The Colorado Buffaloes have plenty of decisions to make across their entire starting lineup, but one of the most intriguing is at the star position. Senior Davion Taylor started at star last season but the position is used differently in new head coach Mel Tucker’s defensive scheme.
The star position is a hybrid between a slot cornerback and strongside linebacker, with a little bit of strong safety mixed in as well. As a hybrid position, the responsibilities assigned to the starbacker vary widely from one coaching staff to another. Under Tucker, the Buffs’ starbacker will probably play more like a cornerback than a linebacker.
“It’s way different because I’m in coverage more this year than last year,” Taylor told BSN Denver.
Taylor, who stands 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, is on the bigger side for a starbacker and is a more natural fit went given a linebacker’s responsibilities than a cornerback’s. He’s at his best when he’s in the box rushing the passer or stopping the run, and that’s what was asked of him in 2018.
The challenge for Taylor is handling the quickness of slot receivers. He’s fast for a guy who weighs in at 220 pounds but he has trouble sticking with smaller receivers when they make their breaks. One guy, in particular, is giving Taylor fits in practice.
“Dimitri Stanley,” Taylor said. “He’s the quickest receiver that I guard.”
But Taylor does have a major advantage against smaller slot receivers like Stanley: His strength.
When Taylor is able to get physical with receivers, they aren’t able to gain separation at the top of their route. This means Taylor can rely on his straight-line speed to run with the receiver out of the break instead of trying to catch up to him before the pass arrives.
“If I don’t put my hands on (Stanley), sometimes — most of the time — he’s beating me,” Taylor said. “If I get my hands ’em, it’s probably over with.”
Outside of Stanley, Taylor named sophomore Jaylon Jackson and junior Curtis Chiaverini as common opponents in the slot.
“I don’t be outside on K.D. Nixon and Laviska (Shenault),” Taylor said.
During a media availability earlier this week, Tucker said he’s seen a jump from Taylor recently. Over the last week or so, Tucker said the senior has been more consistent and flashing better cover skills.
Taylor noticed the improvement as well. He credits it to working with the safeties during practices. Before, he worked with the outside linebackers.
“I just have to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Taylor said. “I know what I’m the worst at, which is coverage. So I’m trying to get better at that. I’m studying plays. I’m studying receivers. That’s really helping me.”
Although Taylor is a senior who started at star last season, he may have some competition for the job this fall. Junior Mekhi Blackmon is playing cornerback and star in the new defense and he’s gaining some rave reviews, both from coaches and his teammates.
Blackmon is the foil to Taylor. He’s more cornerback than linebacker, so his strength is in coverage, not stopping the run. At 6-feet-tall and 160 pounds, it isn’t a surprise that Blackmon isn’t as strong when defending in the box.
It would make sense for Colorado to rotate Taylor and Blackmon depending on whose skillset lines up better with the down-and-distance situation, and that would be the simplest solution.
But there’s a catch: Star isn’t the only position Taylor has been playing.
Much of the defense Tucker is implementing in Boulder is based on what he learned from football masterminds Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. That means the Buffs will use the money position, developed by the duo and made popular by Saban’s Alabama squads.
Like the star, the money position is a hybrid linebacker and defensive back.
When Colorado needs more speed and cover skills to match the game situation or offensive personnel, they’ll sub out an outside linebacker for a hybrid linebacker-cornerback. That’s the starbacker. He’s the fifth defensive back.
When they need even more speed and cover skills, they’ll remove another linebacker and replace him with a hybrid linebacker-safety. That’s the moneybacker. He’s the sixth defensive bacl.
While the star lines up on the slot receiver, the money lines up right next to the inside linebacker in the middle of the defense. That’s where Taylor says he’s most comfortable.
“I like the inside better,” Taylor said. “I love being up in there with the run. I like taking on the big guys.”
Until the Buffs take the field on Aug. 30 to play Colorado State, we won’t know exactly what this defense will look like, or how Taylor and Blackmon will be used.
But we can make plenty of guesses.
Maybe Blackmon starts at star and Taylor starts at money.
Maybe Taylor starts at star when the Buffs want five defensive backs, then moves inside to money when the Buffs bring on a sixth. That means Blackmon would take over the star role.
Or, maybe Mel Tucker has a trick up his sleeve.
Who knows?
But what we can be confident in, is that Taylor and Blackmon both figure to have prominent roles in the Buffs’ defense this season.
