8 breakthrough candidates ahead of the 2022 season

BOULDER — Colorado will have some new faces on the field in 2022.

The Buffs lost 10 starters over the offseason, the sixth-most in the Pac-12, which means there are plenty of opportunities for young players to make a name for themself. We’re highlighting those guys today.

This is a list of players who didn’t see the field much last year, special teams not included, who could cement themselves as part of CU’s identity this season. It’s an arbitrary line, but I didn’t include anybody who played 100+ snaps on offense or defense in this list. People like Ty Robinson, Chase Penry, Nikko Reed, Trevor Woods and Kaylin Moore aren’t included because they played too much last year to qualify. They’re exciting players who could be among CU’s top performers this season but they belong on a different list.

Here are eight Buffs who could break through in 2022:

Erik Olsen and Austin Smith

Brady Russell is the clear No. 1 option for CU. He led the team in receptions, receiving yards and had the longest catch of the year. He will be one of Colorado’s centerpieces in his senior season. But there might be room for another tight end to shine.

Freshman tight ends Erik Olsen and Austin Smith were the talk of spring camp through the first few weeks. They were racking up catches left and right in a new offense that will allow tight ends to earn more targets.

Smith is a converted high school receiver who is still learning the position but could be a weapon from the slot already. He’s big, he’s fast and his ceiling is sky-high.

Olsen is a more traditional tight end but that didn’t stop him from catching 14 balls in the first three practices of camp. He still needs to clean up his blocking and there’s still more to refine as a receiver as well, but he could make some plays this season.

Barring injuries (knock on wood) it will be tough for Olsen and Smith to both have big year. Plus, there are more young tight ends who couldn’t play during spring ball who will be competing for playing time. But don’t be surprised if Olsen or Smith put together a couple of monster games.

Noah Fenske and Austin Johnson

Colorado lost two starters from its offensive line. The open guard spot will almost certainly go to Alabama transfer Tommy Brown. The open center spot is still very much up in the air.

Sophomores Noah Fenske and Austin Johnson battled it out for the starting job in spring ball. Carson Lee factored in as well but he entered the transfer portal. As far as we know, it’s now a two-horse race.

Fenske is an Iowa transfer who played sparingly in his first season in Boulder. He earned extensive work in the Minnesota game but graded out poorly (like just about everybody else on the offense) and only played two more snaps the rest of the season. He’s a big center at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, and he’s smart enough to play the position.

Johnson, a Highlands Ranch native, is a lot like Fenske. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s smart. Karl Dorrell made note of how far he’s come since last season early in camp.

Whoever wins the starting job will be the favorite to hold down the position for three seasons.

Jaylen Striker

Somehow, Jaylen Striker still hasn’t taken a defensive snap for Colorado.

The defensive back joined CU from Independence Community College ahead of the 2020 season and saw some special teams work but couldn’t crack the defensive rotation. Then, Striker missed last season with an injury.

Striker is a total unknown. He played cornerback initially but was moved to safety this offseason. You’d expect him to have plus man coverage skills for the safety position given his background. The move may have been made to allow Striker to compete with Tyrin Taylor for the starting slot job. Even if he doesn’t get the job, he could be subbed in for obvious passing situations to cover slot receivers. But that’s just a guess; CU could also see him as competition for Trevor Woods at free safety.

Regardless, Striker is likely to find his way onto the field at some point during his junior season.

Alvin Williams

The Buffs are loaded with pass rushers. They’re moving out of their 3-4 base which means all of the outside linebackers they’ve collected are competing with the defensive ends for reps on the edge. There’s a backlog.

If not for that backlog, sophomore linebacker Alvin Williams would be an easy pick for breakout player of the year in Boulder. He’s an explosive pass rusher with a remarkably high motor. He might not run exactly where he’s supposed to but he’s always going to be playing full speed and finishing plays with a hit.

If Williams has taken a step over the offseason, he could easily find his way onto the field this season. But with Terrance Lang, Jamar Montgomery, Guy Thomas, Joshka Gustav, Chance Main, Devin Grant and others competing for one or two jobs, it’s going to be a tough lineup to crack.

Still, Williams figures to be a key piece in 2023 and he’ll have a chance to make some noise in 2022.

Mister Williams

Like Alvin, Mister Williams is probably a year away from getting big-time work.

He’s a redshirt freshman with the brain to play middle linebacker. At 6-feet and 250 pounds, he’s got the size too. He projects as a tackling machine who has upside in coverage as well.

Williams is blocked by senior MIKE linebacker Quinn Perry and a few other veterans. At some point, Williams is likely to get on the field but earning significant reps is going to be a challenge.

Toren Pittman

The Buffs are loaded with young cornerbacks, but one stands out from the rest; while most of CU’s options are slightly undersized, Toren Pittman provides the size to cover bigger bodies on the perimeter.

Pittman, a sophomore, is an enigma. He was recruited as a linebacker. He played his first couple of seasons at safety. And now he’s playing cornerback. At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, he has an ideal build for the position and he has the bloodlines to boot. His father, Kavika Pittman, spend eight years in the NFL as a defensive end. His grandfather, Drew Pearson, was a three-time All-Pro receiver.

While Pittman hasn’t broken through on defense yet, he’s turned into one of the Buffs’ most important special teams players. He was third in special teams snaps in 2021 and finished second in special teams points.

There’s still plenty to clean up and the position change may take some time to work out, but it’s easy to daydream on Pittman.