RSSBot
News Junkie
—
Spring Practice Notes
—
March 1st
Media Roundtable notes and quotes …
Only two spring practices will be open to the public
In keeping with a previously established pattern, head coach Mike MacIntyre announced that 13 of the 15 allotted spring practices will be closed to the public. The only two practices which will be open will take place on Friday, March 11th (8:40 – 11:00 a.m.) and the Spring Game on Saturday, April 9th.
The first of CU’s 15 spring practices will be held Wednesday, and as usual the Buffs will have morning practices. Their first spring scrimmage is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, with spring break beginning March 21. Practice will resume on Monday, March 28, with the Spring Game set for Saturday, April 9 (noon, Pac-12 Networks).
The Buffs will work on their lower practice fields for most of the spring, going into the new IPF (indoor practice facility) when weather dictates. That facility opened on Feb. 1.
—
Quarterback Cade Apsay; defensive back Evan White dismissed from team
In what was perhaps the worst kept secret of the spring, quarterback Cade Apsay and safety Evan White are no longer with the team. CU head coach Mike MacIntyre confirmed at the media roundtable that both players were dismissed for violation of team policies.
Also … Conner Center, a junior offensive lineman, will not be returning this fall …
—
Loss of Apsay opens up opportunity for red-shirt freshman Steven Montez
“We’ll have enough arms out there”, said Mike MacIntyre when asked about the lack of available quarterbacks for spring. “The one good thing is that it gives Steven Montez, who hasn’t had as many reps as Jordan and Jaleel at quarterback, he’ll get a lot more reps this spring. He has a bright future . . . he just needs to get some more reps.”
Montez at a glance, according to MacIntyre: “He’s big, athletic and can throw it . . . I hope he moves up the ladder and can be ready to play; we’ll find out as spring goes. Hopefully he makes a big jump within the offense.”
The key for the 6-5, 230-pound Montez, said MacIntyre, is “just getting him repetitions of doing and seeing it and playing in it live . . . he got a little of it as scout teamer in the fall, but this will put him under more scrutiny and pressure out there.”
—
Sefo Liufau progressing, but availability for fall still not a given
From cubuffs.com … Whenever he’s asked from now until August about Sefo Liufau’s status, coach Mike MacIntyre said the report will be the same: “He keeps progressing . . . we expect him to be able to go in August but we’ll see how his foot is.”
That doesn’t mean MacIntyre doesn’t want to be asked about his three-year and incumbent starter, it’s just that complete rehabilitation for Liufau’s Lisfranc (mid-foot) injury is a time-consuming process.
MacIntyre said while progress is noticeable, Liufau told him recently, “My mind is willing to go but my foot is not always willing to go.”
Until mind/foot are on the same page, Liufau won’t be ready, and MacIntyre said the determination of what Liufau is capable of doing will be made early in August camp.
—
Coaching changes on the offensive side of the ball to provide spring intrigue
From cubuffs.com … Former Texas Tech special teams coordinator and receivers coach (and former Buffs wide receiver) Darrin Chiaverini joins the staff as receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator with Brian Lindgren. Darian Hagan is the new running backs coach, while former running backs coach Klayton Adams moves to the offensive line and Gary Bernardi takes over tight ends and fullbacks.
They’ll spend the spring installing the offense and evaluating personnel. It won’t be a complete rewrite of the CU playbook, but it will involve some significant change, as well as some scaling down. The idea will be to play faster, spread the field and get CU’s offensive players in space. It won’t all get installed in the spring, but it will be a good start heading into summer and fall.
“It’s about installing the offense, evaluating the offensive line and the receivers and seeing what we have,” Chiaverini said.
“I don’t think we’ll really know until we get out there and we get eight or nine practices in that we’ll begin to figure out exactly what the best pieces to the puzzle are,” Adams said. “But I do know we want to figure out who are the best five people we can put out there and what spots they should be in.”
—
LB – Travis Talianko – knee – he tore ligaments in conditioning workouts in late July; had surgery on July 28
—
And, in case you missed it … Attrition from last season …
Colorado had 11 seniors entering the 2015 season, but over the course of the year and in the time since, a total of nine other players decided to make the 2015 their last as they were all in position to graduate by this May if not earlier. C Vincent Arvia, OT Ed Caldwell, FB John Finch and WR/H Colin Johnson all decided during early during the 2015 season to play as fourth-year seniors even though they had a year of eligibility remaining.
Since the end of the season, DT Clay Norgard, CB John Walker, DE De’Jon Wilson, CB Yuri Wright, and OT Connor Center all scholarship players, decided to pursue their degrees and pass on their final year of eligibility, as did walk-on DE Garrett Gregory. TE Hayden Jones, also a scholarship sophomore-to-be, has left the team for personal reasons. In addition, two other walk-ons have decided to no longer play, WR Peter Lynch and DL Bryan Wyman.
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...
Spring Practice Notes
—
March 1st
Media Roundtable notes and quotes …
Only two spring practices will be open to the public
In keeping with a previously established pattern, head coach Mike MacIntyre announced that 13 of the 15 allotted spring practices will be closed to the public. The only two practices which will be open will take place on Friday, March 11th (8:40 – 11:00 a.m.) and the Spring Game on Saturday, April 9th.
The first of CU’s 15 spring practices will be held Wednesday, and as usual the Buffs will have morning practices. Their first spring scrimmage is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, with spring break beginning March 21. Practice will resume on Monday, March 28, with the Spring Game set for Saturday, April 9 (noon, Pac-12 Networks).
The Buffs will work on their lower practice fields for most of the spring, going into the new IPF (indoor practice facility) when weather dictates. That facility opened on Feb. 1.
—
Quarterback Cade Apsay; defensive back Evan White dismissed from team
In what was perhaps the worst kept secret of the spring, quarterback Cade Apsay and safety Evan White are no longer with the team. CU head coach Mike MacIntyre confirmed at the media roundtable that both players were dismissed for violation of team policies.
Also … Conner Center, a junior offensive lineman, will not be returning this fall …
—
Loss of Apsay opens up opportunity for red-shirt freshman Steven Montez
“We’ll have enough arms out there”, said Mike MacIntyre when asked about the lack of available quarterbacks for spring. “The one good thing is that it gives Steven Montez, who hasn’t had as many reps as Jordan and Jaleel at quarterback, he’ll get a lot more reps this spring. He has a bright future . . . he just needs to get some more reps.”
Montez at a glance, according to MacIntyre: “He’s big, athletic and can throw it . . . I hope he moves up the ladder and can be ready to play; we’ll find out as spring goes. Hopefully he makes a big jump within the offense.”
The key for the 6-5, 230-pound Montez, said MacIntyre, is “just getting him repetitions of doing and seeing it and playing in it live . . . he got a little of it as scout teamer in the fall, but this will put him under more scrutiny and pressure out there.”
—
Sefo Liufau progressing, but availability for fall still not a given
From cubuffs.com … Whenever he’s asked from now until August about Sefo Liufau’s status, coach Mike MacIntyre said the report will be the same: “He keeps progressing . . . we expect him to be able to go in August but we’ll see how his foot is.”
That doesn’t mean MacIntyre doesn’t want to be asked about his three-year and incumbent starter, it’s just that complete rehabilitation for Liufau’s Lisfranc (mid-foot) injury is a time-consuming process.
MacIntyre said while progress is noticeable, Liufau told him recently, “My mind is willing to go but my foot is not always willing to go.”
Until mind/foot are on the same page, Liufau won’t be ready, and MacIntyre said the determination of what Liufau is capable of doing will be made early in August camp.
—
Coaching changes on the offensive side of the ball to provide spring intrigue
From cubuffs.com … Former Texas Tech special teams coordinator and receivers coach (and former Buffs wide receiver) Darrin Chiaverini joins the staff as receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator with Brian Lindgren. Darian Hagan is the new running backs coach, while former running backs coach Klayton Adams moves to the offensive line and Gary Bernardi takes over tight ends and fullbacks.
They’ll spend the spring installing the offense and evaluating personnel. It won’t be a complete rewrite of the CU playbook, but it will involve some significant change, as well as some scaling down. The idea will be to play faster, spread the field and get CU’s offensive players in space. It won’t all get installed in the spring, but it will be a good start heading into summer and fall.
“It’s about installing the offense, evaluating the offensive line and the receivers and seeing what we have,” Chiaverini said.
“I don’t think we’ll really know until we get out there and we get eight or nine practices in that we’ll begin to figure out exactly what the best pieces to the puzzle are,” Adams said. “But I do know we want to figure out who are the best five people we can put out there and what spots they should be in.”
—
Injury Report
Below is the list of CU’s injured players, and their status for spring practices.
Players who are a “Full Go”:
TB – Michael Adkins – hamstring – suffered a severe pulled hamstring in the Colorado State game and missed the remainder of the season
FS – Ryan Moeller – assorted – injured in a vehicular accident (riding on a moped that was hit by a car) on Oct. 19; missed the remainder of the season
Players who will miss all of spring practices:
ILB – Addison Gillam – knee – suffered a torn meniscus against Massachusetts (Sept. 12); underwent an arthroscope but needed additional surgery
OLB – Terran Hasselbach – shoulder – surgery to mend to an old injury
DE – Tyler Henington – ankle/leg – suffered dislocation/fracture when accidentally stepping in a hole walking home (July 25); had surgery on July 26
OT – Jeromy Irwin – knee – he suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter against Massachusetts; underwent surgery in late September
QB – Sefo Liufau – foot – suffered a Lisfranc (ligament/bone) injury in his foot against USC (Nov. 13); had surgery Nov. 20; 6-8 month rehab
DL – Blake Robbins – shoulder had postseason surgery on a chronic injury
LB – Travis Talianko – knee – he tore ligaments in conditioning workouts in late July; had surgery on July 28
—
And, in case you missed it … Attrition from last season …
Colorado had 11 seniors entering the 2015 season, but over the course of the year and in the time since, a total of nine other players decided to make the 2015 their last as they were all in position to graduate by this May if not earlier. C Vincent Arvia, OT Ed Caldwell, FB John Finch and WR/H Colin Johnson all decided during early during the 2015 season to play as fourth-year seniors even though they had a year of eligibility remaining.
Since the end of the season, DT Clay Norgard, CB John Walker, DE De’Jon Wilson, CB Yuri Wright, and OT Connor Center all scholarship players, decided to pursue their degrees and pass on their final year of eligibility, as did walk-on DE Garrett Gregory. TE Hayden Jones, also a scholarship sophomore-to-be, has left the team for personal reasons. In addition, two other walk-ons have decided to no longer play, WR Peter Lynch and DL Bryan Wyman.
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...