As a quarterback, your skill set and on-the-field abilities are always evolving. Good players retain a constant need to get better and become better students of the game — count CU signal caller Steven Montez among those ranks.

For Montez, who has now worked with three quarterbacks coach as a college player while and by the time he leaves Colorado, will have been a focal point in two separate offensive schemes. If anything, he feels that variety has aided him, culminating in working closely with Jay Johnson as a senior.

"Every single quarterbacks coach that have come through CU have been phenomenal coaches," he said. "Coach Lindgren, to coach Roper, now to coach Johnson — they’ve all been great coaches and I think they’ve all taught me something different. With coach Johnson, he’s a very sharp, calculated guy, and he just wants to build my approach into studying and preparation, [that’s] how I see him, just being cold, calculated in how he [helps] me.”

Joining Montez in a desire to get better is sophomore wideout Maurice Bell. Specifically, he wants to build as close of a level of rapport with his QB that can be seen between Montez and guys like K.D. Nixon and Laviska Shenault, Jr.

“Me and Montez have a pretty nice relationship," Bell said. "We hang out off the field and he’s just a people’s person. He’s a good person to get along with and a good person in general. We put in extra work to make sure we build that bond and just to get timing down. We definitely have a good chemistry and relationship.”

Both players know they'll get a chance to do just that in the month of August, as Colorado will enter fall camp beginning on August 1, practicing Monday through Saturday until classes begin in the third week of the month.

For Bell in particular, he'll enter a notable positional battle, competing for status and eventual playing time with CU's sizable pool of talented receivers. With Nixon and Shenault, Jr. locked in, Bell will look to prove himself worthy of minutes along with the likes of Tony Brown, CU's lone senior, who was third in 2018 in receiving yards and receptions, Daniel Arias, Dimitri Stanley and Jaylon Jackson, not to mention in coming freshman La'Vontae Shenault.

Bell remains confident despite the the vast competition.

“This summer has been real hard-working and high-tempo with working with the team," he said. "Everything that we’ve been doing has been getting us right for fall camp and for the season."

"With the offense, I’m comfortable with it, going through spring and also having this period through the summer being able to work it and learn it more and more. I have confidence in my game — this is going to be my third year here, there’s really no excuses.”

By all indications, the Colorado Buffaloes are ready to get the ball rolling when August 1 arrives.

Guys are competing for spots so players know that coaches are going to come in and set a high bar," Bell said. "We have to come in and compete, be physical, relentless and be comfortable. A lot of people that competed in the spring are expected to come in with high intensity. We want to hit the ground running come fall camp.”