take time off for spring break from March 21-29. Now, the earliest they could begin spring practices would be after spring break. A source told Buffzone that a team meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 29.

“There remains many moving parts to all aspects around this and the situation remains fluid and ever-evolving,” Plati said.

Buffzone has learned that athletic director Rick George informed the student-athletes on Friday that they can use their discretion to return home and continue with remote studies.

This week, several players told Buffzone they would prefer to go home if they could. One player said, “Almost everyone is going home and have already booked flights.”

According to Plati, academic, food and other support services for student-athletes will remain in operation for players who chose to stay on campus.

CU is one of only three Pac-12 schools that have yet to start spring football, along with Washington and Washington State, which both were not scheduled to start until late March or early April.

… Continue reading story here …

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NCAA: Spring sport athletes to be granted an extra year of eligibility

From the Daily Camera … The latest NCAA fallout from the coronavirus pandemic likely will be hollow solace for a Colorado men’s basketball team dealing with the disappointment of not being able to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

Same for a CU women’s basketball team that was eyeing a chance to extend its season in the WNIT. Yet for all of the Buffaloes’ spring athletes whose seasons were wiped off the docket, it appears relief is on the way.

On Friday, the NCAA announced it will offer eligibility relief for student-athletes who participate in spring sports, all of whom had their seasons canceled on Thursday as fears regarding the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to grip the nation.

For CU, that would include athletes in women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s golf, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. At other regional schools, additional prominent programs set to be included in the eligibility relief would be the baseball programs at Air Force and Northern Colorado, the softball program at Colorado State, and the men’s lacrosse program at the University of Denver, among others.

… Continue reading story here …

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WR signee Brendan Rice: The ultimate team player 

From azcentral.com …. Brenden Rice always brought a swagger to the football field, a belief — not because he had the last name —that he was the best player.

When the chance came to return to basketball even as a bench player, Rice was all in, happy to play a small role on a team that reached the 6A state quarterfinals.

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March 12th

… CU in a few minutes …

Rick George issues statement clarifying CU athletics

From CUBuffs.com … University of Colorado athletic director Rick George issued the following statement Thursday afternoon regarding the department’s operations following the NCAA announcing that it has canceled all remaining winter and all spring championships, effective immediately, in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.  The Pac-12 Conference has also canceled all spring sports competition, including all non-conference events, until further notice.

“The CU athletic department is committed to the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff and fans as it relates to COVID-19,” George said.  “As the situation is developing rapidly, we continue to collaborate with leaders from campus, the Pac-12 and NCAA as we make decisions that are in the best interest of our student-athletes and staff.”

Colorado’s spring sports include men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track, women’s lacrosse and women’s tennis, along with spring practices in football, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball …

Also:

• The NCAA Indoor Track Championships that were scheduled to begin tomorrow in Albuquerque are included in the cancellations.
• The NCAA Skiing Championships started Wednesday in Bozeman, Mont., and reached the midway point Thursday morning; those were suspended at that point with the remaining four events canceled.  Individual results will count and the NCAA Board of Governors will decide if a team champion will be declared for 2020.
• CU’s women’s lacrosse team had not yet departed for its two games this weekend against California and Stanford.
• The Women’s NIT has been canceled; CU’s women’s basketball had submitted a bid to be a host institution.
• A meet-and-greet with CU’s six new football assistants with the media that was scheduled for Friday has been postponed until a later date.  A determination on the status of spring football practices will be made in the very near future.

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CU (for now) set to open Spring practices as scheduled next Monday

… Two practices open to the media; no fan access due to Coronavirus concerns … 

CU’s Spring schedule …

MARCH 13— Coach Dorrell Brief Spring Primer / New Assistant Coach Meet-N-Greet (2:00-3:00 p.m., Champions Center Room 319)
MARCH 16— Practice # 1 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED shorts/helmets
MARCH 18— Practice # 2 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED shorts/helmets
MARCH 20— Practice # 3 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED pads-NT (uppers)
———————————————————————- SPRING BREAK (March 21-29) ———————————————————————–
MARCH 30— Practice # 4 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED shorts/helmets
APRIL 1— Practice # 5 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED pads-NT (uppers)
APRIL 3— Practice # 6 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED full pads
APRIL 6— Practice # 7 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED pads-NT (uppers)
APRIL 7— Practice # 8 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED full pads
APRIL 9— Practice # 9 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 9:00 a.m. approx. scrimmage) OPEN (media) full pads
APRIL 13— Practice #10 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED pads-NT (uppers)
APRIL 15— Practice #11 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED full pads
APRIL 17— Practice #12 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 9:00 a.m. approx. scrimmage) OPEN (media) full pads
APRIL 20— Practice #13 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED pads-NT (uppers)
APRIL 22— Practice #14 (7:00 a.m. meetings, 8:50-11:00 a.m. practice) CLOSED full pads
APRIL 24— ANNUAL COACHES CLINIC (3:00-7:00 p.m.)
APRIL 25— SPRING GAME (Practice #15; 1:00 p.m. Folsom Field / Pac 12 Network, KOA-Radio) OPEN (all) full pads

NOTE: Due to the Coronavirus, the University of Colorado is taking several precautions which include athletic events and practices. Coach Karl Dorrell wanted
to bit a bit more open, but due to restrictions by the school and commitment to the health and safety of our student-athletes, we are limiting as much contact
with outsiders as possible.

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Buffs show their talents to 32 pro scouts at CU Pro Timing Day

From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado football team held their annual Pro Timing day on Wednesday with 32 representatives from 25 NFL teams present, though originally there were supposed to be several more assistant coaches; many NFL teams are pulling back and keeping their personnel close to home because of the Coronavirus situation around the world.

Today’s participants consisted of quarterback Steven Montez (who participated in passing drills only), wide receiver Tony Brown, tight ends Beau Bisharat and Jalen Harris, offensive linemen Arlington Hambright, Tim Lynott, and Jack Shutack, linebackers Davion Taylor, Alex Tchangam, and Nu’umotu Falo Jr., defensive back Delrick Abrams Jr., safety Mikial Onu, long snapper J.T. Bale, punter Alex Kinney, and placekicker Davis Price.

Also participating was Daniel Talley, a former CU defensive back who graduated in 2018 but was unable to participate in that year’s Pro Day due to injury.

The day began with each player getting their height, weight, hand size and wingspan measured.

Next was the bench press which saw a number of Buffs put up solid numbers, most notably Arlington Hambright and Tim Lynott, who each put up 29 reps, a number that would have stood as the sixth-best amongst all offensive lineman at the 2020 NFL Combine.

Soon after came the vertical and broad jumps, which saw a first-place tie of 36″ by Davion Taylor and Tony Brown. Brown was able to improve upon his initial combine result of 33.5″ and Taylor slightly improved on his vertical jump of 35″.

The longest broad jump of the day belonged to Delrick Abrams Jr. at 10′ 6″.

The athletes then transitioned to the field drills where they began with the 40-yard dash before participating in the Pro Shuttle and L-Drill. Davion Taylor won the day by improving on his combine time of 4.49 to reach an official time of 4.39. He was followed by Brown, who was able to improve his combine time from a 4.65 to a 4.49, as well as Tchangam (4.48) and Abrams (4.50) for the fastest times of the day.

Talley recorded the fastest Pro Shuttle time of the day with a 4.26 and the fastest L-Drill belonged to Taylor who posted a 6.96.

The 2020 NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25 in Las Vegas, Nev.

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Here are the full results from CU’s Pro Timing Day …

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March 11th

... CU in a few minutes … 

CU-Boulder cancels in-person classes for remainder of the semester

From the Daily Camera … University of Colorado Boulder will cancel all in-person classes for the rest of the semester starting Monday, joining dozens of universities across the country in switching to online-only education in a bid to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

The semester ends May 6.

The campus will remain open, as will residence halls, dining halls, libraries, recreation centers, the Center for Community, the health center and University Memorial Center.

“But, as local, national and global public health recommendations shift to include mitigation of transmission, we are proactively taking steps to protect the campus and community,” Chancellor Phil DiStefano said in a statement.

CU Boulder is also considering which of its employees can work remotely starting Monday, according to the statement.

The decision will impact nearly 36,000 students and 10,000 employees as the campus switches to remote learning and work.

CU Boulder uses an online learning platform, Canvas, to share class syllabi, readings and assignments. Professors and instructors can use platforms to stream live lectures or record and share them.

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Michael Westbrook becomes the ninth Buff to elected to the College Football Hall of Fame!!

Press release from CUBuffs.com … Some 25-plus years later, it still resonates and sends chills through Colorado football fans as if it happened just yesterday through the late Keith Jackson’s call on ABC: “Stewart with time … He lets it go … He’s got three people down there … The ball’s up in the air … Caught! Touchdown! … Caught by Westbrook for a touchdown! … Incredible!”

On Sept. 24, 1994, Michael Westbrook cemented his name in University of Colorado history with that catch, dubbed the “Miracle in Michigan.”  He will now be officially recognized as one of college football’s all-time greats as he has been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in its 2020 Class, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced Wednesday.

Westbrook, 47, is one of 17 players and two coaches in the Class of 2020 that will be inducted this December 8 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Midtown in New York City.  He first appeared on the national ballot for the Hall in 2016, so he made it in his fifth year on the ballot.

He will become the ninth Buffalo enshrined in the Hall, joining Byron White (inducted in 1952), Joe Romig (1984), Dick Anderson (1993), Bobby Anderson (2006), Alfred Williams (2010), John Wooten (2012), Coach Bill McCartney (2013) and Herb Orvis (2016).  Westbrook becomes the second player who was coached by McCartney to enter the Hall, joining Williams who played for him during his 13-year tenure as head coach from 1982-94.

Selected as college football’s play of the year for 1994, Kordell Stewart threw that pass that covered 64 yards to Westbrook that beat Michigan, 27-26, as time expired in Ann Arbor just after the sun set that day.  Blake Anderson tipped the ball into the air and Westbrook snagged it to give the No. 7 Buffaloes the road win over the No. 4 Wolverines.  It also won ESPN’s coveted “Espy Award” as the national play of the year in all sports world-wide.  But Westbrook was much more than a one-catch wonder during his CU career.

See the play here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nt6HjqtJt8&t=87s.

At the time of his graduation, he finished his career as Colorado’s all-time leader in receptions (167), receiving yards (2,548) and receiving touchdowns (19).  Those numbers still remain fourth, third and seventh, respectively, a quarter century after he played, while his average of 15.3 yards per reception is the fourth-highest among the 36 players in CU history with 70 or more catches.  He had eight career 100-yard games (six over 125) and was also 11th in all-purpose yards (2,858) and 22nd in scoring (116 points).

To this day, he remains tied for the school’s most receptions in bowl games (14) and the leader in yards (283) with one touchdown.  His 20.2 yards per catch is the highest for any player with 10 or more receptions in the postseason.

The players are annually informed from the NFF via a package that includes a commemorative Hall of Fame football.  It arrived Tuesday afternoon and caught him “totally off guard.”

“I knew I had been on the ballot, and you anticipate getting in, but you never expect it so I kind of let my guard down a bit,” Westbrook said.  “Then I got the package from the Hall of Fame, and I’m like, “Wow!”

“I think back to those days, and it was such an awesome time in our lives,” he continued.   “You couldn’t ask for a better situation to go through and succeed in.  We had quality coaches, a great support staff and awesome teammates.  Beginning with Coach Mac when he came to my high school and recruited me on the spot when he was there looking at someone else.

“Then there was (assistant coach/offensive coordinator) Les Steckel, who was a Godsend for me, especially from a mental standpoint.  He put me in a position where I couldn’t do anything but succeed.  From his perspective, that’s what life was – try your hardest to succeed at everything you do or go home – and he hammered that into all us receivers.  I can honestly tell you that Coach Steckel, along with some advice my high school coach, Charles Spann, took me to another level of being a man.  Football was my base, but they taught to look at all of life in general.”

McCartney was pleased to hear that Westbrook will be joining him in the Hall of Fame.

“He could have gone in before I did, you’re only as good as the players you are privileged to coach,” McCartney said.  “I’m excited for Michael.  He was a game changer, the real deal and looked the part.  He was big, strong and fast. The defense always had to be concerned with where he lined up and he was nearly impossible to cover one-on-one.  As a blocker, he was downright vicious, probably the best blocking receiver I’ve ever coached – and it was something he took great pride in.  He’s obviously known for the catch in Michigan, but he shouldn’t be defined by it.  He was so much more for us than that one play.”

“Michael was the one of most gifted athletes I’ve ever coached, and he was the one player who taught me the importance of the player-coach relationship and the amount of success both individuals can have,” Steckel said.  “He was a joy to work with, coachable as can be, and without a doubt, a great, great player and person.  I wrote a book and in it, I said that my biggest thrill in coaching was coaching Michael Westbrook.”

“I’m really excited for Michael that he’ll be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame,” said CU athletic director Rick George, who helped recruit him when he was McCartney’s recruiting coordinator.  “It’s a solid tribute to his work ethic and perseverance throughout his career.  I’m equally happy that another Buff is going into Hall.

Westbrook, who stood 6-foot-4 and weighed 210 pounds, redshirted as a true freshman in 1990 when the Buffaloes were the consensus national champions.  He had 22 catches for 309 yards and five TDs the following year as CU was transitioning out of it wishbone/I-Bone offense into one that featured much more in the passing game.  That new offense actually made its debut in the Blockbuster Bowl against Alabama, in which he had three catches for a then-CU bowl record 87 yards; it included a 62-yard TD reception from Darian Hagan, the longest play in school postseason history at the time.

As a sophomore in ’92, he caught a then-school record 76 passes for 1,060 yards and eight TDs, one of the first two 1,000-yard seasons in CU history; he finished the season fifth in the nation in receptions and 10th in yards per game.  Charles Johnson had 1,149 yards that year as both were tutored by first-year receivers coach Karl Dorrell, who was introduced on Feb. 23 as CU’s new head coach.

“Mike was a tremendously gifted athlete that dominated in his era,” Dorrell said.  “He was hard to cover, tough to tackle, and he could run by you.  He was the absolute worst nightmare for a defensive back.  Coordinators were challenged every week – he wasn’t anything fun to deal with.”

“Coach Dorrell was there for that ride with Coach Mac and Coach Steckel, and we all experienced the same thought process – what you needed to do to succeed, not only in football but in life,” Westbrook recalled.  “To put maximum effort into everything you do, because that’s life’s equalizer.  And I have taken that mentality throughout my life since.  What they taught me made it possible for me to handle everything in life that has come my way.  And it’s all because of my foundation at the University of Colorado.”

The Buffs returned to running the ball about two-thirds of the time his last two seasons, as he had 33 catches for 490 yards and two scores as a junior and 36 for 689 and four touchdowns as a senior.  In the Michigan win, he enjoyed one of his career-best games, as he had seven catches for 157 yards and two scores, 85 of those yards coming in the game’s final 14 seconds; he earned national player of the week honors for his effort.

In the four seasons he lettered (’91-94), he helped CU win one Big Eight Conference title with three runner-up finishes and earn four bowl berths in compiling an overall record of 36-9-3; the Buffaloes were nationally ranked throughout entire career.  Colorado was 11-1 his senior season, finishing with a No. 3 national ranking in the final major polls, as he had countless downfield blocks for CU’s Heisman Trophy winner, the late Rashaan Salaam.

He was a two-time first-team All-American as a sophomore and senior in 1992 and 1994, respectively, when he was also a first-team All-Big Eight Conference performer (he was second-team All-Conference as a junior), and was a Playboy Preseason All-American ahead of the ’93 season.  At the time, he was just the second CU receiver to earn All-League honors, and the first to be recognized twice.  As a senior, he was one of 10 semifinalists for the inaugural Fred Biletnikoff Award, presented to college football’s most outstanding receiver, and was honored with the Paul Warfield Trophy by the Touchdown Club of Columbus as the nation’s top pass catcher.

Westbrook was a Detroit News first-team All-Metro selection and an All-Midwest team member as a senior at Detroit’s Chadsey High School, where he was also a standout performer in basketball, baseball and especially in track (jumps).  Though he had 120 receptions for 1,764 yards and 16 touchdowns in high school, he was a bit under the radar to most colleges.  McCartney was actually visiting with his high school coach, Charles Spann, about another Chadsey player when Westbrook wandered by and McCartney asked, “Who is that?!”  From that point on, he was on CU’s radar and committed to the Buffaloes shortly thereafter.

Spann was overjoyed at the news.  “It caught me by surprise.  He’s a person who had all the qualities academically and athletically to achieve these things.  You know, Michael didn’t really think that much about sports other than just playing them, but eventually embraced what they could mean to turn a young man into an adult.

“His high school skill level was just a little bit beyond everybody else’s in the area at the time, and we really didn’t have the people to truly complement him,” Spann said.  “His senior year, we didn’t have a returning quarterback, so we put Michael there, but we lost our first four games.  Michael, being the great athlete that he was, tried to and could do everything.  So midyear, we decided to run the veer and moved Michael out to tight end and moved the end to quarterback.  Those two got us rolling and we won our last five games.

“He was a great baseball player and a guy who could long jump 23, 24 feet.  There weren’t too many things that Michael couldn’t do.  I am so very proud of him.”

The Washington Redskins selected Westbrook as the fourth overall pick in the 1995 National Football League Draft, tied for the second-highest a Buffalo has been drafted; Bo Matthews was picked second by San Diego in the 1974 and Byron White was taken fourth by Pittsburgh in 1938.  Westbrook appeared in 89 games during an eight-year professional career with the Redskins (1995-2001) and Cincinnati (2002), catching 285 passes for 4,374 yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per reception.  He also gained 160 yards on 22 rushes with one score.

Westbrook was inducted into CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in its Class of 2016, and was the most valuable player in the 1995 East-West Shrine All-Star game.  He was born July 7, 1972 in Detroit and graduated with a degree in Communications.

This year’s inductees in the 2020 Class were selected from a national ballot of 76 players and five coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision, the 101 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks and the NFF Veterans Committee candidates.

“We are extremely proud to announce the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments.”

In addition to the official induction ceremony in New York City, all inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions this fall with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.  The announcement official announcement was made during the 10 a.m. MDT “SportsCenter” on ESPN2.

“We want to thank ESPN for the opportunity to announce the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class during ‘SportsCenter,'” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell, who also happens to be a 1970 CU graduate. “Today’s announcement shines a light on the accomplishments of some of college football’s greatest legends.”

The 2020 HOF Class: Lomas Brown (OT, Florida); Keith Byars (RB, Ohio State); Eric Crouch (QB, Nebraska); Eric Dickerson (RB, SMU); Glenn Dorsey (DT, Louisiana State); Jumbo Elliott (OT, Michigan); Jason Hanson (PK, Washington State); E.J. Henderson (LB, Maryland); E.J. Junior (DE, Alabama); Steve McNair (QB, Alcorn State); Cade McNown (QB, UCLA); Leslie O’Neal (DT, Oklahoma State); Anthony Poindexter (DB, Virginia); David Pollack (DE, Georgia); Bob Stein (DE, Minnesota); Michael Westbrook (Colorado); Elmo Wright (WR, Houston).  Coaches: Dick Sheridan (Furman, N.C. State); Andy Talley (St. Lawrence, Villanova).

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March 10th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Darrin Chiaverini: “Spring is going to be a big evaluation”

From the Daily Camera … As head coach of the Colorado football team, Karl Dorrell will have his hand in all aspects of the program, but it’s a good bet that his influence will be most evident on offense, as he’s coached on that side of the ball for more than 30 years.

After being introduced as CU’s new coach on Feb. 24th, however, one of Dorrell’s first moves was to hand the keys of the offense to Darrin Chiaverini, who was named the coordinator.

CU’s receivers coach for the past four years (and co-offensive coordinator from 2016-18), Chiaverini is eager to regain the play-calling role he had in 2018, but there’s no question he’ll lean on his head coach and fellow assistants.

“At the end of the day, it’s got to have my identity, but I think we’ll have discussions as a staff and, obviously, we’ll have discussions with coach Dorrell,” Chiaverini said. “I feel like as a coordinator, you’ve got to have open discussions about what we feel is best for our personnel. Who are our best players, how can we help them be successful and build a scheme around them. That’s my philosophy as an offensive coach.”

… Spring will be particularly important for the three new coaches on offense – Taylor Embree (tight ends), Danny Langsdorf (quarterbacks) and Mitch Rodrigue (offensive line).

“Spring is going to be a big evaluation,” said Chiaverini, one of two returning offensive coaches, along with running backs coach Darian Hagan. “I would see less scheme and more evaluation of our players (this spring). I have a good feel for our roster, but for our assistant coaches that don’t, I want them to have honest evaluations about who we are, what we are and then we’ll build our scheme going forward in fall camp around that.”

… Continue reading story here …

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March 9th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Report: DL Antonio Alfano “suspended indefinitely” for violation of team rules

… Place in the “CU is not allowed to have nice things” file … 

… Related … “Colorado suspends former five-star Alabama recruit Antonio Alfano for violation of team rules” … from CBS Sports (odd how CU only merits national coverage when it’s bad news) …

From the Daily Camera … When Antonio Alfano chose in November to transfer from Alabama to Colorado, he became the most highly-anticipated newcomer to the program in more than a decade.

When, or if, Alfano, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive lineman, gets on the field in a Buffaloes’ uniform remains to be seen, however.

On Monday, CU issued a statement from head coach Karl Dorrell that said, “Antonio has been suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules.”

It’s another bump in the road for Alfano, a former five-star recruit who was rated by 247Sports.com as the No. 1 prospect in the country for the class of 2019.

Alfano, who grew up in New Jersey, went to three different high schools, playing two years at Bergen Catholic, his junior year at Rahway High School and his senior year at Colonia High School.

After graduating from high school in December of 2018, he signed with Alabama and had two sacks in the Crimson Tide spring game last year.

Alfano went through fall camp and then left Alabama in September, entered the NCAA transfer portal in October.

“I just know that the guy basically quit,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in mid-September to AL.com. “He quit going to class. He quit coming here. We tried to encourage him. We tried to help him. We had tried to set up counseling sessions with him to help him every way we could. … But he didn’t respond to any of the things, so until he responds, you just have to assume the guy quit.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Karl Dorrell: “It’s not just a product on the field. You’re trying to help shape young men to be great young men”

From CUBuffs.com … When Karl Dorrell interviewed for the Colorado coaching job, he had all the right answers for Buffaloes Athletic Director Rick George‘s questions.

But Dorrell also had some questions for George, stemming from his first experience as a head coach at UCLA. There were some issues there that Dorrell wanted to make sure didn’t exist if he took the job at Colorado — and George had all the right answers as well.

Not all of them involved football.

“We talked in the interview about some very specific things,” Dorrell said. “It wasn’t just the football piece. There were things from my experience that I didn’t have when I was in this seat before. That was really important. We have those pieces in place here because Rick felt in recent history they were short in certain areas, and we’ve made those accommodations.”

One of those areas that was a key piece to the puzzle for Dorrell was CU’s strong Psychological Health and Performance Department. A firm believer that mental health is an important component to a student-athlete’s overall well-being, Dorrell wanted to be sure CU offered that kind of support.

George was able to point out that CU has become a national leader in that area, earning recognition across the nation for its efforts in helping student-athletes maintain good health in every regard — mental and physical.

“The mental health aspect is a critical, critical piece with these young student athletes,” Dorrell said. “Because they are bigger than average students in terms of size and athleticism, you think they are these big, mature grown men. But they are still shaping their mindset. That’s what college is for. They are learning on and off the field. They’re learning about real-life events and issues that are going to occur and the solutions .”

… Continue reading story here …

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March 8th

… CU in a few minutes …

Darrin Chiaverini to call the plays this fall – no “co” before his coordinator title

From the Daily Camera … Darrin Chiaverini interviewed for the head coaching position and believed he was the best man for the job. It hurt when he didn’t get it, but Dorrell – Chiaverini’s position coach when he played at CU from 1995-98 – made him offer: stay on staff as offensive coordinator and receivers coach.

“Yeah no question (there were mixed emotions),” Chiaverini said. “I told that to coach Dorrell. Obviously, I was disappointed for my situation, but I was excited for coach Dorrell. Our history together at Colorado, I know he’s a good person and he’s a good football coach.

“I think that’s normal to go through those human emotions, being disappointed, but also being excited for someone else.”

Chiaverini, 42, has pushed his disappointment aside for the excitement of his new role.

Hired by former coach Mike MacIntyre in December of 2015 as co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach, Chiaverini held that position for three seasons. He took over play calling duties in 2018, but MacIntyre was fired with one game left in that season. Tucker was hired that December and kept Chiaverini on staff, but no longer as a coordinator; he coached receivers and added the title of assistant head coach.

Now, Chiaverini is back in the coordinator role – although there’s no “co” next to his title this time – and he gets a second chance to call the plays. It’s not the head coaching job he wanted, but it’s a promotion and a chance to work with Dorrell, whom he has respected for years.

“It’s good that we have history together,” Chiaverini said. “There’s a trust factor between both of us, having him be my position coach in college. Obviously I was excited for coach Dorrell when he got the job and knew that this could be a good working relationship for both of us.”

… Continue reading story here …

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March 7th

… CU in a few minutes … 

NFL.com mock draft: Davion Taylor up to third round; Shenault down to second

From NFL.com … Tua Tagovailoa at No. 2. It could happen!

The Washington Redskins face the same dilemma that the Arizona Cardinals encountered in 2019 with Josh Rosen and Kyler Murray: Do they trade the quarterback they drafted in the first round a year ago (Dwayne Haskins, in this case) and select a more talented player at the position?

In this mock, I say yes. New head coach Ron Rivera has to make the call that is best for his team’s future. He can’t worry about the resources used on players before he arrived.

Coaches are under pressure to provide winning results in a hurry. They do not have time to wait for a player they didn’t draft to fulfill his promise. To paraphrase Bill Parcells, coaches are usually not too keen on having their cooking judged on groceries provided by the previous regime.

This mock also shows some different blood in Round 3 compared with my previous version, as the NFL Scouting Combine helped settle some tiebreakers between prospects battling for positioning in the back end of Day 2 (Rounds 2-3).

CU picks:

— Laviska Shenault, WR … Second round, 12th pick (No. 44 overall), to Indianapolis Colts

— Davion Taylor, LB … Third round, 35th pick (No. 99 overall), to Baltimore Ravens

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March 6th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

*Video – Brett Maxie talks about his coaching philosophy*

From YouTube … Brett Maxie talks about his philosophy of coaching the defensive backfield … “The first is calls and communication … alignment and assignment is critical … you have to know what to do and how to do it … and then the stance, because we are starting in a disadvantaged position – we’re starting backwards … If you can’t bounce back from adversity, then there is no point in being a defensive back …”

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March 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Report: CU has hired tenth assistant coach, former NFL coach Brett Maxie

From the Daily Camera … Colorado is adding a long-time NFL player and coach to its staff.

According to Buffzone sources, CU and new head football coach Karl Dorrell are expected to hire Brett Maxie as a secondary coach.

Dorrell, introduced as head coach on Feb. 24, has now completed his 10-member assistant staff, although CU has not confirmed or announced any outside hires.

BuffZone has previously reported that Taylor Embree (tight ends), Danny Langsdorf (quarterbacks), Demetrice Martin (secondary), Mitch Rodrigue (offensive line) and Chris Wilson (defensive line) are expected to join Dorrell’s staff.

Maxie, 58, worked last season as the defensive coordinator at IMG Academy in Florida. He spent 19 of the previous 21 seasons coaching in the NFL. Most recently, he was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach from 2016-18.

Prior to joining the Bucs, Maxie had his only previous stop as a college coach, spending two years (2014-15) working with defensive backs at Vanderbilt. In 2014 at Vandy, Maxie worked with Dorrell, who was the offensive coordinator for the Commodores that season.

… Continue reading story here …

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Jim Rome of CBS Radio interviews CU head coach Karl Dorrell

… The twelve-minute interview can be found here …

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Eleven Buffs to participate in CU’s Pro Timing Day

From CUSportsNation.com … CUSportsNation spoke with Steven Montez’s agent, Aj Vaynerchuk, on Wednesday, who said that Montez indeed will take part in Colorado’s Pro Day.

Per Vaynerchuk, Montez will participate in all throwing drills and exercises, but will not run a 40-yard dash. At the NFL Combine last week, MOntez posted an impressive 4.58-second time in the 40.

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March 4th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Class of 2020: Jason Harris “all in”; William Anglen granted a release from his NLI

… Not a super surprise to lose Anglen, whose only ties to CU were through Mel Tucker and Tucker’s relationship with Anglen’s high school coach. No bad feelings, especially if, as reported, the move is due to a family illness … 

From the Daily Camera … It was the family feeling of the program that led Jason Harris to sign with Colorado in December.

When the head of that family suddenly bolted for Michigan State, Harris and the rest of CU’s 2020 football recruiting class was put in a tough spot.

Luckily for the Buffs, Mel Tucker’s decision to leave CU after one season as head coach hasn’t done much damage to what has been the program’s best recruiting class since joining the Pac-12.

CU introduced new head coach Karl Dorrell on Feb. 24. He and the four assistants he is retaining from Tucker’s staff – Darrin Chiaverini (offensive coordinator/receivers), Darian Hagan (running backs), Brian Michalowski (outside linebackers) and Tyson Summers (defensive coordinator) – have done their best to keep the 2020 recruits on board.

“I’m feeling pretty great (about CU),” said Harris, a four-star outside linebacker from Gilbert, Ariz., told Buffzone this week. “Coach Dorrell seems like a great guy.”

… Per NCAA rules, a player can request a release from his national letter of intent (NLI). If CU grants that release, the player is free to go to another school. If CU denies the request, the player can file an appeal.

According to CU, defensive back William Anglen has asked for and been granted a release from his NLI. Tucker’s long-time connection to Anglen’s coach, Ted Ginn at Glenville High School, helped CU to sign him, but Anglen asked for the release because of a family illness and not because of the coaching change, according to CU.

… Continue reading story here …

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Report: CU has found its quarterbacks coach, Danny Langsdorf

From the Daily Camera … He has coached the all-time leading passers at two Power 5 schools and worked for a season with a potential NFL Hall of Famer.

Now, Danny Langsdorf will be coaching the quarterbacks at Colorado.

BuffZone has been able to confirm a FootballScoop.com report that Langsdorf will join Karl Dorrell’s staff with the Buffaloes after a brief stint at UNLV.

Langsdorf, 47, has been in coaching for 23 years, and just two months ago was hired as quarterbacks coach at UNLV. He was the quarterbacks coach at Fresno State last season and an offensive analyst at Oregon in 2018.

While he’s bounced around a bit in the past two years, Langsdorf’s career includes nine seasons (2005-13) as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Oregon State and three years (2015-17) in the same role at Nebraska. In both of those stops, he worked for head coach Mike Riley.

Langsdorf, in fact, has spent 15 of his 23 seasons as a coach with Riley. He got his first full-time job as a coach working for Riley as Oregon State’s tight ends coach from 1997-98. The two worked together in 2002 with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.

While the offensive coordinator at Oregon State, Langsdorf recruited and coached Sean Mannion, who threw for an Oregon State-record 13,600 yards in his career. At the time, that was the Pac-12 record.

OSU has had nine 3,000-yard seasons in its history, with four coming during Langsdorf’s time as coordinator (by three different quarterbacks).

… Continue reading story here …

Langsdorf’s resume:

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Dorrell: Buffs may be in the market for a graduate transfer quarterback

CU athletic director Rick George and new head coach Karl Dorrell took questions from season ticket holders on a conference call Wednesday. Some highlights:

— Coach Dorrell, when asked about departed Blake Stenstrom, who left for the Transfer Portal before Dorrell was hired, indicated that he had not spoken with Stenstrom, but didn’t complete rule out the possibility that Stenstrom could return. Dorrell also indicated that CU could be in the market for a graduate transfer quarterback, as there will only be two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster heading into this fall;

— When asked about raising additional funds to pay more for assistant coaches, Rick George said that they were engaged in fund-raising to help make up the over $600,000 difference between Mel Tucker’s budgeted pool of dollars for assistant coaches and what Karl Dorrell has been given to work with;

— Dorrell indicated that he was certainly aware of the discrepancy in coverage between the SEC and the Pac-12 (having been on the east coast for most of the last decade), and the best way to get attention for CU and the Pac-12 was to build a relevant program;

— When asked if CU was going to return to a power running game, Dorrell indicated that he wanted a balanced offense. He also said that, as a former receiver, that the Buffs were definitely going to throw the ball. He said he wants a physical team, and he knows that starts in the weight room (no confirmation as to Drew Lewis returning as strength and conditioning coordinator);

— Dorrell sees spring practices as a time for competition, with everyone on the roster being evaluated. He said that he believes that the summer is more important. Everyone on the team will be around this summer, and that is when teams go from being contenders to champions;

— Dorrell said his meetings with current players on the roster have gone well, and that the incoming Recruiting Class has held together. He said that he and his coaches would be pushing the envelope to win now … “It’s not what you say, it’s what you do” that counts in the end.

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Laviska Shenault disappearing from some draft boards (New Orleans Saints may be best option)

From CBS Sports … Every year after the NFL combine, a handful of prospects are pushed into the first round thanks to stellar workouts, and a few drop into the second round after underwhelming performances. This mock draft was completed with that phenomenon specifically in mind.

The draft order is now set. Position rankings are based on our composite prospect rankings.

Of the six mock drafts posted by CBS Sports, three did not have Laviska Shenault listed. The other three all had Shenault going to the New Orleans Saints with the 24th pick of the first round …

Josh Edwards … The Saints add Shenault to operate underneath Michael Thomas. New Orleans has to know that Drew Brees’ career is coming to an end soon after this season so they look to make a splash while their Super Bowl window remains open.

R. J. White … Shenault is the type of receiver that can let Sean Payton get creative with how he’s deployed, but no matter how he’s used, he’ll help take some pressure off Michael Thomas.

Tom Fornelli … The Saints need somebody else at WR to take the load off Michael Thomas and Shenault might just be the perfect complement.

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March 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Karl Dorrell: From warp speed to “just fast”

From the Daily Camera … Every day that Karl Dorrell shows up to his new office, he marvels at the view outside his window of the Flatirons rising above Folsom Field.

Only for a quick moment, however.

Dorrell hasn’t had much time to do anything outside of work since he was introduced as Colorado’s new head football coach on Feb. 24th.

“It was warp speed early, but now it’s just fast,” Dorrell told Buffzone on Tuesday. “It happened really fast. I’m just really excited. We’re building our staff, we’re hiring people, we’re interviewing our players. There’s a lot of stuff going on, so I’ve been very busy.”

… Dorrell said he’s already individually met with all the players and he’s impressed with their commitment.

“They want to win,” Dorrell said. “Their attitude is great. They’ve had a really good offseason. So, when Mel left to take the new job, they stayed together and had a really good offseason of working and staying together and I told them I was very appreciative of that. We’re going to build up this team with the attitude of trying to be very successful this first season. The staff is going to represent that and dedicate themselves to being great teachers and getting our systems in.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Also … Although the 15-practice spring schedule is still being finalized, Dorrell said there will be some practices open to media and/or fans. “Obviously it’s not going to be open all the time, but we want you guys to come out and see what we do,” he said. … CU will hold its annual pro timing day on March 11 for the 2019 seniors who are looking to play professionally.

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CU recruiting budget 7th in the Pac-12; 8th in Pac-12 AP poll appearances in past five years

From SportsPac-12 … Money Spent on CFB Recruiting by Public Pac-12 Schools in 2019 per @AD_University

• $1.2M—Oregon
• $1.1M—Utah
• $903K—UCLA
• $809K—Washington
• $775K—Colorado
• $765K—Arizona
• $747K—OSU
• $716K—Cal
• $525K—ASU
• $504K—WSU
• *Stanford, USC – Private institutions which don’t report … but rest assured that their recruiting budgets exceed that of CU

Also from SportsPac-12 …

Total Appearances in AP Football Poll in Last 5 Years (with Highest Rank) …

• 54—Washington (4)
• 51—Utah (3)
• 44—Stanford (3)
• 39—Oregon (5)
• 38—USC (3)
• 34—WSU (7)
• 13—UCLA (7)
• 11—Colorado (9)
• 7—ASU (15)
• 7—Cal (15)
• 5—Arizona (16)
• 0—OSU

Rushing Touchdowns in Last 4 Years …

• 1. Oregon, 123
• 2. Washington, 110
• 3. Arizona, 107
• 4. Utah, 104
• 5. ASU, 93
• 6. OSU, 86
• 7. USC, 82
• 8. Colorado, 81
• 9. Stanford, 75
• 10. UCLA, 70
• 11. WSU, 67
• 12. Cal, 62

Opponent Rushing Touchdowns Allowed in Last 4 Years

• 1. Utah, 50
• 2. Washington, 55
• 3. Stanford, 67
• 4. Colorado, 70
• 5. USC, 74
• 6. Oregon, 75
• 7. Cal, 82
• 8. ASU, 88
• 9. WSU, 95
• 10. UCLA, 108
• 11. Arizona, 110
• 12. OSU, 118

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Report: Most of the CU Recruiting Class of 2020 remains in the fold

From Adam Munsterteiger at BuffStampede.com … During the 12-day stretch between Mel Tucker‘s disappearing act and Karl Dorrell‘s arrival in Boulder, Colorado’s highly regarded 2020 recruiting class was in an awkward position. While serving as the Buffaloes’ interim head coach, Darrin Chiaverini and the remaining coaches at CU put in a lot of work to keep those signees patient.

“I have been telling them, ‘You chose CU because you love Boulder. You chose it because you love the University,’” Chiaverini told BuffStampede.com during the transition period. “There are a lot of great people still here in place and we are going to come together, and we are going to build something special together.”

… While building his staff and meeting with Colorado’s current players, Dorrell found time to reach out to each of CU’s 2020 signees individually and the response has been positive for the Buffaloes.

Christian Gonzalez, Caleb Fauria, Jordan Berry, Devin Grant, Toren Pittman, Montana Lemonious-Craig, Keith Miller, Gerad Lichtenhan, Louis Passarello and Jayle Stacks all told BuffStampede.com they were solid with CU last week.

… Continue reading story here …

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March 2nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Third hire of the day … offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue

Link to Rodrigue’s Louisiana bio

From the Daily Camera … Mitch Rodrigue has spent the past two seasons coaching high school football in Alabama, but has more than 25 years of college coaching experience. A graduate of Nicholls State, Rodrigue coached the offensive line for seven years at Louisiana (2011-17) and three years at South Alabama (2008-10).

During a nine-year run at Southern Mississippi (1999-07), he coached offensive line, as well as tight ends and running backs for one season. Prior to Southern Miss, Rodrigue coached at Nicholls State for six years, working as offensive coordinator, as well as line and tight ends coach.

Rodrigue has been a part of teams that earned 14 bowl invitations and he has had several linemen go on to the NFL, including Houston Texans tackle Chris Clark, who played five seasons (2010-14) with the Denver Broncos.

… and more on Demetrice Martin …

Link to Martin’s Arizona bio

Martin, 47, has spent the past two seasons at Arizona, which has revamped its defensive staff. Martin, who has coached the Wildcats’ cornerbacks, was expected to be the only holdover from Arizona’s 2019 defensive staff.

Martin has spent his entire 19-year coaching career in the West, including the last 11 years in the Pac-12. Prior to Arizona, Martin coached six seasons (2012-17) at UCLA, working with the secondary, while adding the title of assistant head coach in his last four years. From 2009-11, Martin coached defensive backs at Washington. He also spent the 2006-07 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Southern California.

Since 2009, defensive backs coached by Martin have collected 20 all-conference honors. A California native, Martin starred at Muir High School in Pasadena before playing receiver and cornerback at Michigan State from 1992-95. He led the Big Ten with seven interceptions in 1994, earning first-team all-conference honors.

… and more on Chris Wilson … 

Wilson, 51, has been a long-time defensive line coach, including from 2000-04 at CU, where he helped the Buffs win three Big 12 North titles during head coach Gary Barnett’s tenure. Most recently, he coached with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-18, helping them to a win in Super Bowl LII, and with the Arizona Cardinals last season.

At CU, Wilson’s group included Justin Bannan, Tyler Brayton, Brandon Dabdoub, Matt McChesney, Gabe Nyenhuis, Sam Wilder and Abraham Wright, who all played in the NFL.

“He’s like a father to me,” McChesney told Buffzone. “Best coach I’ve ever had. He’s going to get the most out of that group. That group consequently has some NFL players on it. I know one thing: those boys are gonna work like they never have in their life. Get ready to be great.”

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Regents approve Karl Dorrell contract, 7-2 (Kroll and Shoemaker – no surprise – vote against)

From the Daily Camera … Karl Dorrell is now officially the new head football coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.

On Monday, the University of Colorado Board of Regents approved the five-year, $18 million contract for Dorrell, who was introduced as head coach on Feb. 24.

Dorrell, 56, becomes the highest paid coach in CU history.

The board voted 7-2, with regents Jack Kroll and Linda Shoemaker voting against the contract.

… Dorrell’s contract runs through Dec. 31, 2024. He is set to make $3.2 million in base and supplemental salary this season, with annual raises of $200,000. He will be paid $4 million in base/supplemental salary in the final year of the contract.

… If Dorrell terminates the contract before Dec. 31 of this year, he would owe CU $10 million. He would owe $7.5 million for terminating the contract before Dec. 31, 2021; $5 million for terminating the contract before Dec. 31, 2022; $4 million for terminating the deal before Dec. 31, 2023; and $3 million for terminating the deal before Dec. 31, 2024.

In addition, the contract includes a salary pool of $3.8 million for the assistant coaches, an increase of $3.2 million under Tucker.

Base/supplemental salary:

2020 – $3,200,000

2021 – $3,400,000

2022 – $3,600,000

2023 – $3,800,000

2024 – $4,000,000

A few of the incentives in Dorrell’s contract:

• $50,000 if football team attains APR rating of 965 after each academic year
• $50,000 if the team wins six games in 2020, and $25,000 for each win after that
• $50,000 if the team wins seven games in the second through fifth years, and $25,000 for each win after that in those years
• $100,000 if the team is invited to a non-New Year’s Day bowl game
• $175,000 if the team is invited to a New Year’s Day Six bowl game
• $450,000 if the team is invited to a College Football Playoff bowl game
• $750,000 if the team wins the national championship
• $25,000 if the team wins the Pac-12 South championship
• $50,000 if the team wins the Pac-12 championship
• $50,000 if Dorrell is selected Pac-12 coach of the year
• $100,000 if Dorrell is selected national coach of the year

… Continue reading story here …

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Background information on CU’s new assistant coaches

From BuffStampede.com …

Demetrice Martin … An all-conference cornerback during his college career at Michigan State, Martin has been coaching defensive backs in the Pac-12 the last 11 years. He served as the cornerbacks coach at Washington from 2009-11, was the defensive backs coach at UCLA from 2012-17, and was the cornerbacks coach in Tucson in 2018 and 2019.

The 47-year old Martin was the primary or secondary recruiter for seven of Arizona’s signees the previous two years, and ranked as their top recruiter last cycle. He spent time recruiting in both California and Texas for the Wildcats.

Chris Wilson … The 51-year old Wilson spent the previous four years as an assistant coach in the NFL, for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cardinals, but prior to that he had many successful stops as a defensive line coach at the college level. He was at USC in 2014 and 2015, at Georgia in 2013, at Mississippi State from 2010-12 and at Oklahoma from 2005-09.

Wilson ranked as the nation’s 10th best recruiter, and the third best in the Pac-12, while on the Trojans’ staff during the 2015 cycle.

… Continue reading story here …

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Report: CU to hire away DB coach from Arizona; bring back a DL coach from the Barnett era

From the Daily Camera … Colorado is taking a secondary coach from a Pac-12 South rival and a defensive line coach from its past.

According to Buffzone sources, CU and new head coach Karl Dorrell are expected to hire Demetrice Martin to coach defensive backs and Chris Wilson to coach the defensive line.

Martin, 47, has spent the past two seasons at Arizona, which has revamped its defensive staff. Martin, who has coached the Wildcats’ cornerbacks, was the only one of Arizona’s defensive assistants not fired during the 2019 season. He was expected to coach the Wildcats’ entire secondary this season.

Wilson, 51, has been a long-time defensive line coach, including from 2000-04 at CU, where he helped the Buffs win three Big 12 North titles during head coach Gary Barnett’s tenure. Most recently, he coached with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-18, helping them to a win in Super Bowl LII, and with the Arizona Cardinals last season.

… Continue reading story here …

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March 1st

… CU in a few minutes … 

Pat Rooney: Dorrell’s best hire to date not Chiaverini, but Summers

From the Daily Camera … The first week in office was a predictably busy one for new Colorado football coach Karl Dorrell.

When the 27th full-time coach in CU Buffs history met the media and CU brass alike at his introductory press conference on Monday, Dorrell said he would move swiftly to fill his staff, including making the tough decisions on which Buffs coaches might be retained from Mel Tucker’s staff.

Dorrell wasn’t kidding. By the end of week No. 1 of the Dorrell era, many of those decisions had been settled. That includes retaining the most important figure from last year’s staff in terms of maintaining some of the momentum the Buffs had gathered by the end of the 2019 season.

That man isn’t Darrin Chiaverini. It’s defensive coordinator Tyson Summers.

While it certainly is a boon for CU’s recruiting efforts that Chiaverini is back in the fold at a program he loves to sell and promote, as well as being the guy best suited to making sure the Buffs’ impressive recruiting class remains intact during the staff transition, it is the retention of Summers that is likely to make the biggest on-field impact for the Buffs.

The Buffs’ defense was a train wreck for much of last season. Roster defections from the previous spring after Tucker took over, combined with some injury issues, presented Summers with a monumental challenge to start his first season in Boulder. Yet much of the enthusiasm garnered by the end of Tucker’s lone season at the helm was due in large part to the work of Summers, who had his defense playing much better down the stretch.

… Continue reading story here ..

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The Light Shines On – CU- Boulder

This video has been posted before, but may be worth a second look in light of how difficult a February the Buff Nation has endured. Time to look forward, and enjoy a great March for CU athletics!

Bill Marolt … “When you preach excellence, it becomes a culture of excellence … What we’re talking about here is community. We’re talking about family. We’re talking about team” …

Set aside 30 minutes of your day to enjoy this video … you won’t be sorry!

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February 29th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Tyler Lytle ready for his chance: “I’ve really grown mentally over the past three years”

From the Daily Camera … Entering his fourth season at CU, Tyler Lytle has thrown just six career passes because he’s been slotted behind Steven Montez since coming to Boulder. Montez never missed a game and rarely missed a play over the last three years, but is now in preparation for the NFL Draft.

Lytle, for the first time, has a real shot at becoming the Buffs’ starter. Going into spring practices, which are slated to start March 16, Lytle and true freshman Brendon Lewis will battle for the job.

“Now it’s wide open,” Lytle said. “It’s for anybody’s taking, so I’ve got to step up as a leader, especially. With the seniors that left last year, there’s a little bit of a hole there (in leadership) and especially as the most senior quarterback, it’s my job to fill it.”

Lytle’s preparation for this moment began years ago.

… Lytle enrolled at CU in January of 2017, barely a month after the Buffs played in the Pac-12 title game. Montez was the clear favorite to be the starter in 2017, won the job and held it for three years. Still, Lytle stayed ready.

“I always came out and gave it my hardest and prepared like I was a starter throughout my first three years,” Lytle said.

To this point, Lytle has had a grand total of two opportunities to throw passes in a game at CU.

… Continue reading story here …

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Report: CU to hire Taylor Embree as tight ends coach

Here is a link to a San Francisco 49ers video of Taylor and his father, Jon, taking about coaching tight ends

DNVR’s Ryan Koenigsberg was the first to report that Taylor Embree will be hired as CU’s tight end coach, replacing Al Pupunu, who served as CU’s tight ends coach in 2019.

From a tweet from Koenigsberg: CU is getting a well-regarded up-and-comer in the coaching world.  Just the other day an NFL coach was telling me that—while Jon is rightfully considered the best TE coach in the NFL—Taylor didn’t get enough credit publicly for the work he did with Kittle and the other SF TEs.

From Embree’s San Francisco 49ers bio:

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Laviska Shenault to have surgery – first round selection in jeopardy

From a tweet from Adam Schefter from ESPN … Colorado WR Laviska Shenault, who has been dealing with core muscle injury and inflammation of the pubic bone, will have surgery that is expected to sideline him 4-6 weeks, per league source. Despite the injury, Shenault ran a 4.55 at the combine. But with no improvement, surgery.

This is contrary to a story from ESPN on February 12th … Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, a top wide receiver in the upcoming NFL draft, has been diagnosed with osteitis pubis — inflammation of the pubic bone — league sources told ESPN.

The diagnosis, found during a visit at Dr. William Meyers’ office in Philadelphia, actually is good news for Shenault, who will not need surgery and hopes to participate in this month’s combine and then at his pro day March 11.

Shenault needs to rest the nagging injury. According to his agent, Damarius Bilbo, “That’s been difficult because of his competitive nature and he has been waiting on this moment.”

League sources were concerned that Shenault suffered a core injury, which also affected him last season at Colorado. Bilbo said he is not worried and believes that, with a little rest, Shenault will have the chance to show NFL evaluators why he deserves to be a top pick.

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February 28th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Graduate transfer linebacker Brendan Pyne enters transfer portal

From the Daily Camera … Brendan Pyne, who enrolled at Colorado last month with plans to join the football team as a walk-on, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

A graduate transfer from Brown, Pyne has one year of eligibility and was planning to play at CU until head coach Mel Tucker left the Buffs for Michigan State earlier this month. Tucker was replaced this week by Karl Dorrell.

“I really like Colorado and think coach (Dorrell) is going to do great here, but I came here for coach Tucker and need to do what’s best for me,” Pyne told Buffzone. “It was hard because I really like the guys here. Colorado and everyone involved in football has been great.”

Pyne said he will finish the semester at CU and hopes to make a decision soon on where he will play next year. Going into the transfer portal does not mean a player has to leave, so it’s possible he could still play at CU if he elects to do that.

A 6-foot, 205-pound linebacker at Brown, Pyne was a three-year starter. He led the Bears in tackles in 2019. Over the last three years, he had 178 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and a sack, along with six pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

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Fan Forum with Karl Dorrell and Rick George set for March 4th

Press release from CUBuffs.com … We would like to invite you to an exclusive Live Telephone Fan Forum with CU football coach Karl Dorrell and Athletic Director Rick George on Wednesday, March 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Joining the call is easy. All you need to do to participate is answer your phone on Wednesday, March 4 a little before 11:30 a.m. and you’ll be automatically connected. Have your questions for Coach Dorrell and Rick George ready!

If you miss the call or don’t get connected for some reason, you can dial 1-877-229-8493 and enter pin 111378 to join the call anytime after 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

We hope you’ll join us for this exciting event!

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Regent Linda Shoemaker back on the warpath

… Be prepared for another grandstanding moment when the Karl Dorrell contract comes up for a vote on Monday … Shoemaker is not running for reelection, but for those of you living in the state of Colorado which have Regent elections coming up, please pay attention to what the candidates are saying … 

From Forbes magazine … Linda Shoemaker, a member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, has been a passionate advocate for education almost her entire life. She was elected to the Colorado Board by the citizens of Colorado, one of only four states in the nation where regents are elected.

She ran from District 2, which is Boulder, Colorado, a place she has called home for 50 years. She freely admits she has what she calls an “outlier opinion” when it comes to athlete safety, particularly when it comes to college football players. On a recent podcast, she told me:

“The university athletic department gives regents football tickets, so we have four tickets and my family was using them. I would go occasionally but for me, in the beginning, it was just social. I enjoyed being with different family and friends, donors and other regents, for sure. But once I started paying attention to the game, I started becoming very concerned. I just do not believe that it can be played safely the way we play it in the PAC 12. So I spent a lot of time talking to people in the athletic department, observing football practices, reading books on football, to try to understand as best I could what was going on.”

… In addition to her concerns about concussions, her comments to her fellow Regents included:

·     A Player’s Bill of Rights;

·     Long Term Health Insurance

·     Six Year Scholarships;

·     Restructuring of Reporting Lines for athletic department medical personnel

She added “I hope that other trustees will wake up more quickly than I did., and start talking about these issues. I was apparently the first Division I trustee to publicly question our football program. It’s so ingrained in the culture that it’s difficult to go against it.”

… Continue reading story here …

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February 27th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Press release: Four assistants to be retained on Dorrell staff (including Chiaverini; Hagan)

Press release from CUBuffs.com …  New University of Colorado head football coach Karl Dorrell announced Thursday morning that he will retain four assistant coaches from the previous Buffalo full-time staff.

Darrin Chiaverini, Darian Hagan, Brian Michalowski and Tyson Summers will all return and become members of Dorrell’s inaugural Colorado staff.   Their exact responsibilities will be determined once the remaining six assistant positions are filled, which Dorrell hopes to conclude sometime early next week.  He is currently researching and interviewing candidates while simultaneously meeting with the 97 players on CU’s roster.

“It’s always important if you can maintain some continuity during a coaching change,” Dorrell said.  “I’ve been around enough college and professional teams where doing so offers some stability.  I had great conversations with all four and while I haven’t determined their exact roles as of yet, I am excited that we share the same goals and vision for the program.  I am excited about all four and am looking forward to working with them.”

On CU’s previous staff under Mel Tucker, Chiaverini was assistant head coach and receivers coach, his fourth year on the CU staff overall, while Hagan was in his fourth year as running backs coach in his second stint as an assistant coach; he also coached the running backs for five years under Dan Hawkins from 2006-10.  Both lettered four seasons for the Buffaloes at the same positions they have gone on to coach.

Summers and Michalowski were in their first years at Colorado, Summers serving as defensive coordinator and safeties coach and Michalowski tutoring the outside linebackers.

Dorrell was named CU’s 27th head football coach last Sunday, replacing Tucker, who accepted the head coach position at Michigan State on Feb. 11.

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February 26th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Two defensive assistants retained; two assistants will not be returning

From the Daily Camera … Under the direction of Tyson Summers, the Colorado defense was vastly improved from the start of the 2019 season to the end.

Summers will get a chance to continue building the Buffaloes’ defense next season.

Buffzone confirmed through  multiple sources Wednesday that Summers and Brian Michalowski will be retained by new head football coach Karl Dorrell, who was hired on Sunday.

Summers will return for a second season as the Buffaloes’ defensive coordinator. He also coached safeties last year, but he might coach inside linebackers next year instead. Michalowski will return for his second season as the Buffs’ outside linebackers coach.

Decisions on receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini and running backs coach Darian Hagan were not final as of Wednesday evening.

Tight ends coach Al Pupunu and cornerbacks coach Travares Tillman will not be retained.

… On Monday, Dorrell didn’t discuss particular coaches he would have on staff, but emphasized the desire to have great teachers on his staff.

“That’s the quality in mind that sticks out, whether it’s the college level or the professional level,” Dorrell said. “I kind of will use my own intuition as to the style of coach I’m looking for as a teacher. I think I have a good background of looking at talent for that and we’re going to build it to make sure that those qualities are in place, whether it’s professionally or from the college level.”

… Read full story here …

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Coach Dorrell on Darrin Chiaverini: “Darrin is fine … He is in the building”

“Darrin is fine,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said during a radio interview with Nate Kreckman and Andy Lindahl on 92.5 FM (which you can listen to here) when asked about the future of assistant coach Darrin Chiaverini .

“He is in the building, so he is excited about where we are heading,” said Dorrell. “We have a great relationship in terms of where we’re heading. He is going to be fine. I don’t think there was any doubt of that.

“I know he had an opportunity to interview (for the head coaching job at Colorado) and I know that as a coach, and his coach, he is going to be here on our offense and be an integral part of our system. And part of my job as the head coach of this program is to promote and develop coaches to get opportunities like I have gotten.

“I am definitely going to continue that progress with him and obviously he’ll continue to do what he has done such a great job of, recruiting and developing players on his own,” Dorrell said of Chiaverini. “So, we’re going to continue to do that with him. And yes, we do plan on doing that with him and most of the people here in the building.”

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Tags: Danny Langsdorf, Karl Dorrell
This post, about the Karl Dorrell Hired game, from the 2020 Season, is filed under Article.
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