Karl Dorrell joined reporters following the Buffaloes' first spring practice Monday afternoon.

From here through the end of April, Colorado will practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, with a total of four scrimmages, or "spring showcases," as CU lists them, sprinkled in between on April 9, 16, 23 and 30 (all Fridays).

For Dorrell, who memorably was hired at Colorado just a few weeks before the world changed at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting his first spring practice underway as head coach of the Buffs was undoubtedly an enjoyable experience.

Dorrell indicated that the shorts-and-t-shirts practice was solid, with players displaying good energy and enthusiasm.

"It’s a good feeling," he said. "Today was really the start of the 2021 season. Every practice matters, coming out of the spring session, being very productive, setting some depth charts and (having players) work their way up the chain of their positions."

"They know that summer workouts are going to be important and training camp — it’s an exciting time and I think they're all pretty pumped.”

While the upcoming position battles this spring extend far from just the quarterbacks room, seeing that specific contest to be atop the depth chart in a month's time was a major point Dorrell touched on today.

Note that senior Sam Noyer is a non-participant this spring due to offseason shoulder surgery, leaving true freshmen Brendon Lewis and Drew Carter to show their stuff, as well as Tennessee transfer JT Shrout.

“I thought JT did some positive things today in his first time operating and all of that," Dorrell said. "Brendon Lewis is confident. I think the bowl game really helped him in his confidence. He looks like a totally different guy out there since he had that experience in the (Alamo Bowl). Drew Carter, I thought he did some positive things (too).”

Sticking to offensive storylines, junior tailback Alex Fontenot also joined reporters on Zoom for a few minutes post-practice.

It was Fontenot's first such appearance since the end of the 2019 season; with last year's spring ball cancelled and Fontenot going down with an year-ending injury the first week of camp, Colorado's leading rusher from 2019 did not have any media duty to pull for the entirety of last season.

He and Dorrell both spoke positively of his health.

“In my mind, I’ve been 100% for months," Fontenot said. "I’ve just been waiting for spring ball — I’m ready.”

For Dorrell, all he's seen of Fontenot was a few odd days of practice last fall as well as Fontenot's 2019 tape.Today, he felt like he got a good glimpse into the kind of tailback and asset Fontenot is.

While the running backs room is undoubtedly full of capable guys, including reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year Jarek Broussard and former blue chipper and 2020 signee Ashaad Clayton, Dorrell liked what he saw out of Fontenot, the room's oldest player.

"He’s back and it was good to see him at practice today," Dorrell said. "He feels good. He’s making good cuts, he’s vertically getting pushed up the field, he’s running strong through the line of scrimmage from what I saw today — I think he’s over the hump.”

Finally, Dorrell commented on his early impressions of Oklahoma transfer Robert Barnes, who is listed on the spring depth chart at inside linebacker.

Interestingly, Dorrell alluded to Barnes perhaps not staying put at ILB, as he gets adjusted to Colorado's defensive schemes and playbook.

In other words, it may be fair to consider his placing within the inside backers room tentative.

"Positionally, we know that he’s a pretty versatile player," Dorrell said. "We have him at what we call the ‘Mo’ right now, but we know he can play outside and into the alleys, as well...We feel that he’s going to give us flexibility to plug and play — maybe be (one of) the top three players and he might be one of those three — but he has versatility to be in a number of positions.”