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Current Colorado Buffaloes' Defensive and Special Teams Roster

Following our offensive roster chart, below is the 2009 Colorado Buffaloes' defensive and special team players. Compared to the offensive piece, this chart has a little more distribution between years of each position as well as depth oming down the 2010 pipeline unlike tight end and fullback on the offensive side of the ball.

Position   SENIORS JUNIORS SOPHOMORES FRESHMEN INCOMING Fr
DT   Taj Kaynor Eric Lawson C Cunningham Will Pericak Nate Bonsu
Tyler Sale* Eugene Goree Edward Nuckols 
Sch 7 1 1 2 1 2
NSch 1 1


 
DE  
M Herrod Kevin Cooney* Nick O'Neill*  Nick Kasa
Joe Silipo* David Goldberg* J. Forrest West 

Conrad Obi Sc Fernandez*
Tony Poremba*  
Lagrone Shields
Sch 5
1 2
2
NSch 6
1 3 1 1
LB   Marcus Burton Michael Sipili Tyler Ahles Jon Major Liloa Nobriga
Shaun Mohler B.J. Beatty *Brandon Gouin Doug Rippy Derrick Webb 
Jeff Smart
*Zackary Farley *Guy Sergent Geoff Sissom*
*Bryan Stengel Josh Hartigan    
Sch 11 3 2 2 2 2
NSch 5 1
2 1 1
CB   Cha Brown Jalil Brown Jon Hawkins Stephen Hicks Deji Olatoye 
Ben Burney Jimmy Smith *Arthur Jaffee Paul Vigo  Cody McAninch*
  Anthony Wright
Sch 9 2 2 2 2 1
NSch 2

1
1
S  
*Bret Smith Patrick Mahnke Vince Ewing Parker Orms 
*Erik Manarino Ray Polk
*Matt Meyer  
Anthony Perkins
*T Sandersfeld
Sch 5

2 2 1
NSch 4
1 3
0
K  
Aric Goodman Jameson Davis   Z Grossnickle 
P Matt DiLallo 

 
SN J Drescher Austin Bisnow  
Sch 5 2 1 1
1
NSch 1 0 1

 
DEFENSIVE AND SPECIAL TEAMS TOTAL
Sch 42
8 7 11 7 9
NSch 19
2 3 9 2 3
Total 61
10 10 20 9 12
TEAM TOTAL
Sch 78 12 14 24 10 18
NSch 37 5 5 13 5 9
Total 115 17 19 37 15 27
italics - transfer / * - non-scholarship player

 

The linebacking and cornerback spots are the class of the defense. The Buffs will have solid depth for many years at linebacker, assuming Jon Major recovers from his ACL injury and Doug Rippy continues to develop. I would expect the Buffs to take a couple more 'backers in the 2010 class to keep the continuity going. The linebacking depth is exactly what you want as a coach when you look at your group of players; a great mix of experience as well as young talent who are pushing the veterans. As for cornerback, the next two years look very solid as long as Jimmy Smith doesn't jump for the NFL early. I think he is still in need of all four years of college but if he has the year that I expect him to have, he may be tempted by the NFL scouts who would be drooling over a sub 4.5, 6'3" physical cornerback. After the next two years, the Buffs will need to get help at corner as you will be looking at all new starters after 2010 with not much known about the players behind the juniors and seniors.

The rest of the defensive positions, youth prevails. There are only three scholarship upperclassmen at defensive line and safety. The Buffs are young at safety with potential starters Patrick Mahnke and Anthony Perkins both sophomores but they gained valuable experience as freshmen. Defensive line continues to be the main question mark on the defense mostly because we don't know what we are going to get from the underclassmen, who will be forced to play this year. Guys like Eugene Goree, Conrad Obi, Lagrone Shields, Curtis Cunningham, Nick Kasa, Edward Nuckols, Nate Bonsu, Will Pericak, Lagrone Sheilds, etc. haven't showed us a lot because they are all first or second year players. They might be great but the doubt surrouding them is one reasons many Buff fans wonder if the team will turn the corner and get to that 8+ win mark.

On special teams, the Buffs had to take a kicker in the 2009 class in Zach Grossnickle after the dismal performance last year. Grossnickle (both a placekicker and punter) may technically be the only punter on the team after this season with starter Matt DiLallo graduating. Special teams is another part of the equation that most Buff fans forget about but shouldn't in evaluating the possible success next year. You name it, it went wrong in 2008 so improved play is a must.