FALL CAMP WEEK 1 INTEL:  OMARRION’S BREAKOUT, BYRON’S ARRIVAL AND A NEW OFFENSIVE SCHEME?  

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Who is dumb enough to parse practice videos, social media clips, and press conferences, and touch base with a couple of sources, to bring readers some intel on week 1 of fall camp?

This guy.

It’s a silly exercise to take too much from week 1.  Coaches are rotating players in and out of lineups and guys are playing multiple positions, making it hard to draw firm conclusions this early.  

And while fans can watch practice videos from CU’s state sponsored media (the folks that are admitted to film practice), the videos are intentionally opaque on Xs and Os, scheme, and lineup combinations.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t try, however, to learn something from watching the videos!  But caveat emptor —  nothing is disclosed in the videos that coaches aren’t comfortable being disclosed.

With this as background, I wanted to give you some of my half-witted, half-formed thoughts on the CU football team after the first week of fall practice.  In this post, we’ll first give fall camp practice observations, and then we’ll conclude with some news and notes.  

Camp Observations: Week 1

Here are some observations and nuggets from the first week of fall camp:

Offensive Line Stabilizing (and Supersizing)

The most consistent theme of camp so far is the stability of the first team offensive line, which is a relief after last year’s revolving door offensive line. The starting offensive line through week one of fall camp has been, from right to left:

RT: Larry Johnson, 6’-7”, 350 pounds

RG: Zylon Crisler, 6’-7”, 340 pounds

Center: Zarian McGill, 6’-3”, 320 pounds

LG: Xavier Hill, 6’-4”, 320 pounds

LT:  Jordan Seaton, 6’-5”, 330 pounds

This is the biggest offensive line in CU history. And, critically, Johnson’s emergence at right tackle gives CU the luxury of playing Xavier Hill inside at guard, instead of forcing him out to tackle.

At Pat Shurmur’s press conference on Friday, he had some candid insights on the offensive line. He didn’t mince words about last year’s offensive line play and the overhaul up front. “You can say our most productive offensive lineman last year was Jordan Seaton, and he was a true freshman. Really, the other four guys are gone,” he noted before adding that the newcomers on the offensive line are “simply better than the ones who departed.” It’s unusual for a coach to give flowers to a unit in fall camp, so this is a good sign that the offensive line’s improvement isn’t just fanspeak.

Depth should be better, too. Working with the second group has been (from left to right) Andre Roye Jr. – Yaya Attia – Tyler Brown – Chauncey Gooden – Kareem Harden.  Attia is working at both guard and center.

Also rotating with the 2s are Cooper Lovelace, Aki Ogunbiyi, Carde Smith and Walker Anderson.

CU’s offensive line, through 1 week of fall practice, has been able to establish a running game in practice.  This is notable because CU’s defensive line will be among the best in the Big12 this fall.  

Missing in Action? 

A quick observation on personnel availability: We haven’t seen graduate transfer OL Mana Taimani in any of the practice footage or reports yet. Taimani (6’5”, 340-pound transfer from Ole Miss) was brought in to compete at tackle. Taimani started at right tackle in the spring game, and his absence so far is notable. No official word from CU on this, so it’s just something to monitor. 

Philip Houston, who graded out as one of the team’s highest rated offensive lineman last year per PFF, is still working his way back from injury and we expect that he may challenge Johnson at right tackle once fully healthy.  

Quarterback Pecking Order

The million-dollar question: who’s leading the Kaidon Salter vs. JuJu Lewis quarterback battle? Officially, it’s even and both are getting plenty of reps. Unofficially, from our conversations and scouring of practice clips, it appears Kaidon Salter has gotten more run with the 1s so far. 

Salter’s dual-threat running ability gives him an edge for the opener. When the play breaks down, Salter has shown that he can make something happen with his legs, and coaches have noted how much tougher that makes defending Colorado’s revamped run game. One source told me that Salter’s command in the huddle and experience shows.

To maximize Salter’s ability, CU’s offense is undergoing a scheme change (more on that later).  

This is not meant to take anything away from Lewis. He is accurate and poised, but not as likely to turn a broken play into a 20-yard gain on the ground.  Still, the 17-year old freshman has had his share of highlights, zipping some beautiful passes in tight windows that belie his youth. 

Shurmur has praised both QBs’ intelligence and you can see Lewis learning from mistakes in real-time — his retention play-to-play is excellent. Reading the tea leaves, Salter appears to be your slight clubhouse leader to take the first snap against Georgia Tech.  However, it wouldn’t surprise us if CU doesn’t announce a starter until gametime on August 29^th.  

Offensive Scheme Changes?  

CU’s offense looks quite different this year in terms of scheme and play-calling emphasis. 

Last season, behind a shaky O-line but a wealth of NFL-caliber receivers, the Buffs lived in 10 personnel (4 WRs, 0 TEs) and ran an Air Raid scheme.

This year, with a much-improved offensive line and no record-breaking veteran QB, CU will employ more pre-snap motion, run-pass option (RPO) plays, and zone-read elements to capitalize on Salter’s mobility at QB. 

The DNVR’s Scott Procter noted that Colorado used motion on only 22.5% of offensive plays last season – near the bottom of FBS – while Salter’s former Liberty offense used motion 56.7% of the time. That’s a staggering difference. 

Expect to see more pre-snap motion to get the defense moving, which is designed to open up creases for the running game to exploit.  CU has also shown a lot of zone read in practice, trying to capitalize on Salter’s mobility.

From a formation standpoint, the offense will be much more multiple.  We’ll see more two-back sets in an effort to create a stronger run game.

The Omarrion Ascent

Besides the offensive line, the buzz of camp on offense so far has been Omarion Miller. Quite simply, Miller has looked like an All Big-12 caliber WR through the first week of practice.  In fact, two sources told me they believe he may be CU’s most important player this fall.  Because of CU’s depth at wide receiver, I’m not ready to go that far (I think that player will be DJ McKinney), but it’s very clear that Miller has been fantastic.

He’s the dude right now for CU on offense.  

Not far behind is another impressive newcomer: former five-star Hykeem Williams, who transferred in from Florida State. Hykeem is a 6’3″ athletic marvel who battled injuries during his time in Tallahassee, but he’s turning heads in Boulder. He’s made several acrobatic catches in traffic during team periods and has the look of a big-play weapon once he fully settles in. 

The true freshman to watch is Quentin Gibson, a dynamic 5’9″ burner from Texas. Gibson is already flashing his speed and quickness against college DBs. Coaches have been moving him around the formation, getting him reps in the slot and on jet sweeps – finding ways to use that speed. 

Dre’lon Miller, JoJo Williams and Sincere Brown have also impressed.

Front Seven and Defensive Mix-and-Match

On the defensive side, it’s a bit harder to pin down starters because coaches are rotating a lot and trying out different combinations especially in the front seven. 

That said, the early first team defense in practice has been Arden Walker and Sam Okunlola at edge, Amari McNeill and Anquan Barnes Jr. at tackle, Reggie Hughes and Martavius French at linebacker, DJ McKinney and Teon Parks are cornerback, Preston Hodge at slot, and Carter Stoutmire and Tawfiq Byard at safety

One note:  Teon Parks, the corner transfer from Illinois State, has been very impressive at corner and has probably distanced himself from RJ Johnson and Tyrecus Davis for the starting outside corner spot opposite DJ McKinney.  

Up front, Jaheim Oatis and Tawfiq Thomas have been rotating in with the starters, and Keaton Wade and Quincey Wiggins have rotated in at edge. Jeremiah Brown has also been playing some with the 1s at linebacker.  

Also, DJ McKinney is still CU’s best player this fall.

News and Notes: Week 1

Byron Leftwich Joins the Staff

Deion Sanders made a splash by bringing in former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl-winning Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as a new offensive assistant. Deion Sanders introduced Leftwich at a team meeting this week and lauded his “wealth of knowledge,” predicting Leftwich will be “an intricate part of our success.”   For now, Leftwich is the team’s “quarterback mentor” but his presence adds another sharp offensive mind to the meeting room. 

The interesting subplot here: offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur suddenly has a highly qualified ex-NFL play-caller looking over his shoulder. (Nothing like a little friendly pressure, eh Pat?)

RB Charlie Offerdahl Retires

Running back Charlie Offerdahl announced his medical retirement from football due to multiple concussions. One of the few remaining pre-Sanders era Buffs, Offerdahl worked his way from walk-on to scholarship last year and even notched his first career TD against Utah. He was a core special teamer and a fan favorite thanks to his work ethic. 

Deion Sanders is honoring Offerdahl’s scholarship and even vowed to help him pursue dental school — a genuinely classy move. 

Dre’lon Wants Number One

Sophomore wide receiver Dre’lon Miller has his eye on the coveted #1 jersey. Miller wore #1 in high school (at Silsbee HS in Texas) for deeply personal reasons – after his best friend passed away, his father urged him to switch to #1 as a tribute, and Miller says his life and recruitment changed once he donned that number. 

At Colorado, the #1 has some history (see, e.g., Eric Bieniemy) and Miller isn’t shy about asking for the number.  

“Hopefully, [Coach Prime] gifts it to me during fall camp. I feel like that’ll be a good gift,” he said/ If Miller keeps playing well in camp, don’t be surprised if “Dre for 1” becomes a reality. 

Prime’s Personal Porta-Potty

In perhaps the most on-brand Deion Sanders news of camp, Colorado has installed a custom portable restroom on the practice field for Deion Sanders. Yes, you read that right: Deion Sanders has his own deluxe porta-potty on the sideline. 

Sanders revealed recently that after his summer surgery for bladder cancer, he’s still adjusting to his “new normal” – which includes more frequent bathroom breaks. “I can’t pee like I used to pee,” he admitted candidly, even cracking that he and his infant grandson are on the same schedule now. 

Jokes aside, we’re grateful Coach Prime is cancer-free and healthy, porta-potty and all. As Deion Sanders himself quipped, “Now I depend on Depends… I’m making a joke out of it, but it’s real.” Whatever keeps the head coach comfortable and focused on winning, we’re here for it.