Spring Practices

Mark Emmert stepping down as NCAA President … Paul Finebaum: “College football as we know it is on its last breath” … USA Today Pac-12 Power Rankings (CU has work to do) … Big Ten negotiating with multiple networks over TV rights – $1 billion deal expected …

Neill Woelk: Spring Practices, 2021, checked all the boxes … **Video – Colorado Spring Showcase Highlights** … Karl Dorrell: “I was encouraged by the whole body of work this spring” … Spring Game Stats (for what their worth) … **Post Spring Showcase video interviews** …

David Shaw on Pac-12’s showing in NFL Draft: “This COVID thing really impacted our conference more than any other conference” … Colorado one 12 states which did not produce a single NFL Draft pick in 2021 … William Sherman: “I’m fired up … I’m very thankful that they picked me up” …

Karl Dorrell’s first spring practices are in the books … What are the takeaways from the CU Spring Showcase? … In addition: The latest on the search for a new Pac-12 commissioner, and whether the Pac-12 needs playoff expansion in order to be relevant on the national scene …

It was a beautiful morning in Boulder, and the Buffs entertained the 1,000 fans on hand … The award of scholarships was a nice touch (but another tight end?) … And the way CU handled scheduling the game – and how tickets were handled – left something to be desired …

Darrin Chiaverini: “Brendon Lewis is dynamic. He’s got a really, really high ceiling” … William Sherman signs his rookie contract with New England … Dorrell high on receiver corps: “I think that group has some talent. It just needs to continue to come forward” … “Did CU’s 2001 upset of Nebraska start the dismantling of the Huskers dynasty? ‘It all went downhill from there’ ” … CU President Mark Kennedy steps down …

**Video: George Kliavkoff’s Introductory Press Conference** … Pac-12 Press Release, introducing Kliavkoff … ESPN: Nate Landman one of the “old-school” linebackers adjusting to newer game … NCAA President: Action on NIL needed by July 1st (before all Hell breaks loose) … Paul Finebaum: Nebraska fans “delusional” – “Say a prayer to this program and put it to bed because it’s not coming back” …

CU’s defense has got the best of it this spring: “I think we’re all solid enough in our technique and our fundamentals that we’re pretty confident that we’re not going to let them into the end zone” … Defensive line improving: “All of those guys are getting so much better” …

On QB J.T. Shrout: “He’s a really smart quarterback, and that’s helping him” … Running backs in the passing game: “We do have some featured plays for the back where he’s the first read” … CU supplements roster with a new tight end and a transfer offensive lineman …

What do you do when you already have 12 tight ends and an over-the-scholarship limit roster? Sign a two-star tight end with no P-5 offers … Such is CU under Karl Dorrell, a man with a plan. Buff fans might not always understand the plan, but Dorrell’s vision may just lead CU to the promised land …

The Buffs are over halfway through Spring practices – what has stood out from the quotable quotes from the coaches and players? … Also, a discussion on the extension of the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and questions from the CU at the Game Mailbag …

Quotable Quotes: On DL Janaz Jordan: “He fits our personnel. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s athletic” … On DL Nate Landman: “He’s going to be ready for fall for sure” … On CB Christian Gonzalez: “He’s going to be one of those corners that can handle his own and not really have much safety help” …

Two weeks into spring practices, there have been plenty of quotes to digest … How is the quarterback race playing out? (“We want to give them all a chance”) … Nice to hear that La’Vontae Shenault is doing well … Injuries are limiting offensive line play (“just enough for a two-deep, but it’s a good two-deep”) …

Update: Washington joins Arizona in opening practices to fans … Arizona coach Jedd Fisch opens practices (“I’d rather you see what’s going on than hear it from somebody else”) – Any reason CU shouldn’t follow suit? … Actions taken by blue bloods Kansas and Arizona clear signs that they don’t care about integrity …

Who will step up along the defensive line? … With Nate Landman out until fall, which linebackers will step up and show they belong on the field to complement Carson Wells? … There are starters returning in the secondary – but is there quality depth? …

With Sam Noyer out, the QB battle this spring will be between a transfer sophomore (J.T. Shrout), a second-year freshman (Brendon Lewis), and a true freshman (Drew Carter) … Who will emerge as the primary contender to incumbent Sam Noyer? …

Remember Alex Fontenot? CU’s leading rusher in 2019 (874 yards; five touchdowns) will be looking to do battle with Jarek Broussard, the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player-of-the-Year … Will this be a make-or-break spring for sophomores Joe Davis and Deion Smith? ….

The wide receiver corps at CU has annually been among the most talented and deepest on the roster … With the defection of K.D. Nixon and the undetermined status of La’Vontae Shenault, however, there are now concerns about who will be the starters in September …

Buffs not lacking for spring practice questions: Who will emerge as the primary challenger to Sam Noyer? … Is the wide receiver room not as deep as we thought? … Will this – finally – be the year of the tight end at CU? …

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: This might be the year that CU effectively uses its tight ends … True, the tight ends produced only ten catches in 2020 (five by walk-ons), but a health Russell and a talented room may make a real contribution this fall …

CU’s 2021 fall schedule is finally known – some initial thoughts … How much McKinley Wright has meant to CU? Tad Boyle: “McKinley Wright is going to go down as one of the greatest players in Colorado history” … Here are some of Kin-Kin’s numbers …

The “big uglies” paved the way to CU being ranked 23rd in the nation in 2020, and all of the starters except for NFL-bound Will Sherman return … How well offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue shuffles the deck to create the best starting five possible will be one of the stories worth watching this spring …

Had Mustafa Johnson decided to return (as his head coach initially indicated), the defensive line may have been considered a strength … As it is, CU will need this spring to develop a unit deep in talent, but not experience …

IF Nate Landman can make a full recovery, and IF transfers Jack Lamb and Robert Barnes turn out to be four-star players, the CU linebacker corps could be a strength this fall … This spring, however, will be all about the remaining players on the roster not named Carson Wells showing that they can play at the Pac-12 level if CU needs a Plan B …

The good news? CU has five defensive backs returning with ample starting experience … The bad news? CU ranked 71st in pass defense in 2020, with only four interceptions … Will new pass game coordinator Brett Maxie make a difference? …

CU’s special teams were ranked in the bottom half nationally in most categories, which should merit attention in Karl Dorrell’s first spring practices … Incumbents returning at both kicker (Evan Price – 5/6 FG’s) and punter (Josh Watts – 40.89 yds/punt) …