Tight-knit environment plus Mel Tucker's coaching helping CU's younger DBs

So far in 2019, Colorado's defense has relied, at times extensively, on the contributions of younger DBs, who for varying reasons have been thrust into starting and/or prominent roles with the team.

Freshman CB K.J. Trujillo and STAR Mark Perry are good examples of that. The former has started every game since CU took on Arizona, taking over cornerback duties for the Buffs in the absence of Chris Miller and Mekhi Blackmon, both of whom were lost (within a week of each other) to season-ending injuries.

For Perry, he's been asked to step up and is featured often in Colorado's nickel packages while also seeing action at the hybrid STAR backer position.

For both of those players, the family-like relationship among the Buffs' secondary players plus continued guidance from Mel Tucker have helped them develop throughout the season.

The old man in CU's secondary, graduate transfer Mikial Onu, reflected on his own trial by fire as a younger player with the SMU Mustangs and recalled its impact on him as a player.

Onu said that it did much to create some confidence within himself, an important prerequisite for DBs or any age or experience.

“We had a much older secondary (during) my younger years at SMU...I wasn’t forced to play early, but we did have some rotational guys, me being one of them. There was one game against TCU my freshman year where our starter got ejected during the first quarter on like the second drive. I pretty much (played) the rest of the game and it being TCU — that’s the best team we’re playing on the schedule — that kind of threw me into the fire and it just gives you confidence, going out there as a true freshman and playing against TCU."

"I think the same thing about the guys here. You’re not going to play a better group of wide receivers than USC. The game K.J. had against USC, and I’m speaking on his behalf, but his confidence probably was much higher (after that) than it was at the start of the season. Especially for younger DBs, it’s a big transition in guarding college receivers vs. high school receivers, so when you get that first taste of starting experience and 50-plus snap experience, you see that it’s just football."

"Confidence is the biggest thing. (Freshman CB) Tarik (Luckett) is playing confident, K.J. is playing confident — all those guys are confident now because they’ve seen they can match up with anyone. They know they can, I know they can and we all know they can. The fear factor part, the indecisiveness, hesitation — that’s all gone.”

Something that's gone into the season-long process of the DBs looking to get better has been internally, a collective effort by all the position players to help each other out, and namely make sure the younger guys are progressing.

"Coverage-wise, a lot of the corners will help me — Mekhi, Chris, Slim — they’ve all really helped me and K.J. progress," Perry said. "Me and K.J. help each other — we’re roommates, so we’ll watch film together at night, look at different things and touch on what we need to work on.”

Trujillo echoed those thoughts.

“The whole secondary is pretty close — I fell like I can ask any of them for help," he said. They all took me and Tarik, both freshmen corners, under their wings and have helped us when we needed help.”

Along with knowing they can rely on their fellow teammates for help, both Perry and Trujillo mentioned Tucker as a guy whose door is also always open.

“Ever since I came in, he’s always been an approachable, player's coach," Trujillo said. "I can go in and talk to him about anything I want to and that makes me feel comfortable (knowing) I can ask him anything and he’s going to help me get it right.”

Perry also spoke highly of Tucker's day-to-day presence in overseeing his development as a defensive back.

I love coach Tuck," Perry said. He’ll tell me on the days that I’m off: ‘you need to pick it up.’ He’ll tell me what I’m doing bad, what I’m doing good, and even when he tells me what I’m doing good, he’ll be like ‘alright, wipe the smile off your face, you still got work to do.’ I love that about him because even if you make a (good) play, you can’t hang off it for the rest of the game because there’s still more plays to be made. He keeps it really honest with us.”

Join the conversation here on Trujillo, Perry, Onu and Colorado football in general at Buff Nation, the premium message boards serving countless CU fanatics.

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