Since Darrin Chiaverini was pinned to call the offensive shots for Colorado and Taylor Embree came aboard to vamp up the role of tight ends within that offense, there has been much speculation as to specifically, where the tight end position is going to fit into the overall offensive equation.

Chiaverini hinted at the momentum the Buffs are gaining at the tight end position, with some new 2020 additions ready to learn the collegiate ropes as well as recruiting efforts and designs for the 2021 class — all, as Chiaverini puts it — factors for getting CU to a point where it can effectively incorporate tight ends regularly.

"You have to have the personnel to run 22-personnel and we’re still recruiting the tight end position," Chiaverini said. "We’re getting better and we got two (in 2020) in Louis Passarello and Caleb Fauria and were recurring hard in the ‘21 class to sign some top guys. But you have to have personnel to match the scheme you want to run."

Russell, for one, sees the tight ends room as being capable of doing a lot of different things based on the unique blend of guys that have the potential to contribute in complimentary departments.

“One thing I really like already is the camaraderie of the group," Russell said. "We’re really close and since we’ve been working out together, we’ve been hanging out too on the weekends...we’ve grown real close. I think we all are very different in our abilities and our skill sets and seeing what we might be able to do putting one or multiple of us on the field at a time."

"For example, Matt Lynch from UCLA, he’s faster and he might be able to do some cool things while Nick Fisher, he’s a new big guy from the Division II level, but he might be able to do some good things in the run game. It’s cool seeing all the different roles we can play this year.”

While the wheels are certainly turning with respect to the Buffs becoming the most tight end-friendly they've been in the better part of a decade, Chiaverini and Embree have worked to sell what's in store for Colorado tight ends in 2021 and beyond on the recruiting trail.

"I feel like they’ve got a great plan in place for tight ends and being able to use them all across the field," said blue chip in-state TE target Erik Olsen. "It’s going to be exciting to see what it looks like next season and even more when I’d get there."

By the time a prospective Class of 2021 tight end would arrive at Colorado, the room they'd enter, as Russell alluded to above, will be pretty diverse. But Russell himself is an interesting specimen having worn so many different hats during his time at CU, many times out of necessity.

“I think I’ve grown a ton," he said. "I think I got into about as best of a situation as possible for me. Coming here, the last couple years we haven’t had a whole lot of depth at tight end. I’ve really had to do roles from H-back where I’m going around in motion, doing stuff in the backfield to roles where I have my hand in the dirt and I’m trying to block a 280-pound defensive end. The experience I’ve had here has expanded my abilities and how comfortable I am in doing different things.”

While Russell and Colorado's current tight ends have been briefed via scanning through the offensive playbook, and the Buffs' potential tight ends of the future have been given an idea about hat's in store for their position in 2021, 2022 and beyond, the real indicator as to how Chiaverini and Co. will incorporate the tight end into CU's offense will be when the players hit the field.

“We’ve gone over the playbook a lot and you never really know until you get on the field but I feel comfortable in my role and I’m excited with a lot of the new guys we’ve got," Russell said. "I’m excited about, with the personnel that we have, what we can do and what we’re going to be able to do. I have a good feel for what we’re going to do but you never really know until you get on the field, what kind of role you’re going to play. But we’re ready for whatever they throw at us, for sure.”

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