The high level at which junior outside linebacker Carson Wells is playing requires an explanation.

It's hard to look at Wells, who despite having played just five games is among the college football leaders in tackles for loss, and not wonder just how he's been able to be so effective.

Among FBS players, Wells is tied for seventh currently in that department, having accrued nine tackles for loss plus 4.5 sacks, putting him at 13.5 TFLs total.

No player above him has played less than nine games though, while Wells' 2.7 TFLs per game average is best in the country.

Throughout his career at Colorado, Wells has been a stalwart presence within the Buffs' front seven on defense.

In his first action as a redshirt freshman in 2018, Wells finished the season second on the team in sacks with 4.5.

Despite playing on a sore foot for most of the 2019 season, Wells was fifth on the team in tackles (57) last year.

But this year, Wells has played at a truly elite level.

A primary reason Wells is racking up the sacks and TFLs he is has to do with the diligence in which he prepares for weekly opponents.

Wells has placed increased emphasis on studying opposing teams' film to gather as much information and intel as possible before actually facing them.

"He’s playing in the backfield a lot more this year largely because he’s done a great job with his film study," outside linebackers coach Brian Michalowski said. "He’s one of those guys that, when I head down to my meeting room to set up my position meeting before we go into our team meeting, he’ll be in there watching tape of our opponent."

In year two of working together, Wells and Michalowski have forged one of the most impactful relationships between player and coach that's routinely been translating to on-field success for the Buffaloes.

While Michalowski is always trying to set his players up to make an impact on a weekly basis, Wells in particular has taken what he learns from his coach, coupled it with his own mental notes from studying film and put it to good use.

"Something that I take a lot of pride in as a coach, which is trying to give the OLBs a lot of little nuggets on their opponent — formation tips, down distance tips, field zone tips, personnel alignments, things like that — he digests all of that and he sees plays before they happen," Michalowski said.

"There’s numerous times where I’m watching his tape and it’s something that we have gone over — I understand exactly why he’s in the spot he’s in on a certain play."

Michalowski, in year two at Colorado, has emerged as a bright young football mind within the Pac-12.

High school players that he recruits describe him as a film junkie, someone that's always sending them tape and hyper analyzing how individual players can best get off of blocks and get after the quarterback.

Wells' stellar season in many ways highlights the guidance he's received from his position coach.

“Carson, in the second year of him and I having a coach-player relationship, he’s taking what we did in year one and heightening that and then also looking at pass rush moves that he didn’t rely on as much, and he’s adding those," Michalowski said.

Michalowski has worked with Wells as the season has gone on to refine and enhance the latter's pass rush abilities.

With Wells second on the team in sacks as well as quarterback pressures, the additional pass rush tools Michalowski has helped add to his belt has been on full display.

"He’s collected sacks on various different pass rush moves: he does a good job separating with his inside arm and punching over is a strength of him — we call that a long punch," Michalowski said. "He’s had a great feel of where the quarterback is in the pocket, as well. Lastly, he’s just really improved his, what I call shoulder twitch and his upper body rotation. That allows him to turn the corner a lot better."

"It’s been fun to tailor some pass rush moves with him and he’s been great and understands everything that we’re teaching.”

Wells has doubtless been one of Colorado's defensive stars in 2020. But looking at what's been going on at the outside linebacker spot opposite him also offers an interesting look at how Michalowski has been managing his players.

Colorado has utilized a committee approach to the second outside linebacker position, with Joshka Gustav, Guy Thomas and Jamar Montgomery all splitting reps.

Gustav leads that pack with 91 defensive snaps played, compared to Thomas' 80 and Montgomery's 66.

Their limited reps notwithstanding, all three of them have contributed defensively in meaningful ways.

Gustav leads the team with seven quarterback pressures, while three of Thomas' seven tackles have been third down stops.

As for Mongtomery, he posted a forced fumble and recovery in the season-opener vs. UCLA.

"Joshka’s been a great third down player opposite Carson," Michalowski said. "He’s a good rusher but he also does a good job of executing a lot of our more exotic third down looks. He’s been one to play on third down with Carson. Guy Thomas has been a really strong edge setter for us, so when we play physical, running teams, Guy Thomas has been a great asset for us. Jamar Montgomery has showed up in numerous games and he really can kind of do it all."

And then there's true freshmen Devin Grant and Alvin Williams, both of whom have been earning their chops on special teams this season.

Williams in particular had a nice play on kickoff duty vs. Utah, making a tackle that pinned the Utes at their own 10-yard line.

With Wells entrenched as the group's leader and stabilizing presence, the rest of Colorado's OLBs room have also been showing up.

"You want those guys to be ready, but I also want them to have a role, whether it be in a situational time on defense or on special teams so that they have pride in doing a good job in their role," Michalowski said. "You have to create those — that’s why I think it’s been a little bit more of a committee."

"It’s important to have a starter in Carson who you can rely on, and he’s done a great job in getting production, but those other guys have done an outstanding job in their roles."

Getting the most out of all his players, no matter where they're playing or what they're doing, remains a prominent agenda item for Michalowski and as the 2020 season nears completion, Colorado's OLBs have met his expectations.