C Mike Iltis leaves CU, Embree adds replacement

by BigXIITDOG on Jun 16, 2011 8:27 PM MDT

Mike Iltis has left the CU football team.

When he discussed the injury (ACL) and his comeback in March during spring practice, Iltis said he was progressing well and was eager to get back on the field.

Something changed in the intervening months. Embree said Iltis explained his decision as one that was less about his injuries and more about just wanting to focus on academics.

"He has decided just to pursue his education," Embree said.

The Buffs were expecting to have four of five starters back on the offensive line this fall along with several backups who have logged some significant playing time in their careers. But there is suddenly a large vacancy in the middle with Iltis gone.

To add depth CU has signed C Brad Cotner as a late recruit.

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We have two centers coming in

Best of luck to Mike Iltis.

Looks like Embree has at least two replacement candidates:
http://www.cuatthegame.com/2011/class-of-2011-verbal-commitments/

There is 6′3″ 295 pounds Alex Kelley (whose dad Karry played for CU in late 1970s) and also recent commit (6/15) Brad Cotner, 6′4″, 290-pounds.

Does anyone have any recollections of a center being groomed to take over long-snapping? Iverson seems okay on the short snaps, but we need an accurate FAST longsnapper, and I wondered if one of these guys might really be a LS in disguise.

by JustmyOp on Jun 17, 2011 9:45 AM MDT reply actions

you don't really want a real center as a long snapper

because they still have to run down the field on punt coverage. Iverson can improve, and we brought in some other dude as well.

Look, I've already told Utah to suck it. There's no going back now.

by Phil Fraser on Jun 17, 2011 10:01 AM MDT up reply actions

I'd like to see Iverson improve

really I would like to see him succeed. And we have a walkon coming from Fairview (or Boulder High, I forget which one.)

But why is it we insist the snapper can get better and the punter who had to deal with the soft, slow, wildly inaccurate snaps last year has already peaked in some opinions? I wish we could have seen Grossnickle or Brundage work with a snapper like Drescher.

Let’s hope one of our LS turns out to be above competent.

by JustmyOp on Jun 17, 2011 10:08 AM MDT reply actions

I would guess that it's because we're not giving scholarships to the snappers

It’s tough to complain about walk ons. But I agree with your point

Look, I've already told Utah to suck it. There's no going back now.

by Phil Fraser on Jun 17, 2011 10:17 AM MDT up reply actions

Drescher was on scholly

and was incredibly dependable.

Of course, the superbowl ring probably shows just how dependable he is.

maybe next year … unless (as you suggest) last year’s snapper or the new walkon become Drescher jr. somehow.

by JustmyOp on Jun 17, 2011 2:13 PM MDT reply actions

I didn't realize that

but I promise you that he wasn’t given a scholarship as a long snapper out of high school. He would have had to earn it. And all I said was that Iverson can get better. I’m not saying he will. He was a freshman last year. There’s nowhere to go but up. But I presume nothing.

Look, I've already told Utah to suck it. There's no going back now.

by Phil Fraser on Jun 17, 2011 2:56 PM MDT reply actions

Yes, recruited as a snapper on scholarship right out of high school

Apparently, they thought Mason deserved a good snapper. It was Crosby’s senior year.

Scout archives:
http://colorado.scout.com/2/555764.html

Justin Drescher moved to Boulder July 10. Before he slept a night in his new bed, the former Southlake Carol High School football player was out on the practice field working with two players he’s since become well acquainted with — holder Nick Holz and kicker Mason Crosby.
Drescher earned a scholarship solely for his talent as a longsnapper. It’s rare for a college football team to extend a scholarship offer to an incoming longsnapper — typically, an offensive lineman or tight end pull double duty in the role. But when perhaps the country’s best placekicker eschews the NFL to return to your team for his senior season — and your ace longsnapper runs out of eligibility — you go get him a kid who will deliver the ball on target.

And we weren’t his only BCS offer.

http://colorado.scout.com/2/494390.html
Drescher to Decide

Jan 29, 2006
CU only hosted one official visitor this weekend. Justin Drescher is from Texas state champion Southlake Carroll. The long snapper will decide between Boston College and CU as soon as tonight. “I had a good visit to Colorado,” Justin Drescher said. “I visited Boston College last weekend and now I will decide between the two schools.” Colorado is recruiting Drescher specifically as a long snapper

by JustmyOp on Jun 18, 2011 6:16 AM MDT up reply actions

wow. I stand completely corrected. and my worldview is blown away

thanks for that

Look, I've already told Utah to suck it. There's no going back now.

by Phil Fraser on Jun 18, 2011 7:39 AM MDT up reply actions

make sure it doesn't happen again ...

you’re mostly right, though, snappers rarely get schollies right out of high school.

It’s admirable that you stand behind Iverson, who was an ordinary high school player who has a chance to be very good if he works at it. One of his problems seems to be he snapped to a left-footed kicker/punter for four years, and he can’t adjust to working with righties. Strange, but he keeps overcorrecting, even after a whole season.

I just commented on the contradiction that people believe a snapper can get better, but our kickers and punters are stagnant. Whatever they did last year was their highest achievement, in some folks minds. Heck, our last coach let Justin Castor kick ONCE in a game and then benched him. (Cost a year of eligibility.) So, he was good enough to scholarship, but not good enough to get a second kick? Meanwhile the snapper gets to learn on the job, tossing them every which way, while the punter has to figure out in a split second how to recover each time and get the ball off in time. It’s just interesting how people give one position the benefit of the doubt and the other specialists never get past the first impression.

That’s another reason I’m glad the new punter Brundage is coming in. If he has the same trouble with the snaps, it might be more evident that it wasn’t all the punter’s fault last year … just saying. It will be obvious to the coaches if they need to fix something if whatever happened last year keeps happening with a new punter.

meanwhile, sorry to hijack Iltis’ thread. He’s been a good guy and sorry it didn’t work out for him. But he still gets a CU degree, which is something to be very proud of.

by JustmyOp on Jun 18, 2011 8:06 AM MDT up reply actions

Oh, I completely agree with you

I don’t necessarily stand behind Iverson. I saw him play in high school and wasn’t impressed. We only took him after Joe St. Germain (the best high school snapper I’ve ever seen, mostly because he was always always always the 1st man down on coverage) chose Virginia Tech over CU. I was just resigned to the fact that we weren’t going to offer a long snapper. Maybe that will change, especially since Crosby’s going to be more involved going forward.

I was probably the last Hawkins supporter in the building, but what he did to Castor was completely unforgivable. I hope he gets better. I hope Grossnickle gets better. There was obviously a snapping problem last year. It got lost amidst so many other problems. That’s why I was an advocate of hiring a ST coach who had actual kicking game expertise, instead of just coverage scheme expertise. Oh, and I think Kyle Slavin has also been putting in reps as a long snapper (might be wrong though).

Look, I've already told Utah to suck it. There's no going back now.

by Phil Fraser on Jun 18, 2011 8:53 AM MDT up reply actions

heard the same about Slavin

So we have a few LS choices next season which is great. Competition makes everyone stronger if the competition is to find the best person … As Justin Drescher will tell you, longsnapping in the NFL may be one of the greatest gigs ever … if they don’t know your name, you are doing a good job.

If you recall, we had a good longsnapper in Joe Silipo who transferred to CU from Greeley. But he had a stupid incident and Hawkins punished him and made an example by giving his position to a walkon freshman. Yeah, he sure taught CU a lesson with that one.

Geez. Now I have to go lie down until thoughts of last year go away again.

by JustmyOp on Jun 18, 2011 10:05 AM MDT up reply actions

Big call out for Southlake Carroll!

My neighborhood HS and where my kids will go…. Go Dragons!

by BuffnBigD on Jun 18, 2011 7:40 PM MDT up reply actions

In relation to the Justin Drescher reference...

by BuffnBigD on Jun 18, 2011 7:41 PM MDT up reply actions

Weren't all 3 guys from Southlake Carroll

on the Saints: snapper, kicker, holder or something like that all from your high school? Your school community must have to become Saints fans, along with whoever you usually cheer in the NFL. Bet it’s fun to watch those games, knowing several of the guys on the team, at least by sight.

Can you trace a rumor for us? I asked around about longsnapper JJ Drescher (Justin’s younger brother) but heard he doesn’t plan to snap in college? Just wanted to know if you could verify that. Of course, we would have loved to see him in the Colorado uniform, but doesn’t sound like that will happen.

by JustmyOp on Jun 19, 2011 6:13 AM MDT up reply actions

Not sure about the pinned, but certainly Hartley was as well around the same time

Also Chase Daniels is from Southlake and on the Saints now, so maybe he is holding kicks? Now all the saints need is to add Greg McElroy to the roster and they will really turn all of Southlake into Saint fans!

I’ll ask around on JJ and see what I can find.

by BuffnBigD on Jun 19, 2011 8:07 AM MDT up reply actions

Pinner, not pinned

Stupid auto correct.

by BuffnBigD on Jun 19, 2011 8:08 AM MDT up reply actions

OH! I saw that there was another Drescher

didn’t realize that he wouldn’t be trying to play in college. That’s a shame

Look, I've already told Utah to suck it. There's no going back now.

by Phil Fraser on Jun 19, 2011 8:31 AM MDT up reply actions

JJ Drescher - rumor

It’s just a third-hand rumor now, so don’t bet on it. BuffnBigD will check it out and get the scoop.

Would be a shame, though. J.J. was ranked in top ten snappers in country, but maybe you just get tired and want to be a regular college student.

Man, would have loved to see him in the B&G.

by JustmyOp on Jun 19, 2011 10:09 AM MDT up reply actions

Good luck, Big Mike!

Thanks for giving it your all.

by mam2jd on Jun 17, 2011 7:57 PM MDT reply actions

All three guys - snapper, holder and kicker - on the Saints

did go to SLC.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14344183/saints-bring-in-drescher-third-long-snapper-of-season

METAIRIE, La. — The New Orleans Saints have signed rookie Justin Drescher as their third long snapper this season.

The addition of Drescher means that the long snapper, holder and kicker on Saints field goals all went to the same high school in the Dallas area. Like Drescher, Saints kicker Garrett Hartley and backup quarterback Chase Daniel attended Southlake Carroll.

That’s gotta be a fact that won’t happen often in the NFL.

by JustmyOp on Jun 20, 2011 5:12 AM MDT reply actions