Buffs RBs Room Has Talent, Experience, Depth

Football August 07, 2023 Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor

BOULDER — When it comes to depth and talent, Colorado running backs coach Gary "Flea" Harrell might have one of the most impressive position rooms on the Buffaloes' roster.

Harrell, who worked three seasons at Jackson State with Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, has no shortage of qualified candidates from which to choose when it comes to sizing up a depth chart for the Sept. 2 opener at TCU.

Experience? The list starts with Kentucky transfer Kavosiey Smoke, who ran for 1,583 yards and 13 touchdowns in five seasons with the Wildcats. Then there's Houston transfer Alton McCaskill, the AAC Rookie of the Year in 2021, when he ran for 961 yards and 16 scores before sitting out last season with an injury.

And, there are two backs with college experience returning from last season for the Buffs. Sophomore Anthony Hankerson came on strong at the end of last season to rush for 274 yards and a team-leading three TDs while walkon Charlie Offerdahl rushed for 150 yards on 37 carries. Both had impressive springs.

But there are at least two other newcomers in the mix for playing time. True freshman Dylan Edwards, a four-star recruit who enrolled last spring, and Jackson State transfer Sy'Veon Wilkerson could also put themselves in contention for playing time.

After five practices in fall camp, Harrell said McCaskill, Smoke, Hankerson and Edwards are the top four, with Offerdahl pushing the pack. Out of that group, Harrell wants to find two who can give Colorado the best 1-2 punch this season.

"We want two guys that can carry the load," Harrell said. "What we do in practice, we change rotations so no one gets complacent. We want the competition to continue all the way up to Sept, 2. But we want the best two backs … And we'll take the next two weeks to find out who those guys are."

Thus far, McCaskill and Smoke — both of whom arrived this summer — have been getting a few more reps than the rest of the group. But McCaskill has also been wearing a non-contact jersey and CU coaches are anxious for him to be ready for full-go when the Buffs put full pads on.

"Sept. 2 is around the corner and it won't be fair to him to put him in a situation a week prior to TCU to see what he can, what he cannot do," Harrell said. "So at some point, we got to go ahead and put him in the fire and see what he's able to do. At the same time, we have to make sure Smoke, Hankerson, Dylan, Charlie — those guys are ready."

There's no doubt the CU staff has high hopes for McCaskill. He's shown the ability to get to the hole quickly, make defenders miss and accelerate in a hurry when he reaches the second level.

But the Buffs will also need the assurance soon that he is ready to go.

"There's no question we brought him here to be the guy," Harrell said. "You know, he has the experience, he has the explosiveness that we're looking for in a bigger back (6-1, 200 pounds). But we got to get him to the point where physically he can do it and right now it's a mindset. It's mentally. He's thinking about it. So we got to get that out of him."

But McCaskill is by no means CU's only option. Smoke is a versatile, dependable veteran who can run and catch the ball out of the backfield — and he's also already shown a willingness to engage in pass protection.

Edwards, meanwhile, might be the most intriguing back of the bunch. Blessed with excellent speed, he was one of the nation's highest-ranked prep RBs a year ago and enrolled early to get as much experience as possible.

But the 5-9, 170-pound true freshman also has a lot of learning to do, especially when it comes to balancing the responsibilities of being a full-time student as well as a Division I football player.

"There's some maturity that he needs to develop as far as how to manage time," Harrell said. "Right now we try to see the maturity in him to see if he's able to handle things on and off the football field because a lot of adversity comes his way and he doesn't handle it well yet … It's a lot of maturity that he has to develop, to understand how to fight through adversity and know how to handle situations. And that's going to help him be a better person and ultimately a better football player."

But while Edwards' size will likely prevent him from being an every-down back this year, his playmaking ability is something the Buffs will no doubt try to utilize. Already, they have him lining up in the backfield and also out wide on occasion, where they can get the ball to him in space in a hurry.

In five practices, he has shown his playmaking ability in those situations.

"He's a guy that from any part of the field can make a play because of his speed, because of his mindset," Harrell said. "We understand that he is not your everyday back right now … We just have to put him in position where he best fits. He's dynamic. He's very explosive. From any part of the field, he's a problem for defenses. And I think that's going to be recognized very early in the game."

As for the returning Buffs, Hankerson also offers versatility and consistency while Offerdahl's attitude as a walk-on has made him a coaching staff favorite.

PRACTICE REPORT: Tight end Michael Harrison, a converted wide receiver, continues to make plays … Wide receiver Javon Antonio came up with a couple of big plays in Monday's workout … McCaskill had a nice run on which he left a couple defenders flat-footed while Smoke's versatility as a receiver and a blocker continues to show up …

Defensively, the Buffs continue to give a number of players the opportunity to show their stuff. Freshman Bishop Thomas (6-2, 305) is showing good footwork for a big man while Amari McNeill and Shane Cokes are also getting work inside … Defensive ends Sav'ell Smalls, Taijh Alston and Arden Walker got work Monday with the top two units … Jordan Domineck continues to show versatility as an edge rusher and outside 'backer … Inside 'backer Demouy Kennedy is getting work with the No. 1s and showing excellent speed in getting to the ball …

One very impressive trait so far has been ball security. Buffs running backs aren't putting the ball on the ground and quarterback Shedeur Sanders is so far showing the ability to not force balls into coverage — but also displaying the ability to put the ball into a tight window if that window is actually open. Keeping turnovers to a minimum will no doubt be critical for the Buffs in a season in which their margin for error will likely still be razor thin.

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