COLORADO BUFFALOES TO AIR ON ESPN AND NFL NETWORK THIS SPRING – A QUICK PRIMER

Who said that the Spring isn’t Colorado Buffaloes football season?

Colorado is the only team in the country that will have its Spring Game nationally televised on ESPN. Syracuse Orange, come on down! The much ballyhooed Spring Game (stay tuned to BuffsBlog for more on the game!) will kickoff at 2 pm on April 19th.

Just as improbably, Colorado’s Pro Day will also be nationally televised — this one on the NFL Network. If you had told me 3 years ago that CU’s Spring Game and Pro Day would be nationally televised, I would have told you I’d eaten too many corndogs. Deion Sanders attracts cameras like Nebraska attracts girls that pull tractors.

[As an aside, it looks like ESPN is going to acquire NFL Media, which includes the NFL Network, the RedZone channel, and related assets. This is a terrible development for fans of the NFL Network, as we’re now going to be subjected to Stephen A. Smith or “Mad Dog” Chris Russo screaming at viewers on the NFL Network instead of smart analysis by people like Rich Eisen, Ian Rappaport and Bucky Brooks. I can see the RedZone’s channel’s new tagline — “Now get ready for 7 hours of commercial-laden football!” Not a good development.]

Fans can catch CU’s Pro Day on April 4th at 12:30 mountain time. The NFL Network’s Steve Wyche and Brian Baldinger will host the festivities. Colorado joins Penn State as the two programs feature live reporting on the NFL Network, while ESPN will broadcast Miami, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss pro days.

All 16 of the Buffs’ draft eligible players will be participating in CU’s Pro Day in Boulder, where all 32 NFL teams are likely to be in attendance. The full list of participating athletes, with each of their prior combine numbers set forth, include:

QB Shedeur Sanders. Sanders did not work out at the NFL Combine or the Big 12 Combine.

ATH Travis Hunter. Hunter did not work out at the NFL Combine or the Big 12 Combine.

WR LaJohntay Wester. Wester’s NFL Combine numbers included a 4.46 second 40-yard dash, a 1.53 second 10-yard split, a 32 inch vertical jump and a 10 feet 1 inch broad jump.

WR Jimmy Horn Jr.. Horn’s NFL Combine numbers included a 4.46 second 40-yard dash, a 1.54 second 10-yard split, a 38 inch vertical jump, a 10 feet 8 inch broad jump, and a 4.41 second 20-yard shuttle. Horn’s Big 12 combine day numbers were a 7.32 second 3-cone drill and a 4.3 second shuttle.

WR Will Sheppard. Sheppard will look to improve upon his Big 12 combine day numbers of a 4.59 second 40-yard dash, a 38.5 inch vertical jump (!), a broad jump of 10 feet 6 inches, and a 4.31 second shuttle.

OL Justin Mayers. Mayers did not work out at the Big 12 Combine.

OL Kardell Thomas. Thomas’ Big 12 combine numbers included a 5.27 40-yard dash, a 22 inch vertical jump, 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, an 8.34 second 3-cone drill, and a 5.12 second shuttle.

DL Shane Cokes. The former Dartmouth and CU players put up a 31 inch vertical jump at the Big 12 Combine as well as a 9 feet 4 inch vertical jump.

DL Chidozie Nwankwo. The Block Bully will look to improve upon his Big 12 Combine numbrs of a 5.6 second 40-yard dash, 23 inch vertical jump, 8 feet 1 inch broad jump, 26 reps of 225 pounds on the bench (!), an 8.4 second 3-cone drill and a 4.91 second shuttle.

DE BJ Green II. Green will look to improve upon his Big 12 Combine day numbers of a 4.7 40-yard dash (!), a 30 inch vertical jump, a broad jump of 10 feet 2 inches, a 7.33 second 3-cone drill (!) and a 4.65 second shuttle. These kinds of numbers should get Green drafted this April.

LB LaVonta Bentley. The former Clemson and CU linebacker performed well at the Big 12 combine with a 29.5 inch vertical jump, a 9 feet 2 inch broad jump, 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, a 7.26 second 3-cone drill and a 4.4 second shuttle.

S Shilo Sanders. Sanders did not work out at the Big 12 Combine.

S Cam’ron Silmon-Craig. Simon-Craig did not work out at the Big 12 Combine.

S Travis Jay. The ex-FSU and CU player had a 33 inch vertical jump and 12 reps of 225 pounds on the bench at the Big 12 Combine.

S Herman Smith III. Smith’s numbers at the Big 12 Combine were a 33.5 inch vertical jump and 12 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

P Mark Vassett. Vassett did not work out at the Big 12 Combine.

After not working out at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the whole football world’s eyes will be on Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter before draft season ramps up in mid-April. Sanders will try to show that he’s the best quarterback at the draft, while Hunter will look to prove that he can dominate on both sides of the ball. And I suspect Deion Sanders will find his way onto television sets, as well…..

Relatedly, don’t be shocked if there’s an announcement made about Deion Sanders’ future at Colorado made in conjunction with the Spring Game…..so stay tuned to your trusty TV set this Spring!