Practice Report: Colorado opens 2017 fall camp
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The Colorado Buffaloes opened up fall camp today in Boulder. The boys in black and white seemed happy to be back on the field today.
It’s no secret the Buffs exceeded all expectations last season. Going into this year, there are lot of questions about whether they can follow up last year’s cinderella story with a repeat performance. Head coach Mike MacIntyre feels confident about the outlook and progress of this team after building the program from the ground up.
“Five years ago, it was kind of out here brand new running at it and we had a long way to go and we wanted to work to get more depth on our team and on our lines - which we’ve done, wanted to get bigger and more athletic at our skill positions - which we’ve done," MacIntyre said. "I thought the quarterbacks threw the ball really well today so I thought it was a good day. I definitely feel like we’re making strides in the right direction, now we just got to go do it.”
As discussed in many previous articles, the Buffs defensive line was one of areas that was so key to the their success last season, but in wake of losing all four starters from last year, it's an unknown/area of concern going into this season. One of the players who will be vital to the Buffs success in the trenches this year will be senior defensive lineman Leo Jackson.
Jackson, who had 15 tackles (9 solo) last season as the Buffs go-to, rotational hybrid who saw time at both defensive end and defensive tackle, felt good about the unit’s progress and performance after the first day of practice.
“We got a lot of hungry guys on the team," Jackson said. "We see the goal in mind and it’s higher than what it was last year, so I think that’s going to be something that pushes a lot of guys through.”
One of the factors behind Jackson’s confidence, and one of the people he attributes a lot of the unit’s overall success to is defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat, whom he feels has elevated the group’s performance as a whole.
“[Jeffcoat’s] overall knowledge of the game has been great, as far as the position and everything goes," Jackson said. "He’s a great dude to be around. He jokes around a lot, but when it comes down to work he knows exactly what to do and he shows us different things and gives us the tools we need to become better athletes.”
One of the great things about last year’s seniors is that they really set the standard and expectation for the team, not just for last year but also going forward, and helped build up a strong locker room.
As a senior this year, Jackson has the responsibility to be a leader and someone who sets the tone in the locker room for the rest of the group. In light of recent events - most notably Anthony Julmisse’s arrest on Friday - the team’s ability to come together and gel as a group has been put under question. In spite of the recent controversy, Jackson still feels confident about the team’s chemistry.
"[Julmisse’s suspension] hurts because everyone is your brother when they come to the team but as far as everyone here, we still have that cohesive brotherhood attitude, everyone’s still together regardless of what goes on," Jackson said.
Buffs' fans better hope Jackson’s words ring true as the strength and relationships in the locker room was instrumental to success last year. Controversy aside, most players were are smiles and seemed both locked in and ready to kick this season off, focusing on what’s ahead rather than looking in the rearview mirror.
Notes
-According to Coach Mac, running back Phillip Lindsay is squatting 50-60 more pounds than last season and is “more powerful than before.”
-Redshirt Sophomore tight end Dylan Keeney is set to return before the end of training camp, while true freshman offensive lineman Jake Moretti (knee) and Chase Newman (PCL) won’t be back until school starts. It’s likely that both Moretti and Newman will be redshirted this year.