As Texas Tech graduate transfer quarterback Davis Webb continues to decide whether or not to renege on his verbal commitment to the Colorado Buffaloes and head coach Mike MacIntyre, fans of the program have taken turns with their own swings of emotion.
Once Webb signed his financial aid agreement, a non-binding document that has gained traction even with high school prospects in lieu of Letters of Intent, Buffs fans got the full dose of optimism they’d been waiting years to receive. Since then, it’s been a pendulum of depression, comic disbelief, and even indifferent dismissal of the entire situation. Quite frankly, who can blame them?
A quarterback as good as Webb has shown flashes of being could be the missing piece to a team searching for their first bowl season appearance since 2007. Or he could be a flop—no one knows.
Let us look at one side of the fence here, the one where Webb officially decommits from Colorado and chooses the California Golden Bears or Auburn Tigers instead. On this side of the fence, let us pretend that there is still hope—some will have to try harder to pretend than myself, but that’s neither here nor there—for MacIntyre and his Buffs this coming season. What in the world would lead someone to thinking this scenario could still exist? Well, I try to answer that here.
Liufau’s Health Upside
What if I told you that, despite not getting your preferred QB transfer, you got a soon-to-be four-year starter who’s familiarity with the team and coaching staff goes beyond what anyone else could possibly bring to the equation and has a few school passing records in his back pocket?
Indeed, few people truly know what Sefo Liufau’s health is going to look like for next year. For all we know, he could be primed for a redshirt year or even a graduate transfer himself–or he could be breakdancing in the Champions Center weight room by mid-July. The point is, we’re still not convinced that anyone truly knows one way or another whether or not he’ll be ready to go by Fall Camp. If he is, that could certainly help mitigate the possible loss of Webb.
Options on the Outside
One of the biggest reasons people became so excited when Webb pledged to the Buffs was that CU’s wide receivers group would finally have a true gun-slinger to deliver them the ball in positions to make plays on the outside. For all of the numbers that Liufau put up in his career before going down with an injury last season, many have complained about his inability to capitalize on even more opportunities his receivers have given him.
Losing a guy like Nelson Spruce would be a huge hit for any program in the country, but things could be worse than bringing back speedsters like Shay Fields and Devin Ross, as well as bringing in four-star JUCO recruit Juwann Winfree and the highly recruited Johnny Huntley from Florida.
Whoever mans the QB1 position for Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini next season will have options on the outside and in the slot. Kabion Ento showed flashes in the spring of being a red-zone target, as well.
Don’t forget the role that running backs can play in an offense like this. Screens can be and will be used as extensions of the running game, meaning that the already capable receiving hands of Phillip Lindsay (26 catches, 211 yards, and one TD receiving a year ago) will be utilized, as well as someone like Donovan Lee and incoming four-star all-purpose back Beau Bisharat.
All of these things benefit transfers, senior quarterbacks, and young, talented signal-callers. Speaking of…
Do You Believe in the Gamer?
If you’re to believe the eyes of most Colorado football media members, then you remember the claims of Liufau never truly looking all that great in practices—like, not very good either, a lot of the time.
But yet, on game days, Liufau would stand behind what was an often patchwork offensive line and deliver gutsy performances, though not always incredibly inspiring. The point is, Liufau was at the very least serviceable for a team trying to find some offensive rhythm and identity. What if there was a guy on campus who was also inconsistent and shaky in some practice situations, but had more natural talent than Liufau and was also a gamer? What if Steven Montez actually is ready?
Montez is a slinger, much like Webb, with the size and strength to take a hit behind an offensive line that might cause him to have more painful Sunday mornings than not. Perhaps all he needs is one series under the bright lights before locking in and becoming the quarterback that many both inside and outside the program believe he has a chance to be. Something like that could surely ease the pain of losing your desired QB target.
While I recognize that many fans don’t believe MacIntyre has the time to rely on someone as unseasoned as Steven Montez, if he’s going to end up being great, getting him to at least be pretty good this season would go a long way.
