Spring Practices

BONUS! … R.J. Sneed II led Baylor in receiving in 2020, and was second on the team in 2021. Rather than return to the defending Big 12 champions, R.J. transferred to CU for his final season … What led RJ to Boulder? … What are his expectations, both personally, and for the team for this fall? … Let’s find out …

All in all done … With this Sunday’s posting of the interview with redshirt freshman tight end Caleb Fauria, the 20 NIL podcast interviews have been conducted … Thanks to you, and your donation of $10,000 in three days in February, it has been a great opportunity to get to better know your Buffs …

Caleb Fauria is a CU legacy, with his father, Christian Fauria (1991-94) a CU legend … Caleb, though, wants his own legacy, having been recruited by Power Five schools across the nation … What does Caleb think of his new position coach (and passing game coordinator) Clay Patterson? … Let’s find out …

Already a CU record holder as a special teams performer, senior wide receiver Daniel Arias has his sights set higher in 2022 (1,500 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns) … Born in the Dominican Republic, Arias has overcome hardship to become not only a starting wide receiver at CU, but the first in his family with a college degree …

In 2021, Cole Becker connected on three field goal attempts of over 50 yards, the most since CU legend Mason Crosby in 2005 … Still, despite setting a freshman field goal record (56 yards) and becoming just the third freshman kicker to lead the team in scoring, Becker almost lost his job in Week Four … What happened next? Let’s find out …

Nikko Reed made a name for himself as a true freshman, with a game-saving interception against Washington and a 100-yard kickoff return against Utah … What was it like losing three starters in the secondary (and his position coach)? … What does Reed have to say about his new position coach, Rod Chance? (“He tells us the truth”) …

Grant was thrust into the starting lineup late in 2021, and responded with an eight-touchdown performance against Utah … What is it like for the outside linebackers, transitioning to a 4-3 defense? … What is the attitude in the CU locker room about NIL, the Transfer Portal, and the dire predictions for CU’s season? … Let’s find out …

Is it possible to be 6’6″, 320-pounds in high school – and be overlooked? … Jalen Sami came to CU from Colorado Springs as a grey-shirt, but has been making plays on the field since 2019 … What makes Sami believe that he and his Buff teammates will “shock the world” this fall? … Let’s find out …

How did the firing of Mitch Rodrigue alter the mindset of the CU offensive line last fall? … What has new offensive line coach Kyle DeVan brought to the unit? … How has the unit gelled in the face of adversity? … And will Jake get in on a tackle eligible play near the goal line this fall? … Let’s find out …

Buffs with the best chances to be drafted in 2023 … Mustafa Johnson to join Nate Landman in efforts to make Atlanta Falcons roster … Pac-12 Draft Totals lowest since conference was formed … Nate Landman and Carson Wells land free agent contracts … Ten Power 5 teams with zero NFL Draft Picks …

Deion Smith is ready to show the Buff Nation what No. 20 can do … Was the Spring Showcase vanilla? (“You can count on one hand the number of plays we ran that day”) … What did Deion discover when investigating NIL at CU for a class project? … Let’s find out …

In switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3, the CU defensive line may have gone from a liability to a strength … The linebacker corps picked up a much-needed experienced leader in Josh Chandler-Semedo … Will the defensive backfield be able to secure a similar experienced safety to fill the biggest remaining hole in the defense? …

The Buff offense continues to be a work-in-progress for new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford … Is Brendon Lewis the presumptive starter at QB? … Will Ramon Jefferson be expected to be the Day One starter at RB? … Which of the remaining receivers will make Buff fans forget Rice, Shenault, and Stanley? …

CU’s defense dominated the 65-play controlled scrimmage, but Buffs on both sides of the ball had their moments … A unit-by-unit review of the Spring Showcase, along with an overall assessment of CU’s 15-spring practices, 2022 …

Competitive spirit a plus for Buffs: “They just want to compete and get better and win games” … CU Spring missions accomplished: “I like how our team has matured at this point” … Defense shines in Showcase: “We have good depth and good experience, some young talent that’s really going to help us play at a high level” …

“(The 4-3 defense) a natural fit for the guys that we have on our team. It fits our strengths of what we do” … LB Guy Thomas: “I think I’m just as fast. I believe that my speed didn’t go anywhere. I’m only getting better” … Rod Chance on CB’s: “It’s good to see those guys and the best thing about them, they show up with a growth mindset each day – hungry for coaching, never turn it away” …

A compilation of notes and quotes from each unit on the offense … “Brendon Lewis is playing at a really high level right now” … RB Deion Smith: “It’s my turn and it’s my turn to show y’all that I’m next” … OC Mike Sanford: “I think the area that I’m really, really pleased with has been the receiver growth” …

CU’s Recruiting Class of 2023 is currently the highest-ranked in the Pac-12, and in the Top Ten in the nation … But … based on any realistic metric, we know that this Class is not a Top Ten Class … Which begs the questions: In the current state of college football, why isn’t CU Recruiting better? Why isn’t CU doing better in the Transfer Portal? …

Senior WR Jaylon Jackson has overcome four season-ending injuries since high school to be named an All-Pac-12 Special Teams performer and a team captain … Hear his insights on CU’s wide receiver room, and how he gushes about the new OC Mike Sanford: “I wish they had been here 2-3 years ago” …

There had been only three CU women’s basketball players to make the Pac-12 All-Defensive team, and only three Buffs to make the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, but in the 2021-22 season, Kindyll Wetta joined both of those lists … What was it like being an integral part of CU’s first NCAA team since 2013? … Let’s find out …

This week, I am completing my personal trifecta for golf tournaments, adding Augusta National to my trips to St. Andrews and Pebble Beach … From the pimento sandwiches to the potential $8,500 “fine” for losing a badge, it’s been a memorable trip to the hallowed grounds of The Masters …

CU ranked 90th or worse nationally in almost every major defensive category, and has lost six starters … Can the five senior defensive linemen make a difference? … Can Quinn Perry and Robert Barnes become CU’s next dominant linebackers? … Will CU need the Transfer Portal to fill holes in the secondary? … Let’s find out …

The CU secondary was supposed to be a strength in 2022, with all four starters back … but three starters left, leaving senior safety Isaiah Lewis, CU’s leading tackler in 2021, to lead a group of talented – but inexperienced – defensive backs … What is like to be the last man standing? … Let’s find out …

The CU offense in 2021 was better than 100th nationally in only one major category (and that was 98th in rushing) … Is Brendon Lewis the presumptive 2022 starter? … Can the RB and WR rooms overcome Transfer Portal defections? … Can new OL coach Kyle DeVan piece together a respectable offensive line? … Let’s find out …

If Gonzalez, Perry and Blackmon had returned, CU’s defensive backfield would have been a strength … Instead, it’s Isaiah Lewis and a bunch of question marks … Will CU’s talented – but inexperienced – defensive backs make a statement, or will CU be forced to rely on post-spring transfers to fill the void? …

Nate Landman and Carson Wells are gone, but there is still plenty of experience – including five seniors – in the linebacker room … Will this be the year that the Transfer Portal pays off for the Buffs? … Will the Buffs win one (or more) for inside linebackers coach Mark Smith? …

While new defensive line coach Gerald Chatman may still be finding his way around the Champions Center, the same shouldn’t be said for CU’s six defensive line upperclassmen … Can the Buffs create a quality rotation which will improve on CU’s 2021 stats, or will CU need the Transfer Portal to add quality depth? …

One of the most popular players on the team, senior tight end Brady Russell hasn’t forgotten his start as a walk-on … A leader on and off the field, Russell talks about CU’s new coaches, the Buff locker room after transfer losses, and the inside joke in the tight end room represented by the “pinkie high five” …

Familiar names – Rice, Stanley, and Shenault – are gone, but there is still talent in the WR and TE rooms … Will Baylor transfer RJ Sneed make Buff fans forget Brenden Rice? … Will this be the year (stop me if you’ve heard this before) that CU uses the tight end position as a weapon in the offense? …

Alex Fontenot was CU’s leading rusher in 2019, but an injury in 2020 paved the way for Jarek Broussard to become the Pac-12 Offensive POTY in 2020 … Broussard (and Ashaad Clayton) are gone … Are the three returning backs ready to stake their claims for carries in 2022, or will Ramon Jefferson take over this fall? …

Spring practices open March 31st … Burning questions at quarterback: Is the job Brendon Lewis’ to lose? … Will J.T. Shrout be a “full go”, ready to challenge? … Will Maddox Kopp be a surprise contender to start? … Will Oakie Salave’a be given a full audition to stay on the offensive side of the ball? …

Robert Barnes had ten tackles, an INT, and a fumble recovery against Washington, a harbinger of things to come? … Barnes, an Oklahoma transfer, was asked to talk to the team about the Transfer Portal – what did he say? … Why is Barnes so positive about the CU locker room? … Let’s find out …

Has there been a better Senior Night than CU’s 79-63 win over No. 2 Arizona? … What was it like for Evan to not only miss out on his senior year of high school, but his freshman year at CU? … Why is Evan reluctant to consider himself “The Mayor of Boulder”? … What was Evan’s reaction when Tad Boyle offered him a job? … Let’s find out …

An early enrollee, quarterback Brendon Lewis lost his head coach a month after arriving in Boulder from Melissa, Texas … What was it like adjusting a new coaching staff in a COVID year? … What were his favorite plays of last season? … What are Brendon’s thoughts on his new OC, Mike Sanford? … Let’s find out …

(Thought I would bump this up after KJ’s 13-point effort against No. 2 Arizona) … A year ago, KJ Simpson was an all-state high school star, averaging almost a triple-double per game … A four-star recruit in one of Tad Boyle’s highest-rated recruiting classes, KJ is seeing more playing time as fellow Buffs are sidelined for the season …

A sixth-year senior, Lang has seen it all … A member of the CU Recruiting Class, one of the highest-rated for CU since joining the Pac-12 … Three coaching staffs in three years (2018-20) … Lang is a recognized leader, both by his coaches and his peers … How does Lang see the 2022 season unfolding? … Let’s find out …

Reese comes to CU from Bakersfield, California, with a unique recruiting story and a long list of accomplishments … A business marketing sophomore, Reese talks about a day-in-the-life for an Olympic sport athlete, the different events she runs in the indoor and outdoor seasons, and her job in the Champions Center …

Alabama graduate transfer offensive lineman Tommy Brown joins the Buffs with two years of eligibility remaining … What was it like to be a four-star recruit? What was it like to participate in the Transfer Portal? … And what has Brown found at CU that has him excited about being a Buff? … Let’s find out …

Thanks to your contributions, the CU at the Game NIL Campaign is off and running! … First interview: Sophomore wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig … Lemonious-Craig discusses his recruitment, his new coaches, and his outlook for the 2022 campaign …