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In-Depth Depth Chart – Wide Receivers
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… Previously posted … Quarterbacks … Running backs …
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Wide Receivers …
Fall “Pencil” Depth Chart:
X
1. Kabion Ento, Sr., OR Laviska Shenault, Soph.
3. Daniel Arias, Fr.
4. Erik Lawson, Soph.
Z
1. Juwann Winfree, Sr.
2. Tony Brown, Jr.
3. Dylan Thomas, Fr.
4. Curtis Chiaverini, R-Fr.
H
1. Jay MacIntyre, Sr.
2. KD Nixon, Soph.
3. Maurice Bell, R-Fr., OR Jaylon Jackson, R-Fr.
5. Dimitri Stanley, Fr.
Y (when in four-wide sets)
1. Jay MacIntyre, Sr.
2. Jaylon Jackson, R-Fr.
3. Curtis Chiaverini, R-Fr.
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By the Numbers (2017):
— Jay MacIntyre … 28 receptions for 396 yards, two touchdowns
— Juwann Winfree … 21 receptions for 325 yards, one touchdown
— Laviska Shenault … seven catches for 168 yards
— K.D. Nixon … two receptions for 17 yards
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Reasons to be excited:
— National pundits don’t know what we know about the CU wide receiver corps
It’s true that Colorado graduated three wide receivers, with all three – Bryce Bobo, Shay Fields, and Devin Ross – finishing their careers in the top eight in receptions in CU history.
The trio also led the team in receptions last fall, collecting 151 of the 244 completed passes in 2017.
The Buffs’ leading returning receiver is the coach’s son, Jay MacIntyre, who had 28 receptions for 396 yards and two touchdowns.
Throw in an inconsistent quarterback, an ineffective offensive line, and the loss of all-everything back Phillip Lindsay …
… and you can see why little is expected from the Colorado wide receiver corps in 2018.
Yea, but …
… the Buff Nation knows better.
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Remember this resume? … Four-star recruit … coached by former Buff quarterback Mike Moschetti in high school … played in 24 games as a freshman and sophomore, working with Darrin Chiaverini …
Allow me to reintroduce you Texas Tech transfer Tony Brown, who will play as a junior this fall after sitting out his transfer year.
“I feel comfortable with him, he feels comfortable with me,” Brown said of his offensive coordinator and position coach, Darrin Chiaverini, who coached him in Lubbock. “We’ve been working on that connection.
“I wanted a better chance to make plays. Especially with coach Chev leaving (Tech), I didn’t really get to see the field that much. I feel a lot better here.”
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Remember this resume? … CU beat out pass-happy schools like Washington State and Texas Tech for this Texas star. Injuries, though, cost him time in high school. A broken ankle last August 5th brought about a red-shirt season.
Allow me to reintroduce to Jaylon Jackson. “I feel like I’m confident because I know I’ve been grinding and working out. I’ve been working out with Juwann (Winfree) and KD (Nixon), doing extra stuff on the side,” said Jackson. “I’m ready to just put it out on the field; put it in the game, in practice. I’m really interested to get back on the field.”
“I’m excited about Jaylon,” CU co-offensive coordinator Chiaverini said. “He’s healthy and making plays. We’re seeing now what he’s capable of doing.”
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Remember this resume? … Four-star recruit … CU beat out over a dozen Power-Five conference schools for the 42nd-best wide receiver recruit in the nation.
Allow me to reintroduce you to Texas star wideout K.D. Nixon. Playing as a true freshman, Nixon ranked second on the roster in special team points. His 23.7 yards per kickoff return were a team-best … but Nixon had only two catches at wide receiver last fall.
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What do these three potential stars – Tony Brown, Jaylon Jackson and K.D. Nixon – have in common? All three – celebrated recruits when they signed with the Buffs … are all backups as Colorado heads into the 2018 season.
That’s how deep the Colorado wide receiver roster is this fall. The Buffs are losing three of the top ten receivers in program history, and yet have a number of high-profile recruits who are still trying to crack the starting lineup.
A nice problem to have …
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— Captain, my Captain
The Buff players selected seven captains this summer, with three of them being wide receivers.
Seniors Jay MacIntyre, Kabion Ento and Juwann Winfree all went through a unique selection process, which has been the same for all of Mike MacIntyre’s six years in Boulder. MacIntyre explains in advance to the team what the desired criteria is for someone to be nominated for a team captain. The players then have a few days to consider who they want to nominate, and then in a full team meeting among themselves with no coaches present, they nominate and then visually vote on which teammates will be named a captain.
Three wide receivers – three senior wide receivers – made the cut.
“I’m excited about the guys who they elected to be the captains for the 2018 Buffaloes,” MacIntyre said. “Their teammates did a great job in picking them out. This is something the players have always taken seriously, and this year they deliberated for 45 minutes. I actually told them four-to-six captains is an optimum number, and they asked if we could have seven, which is fine since they felt that strongly about this group. They’re going to do a great job and I’m really pleased with the players that they elected.”
I would imagine it is a safe bet that no other team in the country has three wide receiver captains.
Kabion Ento, Juwann Winfree and Jay MacIntyre are all currently listed as starters at wide receivers.
Leaders on and off the field …
— Two words: Laviska Shenault
That’s it.
This guy is special. I cannot wait to see what he will produce on the field this fall.
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Reasons for concern:
— Maybe, just maybe, the experts are right
Last season, Athlon rated the Colorado wide receiver unit as the best in the Pac-12; the 5th-best wide receiver corps in the entire nation.
In its 2018 Pac-12 preview, Athlon rated the Colorado wide receiver crew 9th-best … in the Pac-12.
It isn’t hard to see why.
The 2018 Colorado offense was a disappointment, and the wide receivers were not immune from criticism. The three seniors had put up impressive career numbers, but “resting on their laurels” from 2016 was a common lament.
Now, the three seniors are gone, taking with them most of the experience the wide receivers had to offer.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
If the Buff coaches couldn’t get production out of three proven quantities, how can Buff fans reasonably get excited about a bunch of unproven names known to few outside of Boulder?
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Bottom Line … Co-offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach Darrin Chiaverini has recruited his position well.
Very well.
Juwann Winfree … Kabion Ento … Laviska Shenault … K.D. Nixon … Jaylon Jackson …
Colorado has brought in some highly rated recruits over the past few seasons, and now is their time to shine.
If not now – when?
“We have so many receivers with so much talent, every day is competitive,” said Jaylon Jackson. “Every time you go out there, you think about how you can beat the guy across from you. You have to do something better, do something to make yourself stand out. It makes for great practice and it’s going to carry over to games.”
“We have a lot of deep threats and we have a lot of good players,” Tony Brown said. “We’re out there making plays. It’s what we’re supposed to do as receivers.”
Yes. It’s what they are supposed to do.
It’s time for them to do it.
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10 Replies to “In-Depth Depth Chart – Wide Receivers”
This season, I predict JMac’s productivity will be his best since with the Buffs and he will get a chance to go to an NFL camp; one way or another. He’s healthy, smart, a worker and a leader on the team…
Yea, despite some who think they know better, he will turn heads after playing hurt all of last season.
Well okay then. Appears you know better eh?
Congrats.
Buffs.
Note: May yur predictions come true.
Note 2: Well there ya go. All that talent on the bench and they played the coaches son even though he was hurt. Shocking don’t ya know. Your dream may come true if the same rules apply this year.
Note 3. He is a good kid ya know eh?
Note 4. Productivity. Please provide his productivity list. Include catches. Results of the catch. YAK, Targeted, Drops etc etc. It just appears to me that the continual harping on his productivity may be in the “unintentional stretch the truth” category.
To me, this was the best thing I’ve heard out of the receiving corps so far (from Chase Howell at BuffStampede https://247sports.com/college/colorado/Article/Juwann-Winfrees-Work-Ethic-has-Taken-Montez-to-the-Street-120448279/): “Everyday is a day to get better,” Winfree said. “So me and (Montez), we worked in here everyday. I told him my goal is to be the best receiver I could be. I just made sure, I stressed to him that I wanna be the best at what I do and I needed his commitment. I’m gonna give me 100 percent, I just needed his 100.”
And, it seems Montez, as well as the other WRs and offense in general (as well as defense, and entire team?) may be on that same page.
That was a key missing ingredient last year, as has been covered ad nauseam. Some kids w/ natural talent thought they could coast with that. They know better, now.
Cannot wait to see them in action.
When is August 31st? Heck, I realized, if I get really crazy, there’s actually some college football the week prior. Might have to see a bit of that CSU HI game.
Go Buffs!
Not trying to pick on anyone, especially Winfree but if Shenault isn’t starting in front of Ento he should probably be top man in one of the other positions
I think – but obviously have no idea – that Chev may be a believer in platooning guys, like a line change in hockey.
Some offensive guys don’t like that b/c they feel it shows a few cards to the defense b/c guys generally aren’t that interchangeable. With the depth they’ve got though, not sure it’ll matter.
You’ve got Winfree/Shenault as the beasts; Ento/Brown as the long, lean dudes who can jump; Nixon/Jackson/Mac as the shiftier slot type guys. Then there’s the incoming dudes. They could almost be interchangeable.
We’ll see.
Go Buffs
Yup EP don’t be offending anyone.
It is kinda weird. Coaches son starter at 2 different positions. Now it is just the pencil version. Lotta hype going on. Heck maybe he is faster, quicker, working harder this year blah blah bleep bleep.
Slidding up to Folsom Sat Morning…………….If I remember that is….
Buffs.
Note: And in his latest most glorious self-analysis moment, from the depth of his being, uttered publicly for all to see (The truth will set you free)…………The truthful and heartbreaking personal words of Earache of Cali.
“I think – but obviously have no idea -“
LaVark,
For a guy who says he doesn’t like to pick on players, you sure do like to pick on players you don’t like. I think, and I know that to be true. What’s more hilarious, and hypocritical of you, is that J-Mac has done nothing but make plays for this team. You’re an odd dude, dude.
As to Chev’s preferences about his rotations? Yeah, I have no idea about those. And, unlike you, I don’t pretend to know either.
Go Buffs.
Ha hoggywashy.
Yup lil mac is a fine individual and may be a great coach like his grandfather before him. And he has made a few plays. Emphasis on few. I hope he can improve on that this year.
The Stats, and you can look them up, says lil mac is a midland player. Which corresponds to most the the recruits in his time and was a late add as well.
Anyway.
No stink and lilmac nor should there be.
Expectations met.
Buffarino
Note: Yo Earache of the vault……knowledge is not your best strength. But in this case your “all out there to see quote” was admirable……cause you know.
Atta boy LaVark. You’re going to cling to that comment I made, knowing you would, like a baby to their passy. Classic.
Nevertheless, i stand by it. I make no pretense. I don’t claim to know what Chev, or any coach, has planned and why. They know way more about football, and this team in particular, than I do. Even the grad assistants. I will be interested to see if the wide receivers are platooned, substituted individually, never subbed at all, etc. I won’t be surprised if they are platooned though.
You? Keep on pretending.
Go Buffs.
Tough being on the “not know” line for you.
Predictability………..you and lindylu.
There will be/is a bigger change in the offense structure, design, plan, plays, play calling, adjustments than what you like to believe. This just ain’t no few tweaks as you and other “not know” babble about.
This is FOLSOM FIRE BUD.
And it ain’t just about the speed.
Uncommon Buffs