BSN Exclusive: How Mikial Onu has eased roommate Sam Noyer's transition to safety

In mid-August, then-Buffs quarterback Sam Noyer got off the phone with head coach Mel Tucker and climbed the stairs in his townhouse to safety Mikial Onu’s room.

“I think I’m moving to safety,” Noyer told his roommate.

“That’s funny,” Onu replied.

“No, I’m serious,” Noyer said.

That night, Onu and Noyer started studying the playbook together.

Onu, 21, is new to Boulder. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a business degree in May. Since he earned his degree in three years, he retained a year of eligibility and entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer.

In late May, Onu visited Boulder. He’d earned offers from Fresno State, New Mexico, Northwestern and others but was intrigued by the opportunity at Colorado. Their safeties were young, so he knew there was potential for significant playing time. Plus, part of the reason he left SMU was that he wanted to see a higher level of competition, which the Pac-12 offered.

The final straw was the Buffs’ coaching staff.

“Coach Tucker was the biggest thing,” Onu told BSN Denver. “His reputation, his experience. He’s a defensive backs guy and I’ve never played for a defensive head coach, so I knew I’d have a chance to up my game.”

But the coaches weren’t the only people Onu quickly hit it off with in Boulder.

During his visit, Onu was hosted by tight end Jalen Harris, who had transferred to Colorado from Auburn five months prior. Onu stayed at Harris’ three-bedroom townhouse, which he shared with Noyer.

“Right away, it was obvious Mikial is a smart guy,” Noyer told BSN Denver.

Since Harris and Noyer had an empty bedroom — it was kick returner Ronnie Blackmon’s before he transferred to Toledo this spring — and Onu was in need of a place to stay, the trio became permanent roommates.

Early on, the relationship among the roommates was typical. Noyer did much of the cooking — spaghetti, tacos, steaks, sloppy joes, burgers — and Harris and Onu did the cleaning.

“I’m no Chef Boyardee but my nickname is Chef Noyardee, so…,” Noyer said.

Where the story heats up is in the middle of camp, when Noyer made the change from quarterback to safety. All of a sudden, Onu wasn’t just Noyer’s roommate, he became somewhat of a tutor.

Since Noyer began at the strong safety spot and Onu played free safety, Onu lined up behind Noyer on the field. Early on, Onu would adjust Noyer’s positioning and explain what his job was for the given playcall.

Help from any veteran would have been useful as Noyer tried to learn a new position, but Onu’s insights are particularly valuable. Heading into Week 3 of the college football season, Onu has forced more turnovers than any other player in the country. In fact, his three interceptions and two forced fumbles are more than all but 38 college football teams.

The reason he’s been so successful is due to positioning, the same thing he helped Noyer with early on.

“He’s in the right spot at the right times,” Noyer said. “That has to do with his preparation. Every week, day-in and day-out, he’s preparing.”

Noyer didn’t need on-field help for long. Onu is quick to point out that, not only is Sam Noyer a great athlete at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he’s also a pretty bright guy.

“His first couple of days at safety, he was already making calls and making adjustments,” Onu said.

Now, Onu’s influence is best seen in film study. After meetings, where coaches break down film for the defensive backs, Noyer and Onu go home and review what they saw. Then, every night, the Buffs’ safeties pick a time to head back to the team facilities and watch more tape together.

“When I go home, I pull out my iPad and I’ll break down some film and then me and Mikial will go over it,” Noyer said.

The relationship isn’t one-sided. As a former quarterback, Noyer has unique perspectives that are different than what you usually hear in a defensive meeting room. This week, Noyer dove deep into run-pass option plays for Onu. He talked about the difference between plays designed with pre-snap and post-snap reads.

Basically, in a pre-snap read the quarterback decides to hand the ball off based on how many defenders line up in the box before a play. In a post-snap read, the quarterback identifies a defender he keys on and he decides whether to hand the ball off based on what he sees from that defender right after the snap.

“I never knew that until he told me,” Onu said. “He helps in a lot of ways. He has a totally different perspective, especially being a Division I quarterback, not just a high school quarterback. He understands offenses much better than any of us.”

For Noyer, the toughest part of the change has been that the same concepts have different names on the defensive side of the ball. The new terminology is what held Noyer back more than anything, early on.

“Once I’ve gotten all that stuff down, it’s pretty much been smooth sailing,” Noyer said.

This week, Noyer earned a promotion. After serving as the third-string strong safety since the first depth chart was released before the Rocky Mountain Showdown, Noyer is now the No. 2 free safety, behind… Mikial Onu.

“He’s a big guy, physical, obviously very athletic,” Onu said. “Every single day he’s a different guy. He’s starting to really look like a safety, not a converted quarterback.”

Noyer is ready to see the field.

“I definitely feel comfortable and ready if my name is called,” Noyer said. “The training wheels are off.”

But even Noyer admits there’s still more to learn. Luckily, he has help if he needs it.

“If he has questions, he never hesitates to come upstairs and knock on my door,” Onu said.