At 6-foot-10, freshman offensive lineman Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan is the tallest player in Colorado Buffaloes football program history.
This spring, with an o-line that has been hit by the injury bug, Christian-Lichtenhan has been seeing extended action.
A three-star prospect out of Davis, Calif., Christian-Lichtenhan signed with Colorado's 2020 class, one of three offensive linemen to do so that year, along with Jake Wray and Carson Lee.
Christian-Lichtenhan's high school tape showed a potential diamond in the rough — someone with a god-given frame (6-foot-10, 330 pounds) but needing some polishing up around the edges from a technique point of view.
That has been the objective exactly of CU offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue, who, due to various injuries to his normal first-team guys, has been dealt a pretty tough hand this spring.
Left tackle Frank Fillip, the only Colorado offensive lineman to have played every single snap during the Buffs' five-game regular season, recently went down with a torn labrum.
Fillip joins Casey Roddick and Chance Lytle as the starters from last year who are hurt this spring and in his absence (and out of necessity) it has been Christian-Lichtenhan who's stepped in at left tackle, seeing a lot of reps.
“The No. 1 person that this situation has helped is probably Gerad (Christian)-Lichtenhan — I call him 'Tank'," Rodrigue said. "'Tank' has been playing left tackle since we had an injury with Frank Fillip."
"Not only has he been playing left tackle, but he’s been playing left tackle with the 1 group and the 2 group, because he’s the only tackle we’ve got. He’s getting double the amount of reps. I would say he’s benefited most from the adversity we’ve faced.”
Rodrigue has been working with Christian-Lichtenhan to refine his technique.
In other words, Rodrigue has sought to get Christian-Lichtenhan's footwork and technical proficiency up to par with his gargantuan size.
The biggest thing the two have been working on has to do with Christian-Lichtenhan playing with a lower center of gravity.
"He’s starting to play a little lower but that’s a process that’s going to take a little while," Rodrigue said. "You don’t see many 6-foot-10 defensive ends, so anyways, he’s got to learn to bend and play lower.”
On top of the extended reps he's been seeing this spring due to Colorado's thinness up front, Christian-Lichtenhan will likely benefit from the NCAA-granted free year of eligibility brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given that needs to sharpen his iron in a sense, with respect to improving the technical side of his game, another year in the college ranks to do so is an inherent positive.
For Christian-Lichtenhan, work remains to be done but he's hitting it hard day by day.
“He’s got to bend at his ankles and his hips — he’s got to realize that he’s not going to face anyone that is as tall as he is," Rodrigue said. "So, he's getting through the weight room to work and develop his core and strengthen his core."
