Colorado Football: 2017 Buffaloes season preview, predictions
By Zach Bigalke
Defense
Colorado evolved into a top-20 defense over the past two seasons under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt. The 2016 Buffaloes gave up fewer than 22 points and 350 total yards per game to opponents. But Leavitt left Boulder, making a lateral move within the conference to become the coordinator at Oregon.
New coordinator D.J. Eliot has a lot of work to do this season, with only three starters from last year’s team returning to Boulder this season. The Buffaloes held teams scoreless on one out of every four trips into the red zone. They will be relying on several junior-college transfers to produce similar results this season.
That includes nose tackle Javier Edwards, who enrolled at Colorado in time to participate in spring practices. He will look to replace Jordan Carrell in the middle of the line. The hope is that Edwards can tighten up a run defense that allowed 149 yards per game to finish in the middle of the Pac-12. Another junior-college transfer, inside linebacker Drew Lewis, could also have a big year after playing in 13 games last year for the Buffaloes.
The need to rebuild what was a fearsome secondary in 2016
In Boulder, though, the biggest questions are in the secondary. Three starters from last year’s unit were drafted in the top four rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft. Both cornerbacks were picked within a handful of spots from one another. Chidobe Awuzie went at the end of the second round to the Dallas Cowboys, while Ahkello Witherspoon went early in the third round to the San Francisco 49ers. Free safety Tedrick Thompson went in the fourth round to the Seattle Seahawks.
Thus safety Afolabi Laguda is the only returning starter from a group that ranked fifth in the nation in opponent passing efficiency. His new partner at safety is junior Nick Fisher, a reserve the past two years who made it into 15 games. Eliot will probably turn to junior Isaiah Crowell and redshirt freshman Trey Udoffia to replace Awuzie and Witherspoon on the edges.
Colorado’s ability to maintain its momentum from 2016 depends fully on how quickly the new performers can get up to speed.