Building a depth chart for Colorado's offensive skill players

BOULDER — Spring is over so it’s time for some rankings.

Colorado released its annual post-spring reps chart ahead of its spring showcase, but it took on a different form; instead of building a more traditional depth chart, the Buffs just created pods of players at each position and ordered them alphabetically.

Here’s what it looked like:

I figured we should make a more traditional depth chart.

I’m going to rank the top of each position in terms of how many snaps I think each player will play (obviously assuming full health). I’ve broken the roster up into four pieces so we can go through this exercise over four stories.

And we’re starting with offensive skill position players:

Quarterbacks: 1. Brendon Lewis, 2. JT Shrout, 3. Maddox Kopp, 4. Drew Carter, 5. James Mott

The quarterback competition is front and center in Boulder and that won’t change before the season starts.

For now, we’ll keep Brendon Lewis as QB1.

Lewis looked slightly improved during spring camp; his arm seemed to be a little stronger and he was processing the game more quickly in the spring game than he did last season. Still, those improvements were small and there’s plenty of work still to be done.

JT Shrout missed out on all of the full-speed work as he continues to rehab form the torn ACL that took him out of the running for the starting job in August. We saw glimpses of Shrout during 7-on-7 work during the Spring Showcase and he didn’t look sharp. That’s a small sample size but it’s what we have to go off of at this point, so we’ll lean toward Lewis in a 50-50 competition.

The competition for QB3 is also wide open, according to the coaching staff, with Maddox Kopp, Drew Carter and James Mott all trying to stake their claim. Kopp was added as a transfer from Houston this offseason—which means he was hand-picked by the current regime—and he played the first reps after Lewis in the spring game. We’ll give him the nod for now.

Running Backs: 1. Alex Fontenot, 2. Ramon Jefferson, 3. Deion Smith, 4. Jayle Stacks

The Buffs don’t have a lot of running backs but they have plenty of experience.

Alex Fontenot was the bell-cow back in 2019 but injuries and the emergence of Jarek Broussard have decreased his role. He’s a solid Pac-12 starter when healthy and he’ll take the starting job in this depth chart because of the security he provides, despite not participating in either spring scrimmage.

Ramon Jefferson is a high-upside transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. He comes from the FCS ranks, where he won a national title and appeared in a semifinal in the last two seasons with Sam Houston. Whether the bowling ball zone runner can replicate the 6.7 yards per carry he posted last season remains to be seen but the Buffs may have picked up one of the top backs in the conference.

CU landed RB Ramon Jefferson from the transfer portal this morning. He’s been a force at the FCS level.

Jefferson is the fifth scholarship RB on the roster (Fontenot, Smith, Stacks, Venn) so he figures to be an important piece.

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— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) January 31, 2022

Deion Smith worked as the top back in camp after spending last season on the fringe of the rotation. He may be the fastest back in the room.

Jayle Stacks will serve primarily as a utility back and fullback but is capable of carrying the ball as well.

Wide Receivers: 1. RJ Sneed, 2. Daniel Arias, 3. Montana Lemonious-Craig, 4. Ty Robinson, 5. Chase Penry

Colorado lost its three preseason starters from a year ago but the depth at the position should keep the boat afloat in 2022, with a fairly high ceiling as well.

RJ Sneed is one of the teams top transfers and should immediately provide a safety blanket for Colorado’s quarterback. The former All-Big-12 selection is a savvy route runner who can work outside or from the slot.

Daniel Arias was the talk of camp and that’s why he takes the top spot among a half dozen receivers vying for the No. 2 job. The 6-foot-4 speedster hasn’t lived up to expectations so far in his CU career but new wide receivers coach Phil McGeoghan could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Montana Lemonious-Craig figures to fit into the No. 3 job after a productive freshman campaign and a strong spring.

Ty Robinson and Chase Penry round out this list despite missing most of this spring with injuries. They’re experience last season as true freshmen gives them the edge over veterans like Maurice Bell who could be ready to break through in 2022.

Tight Ends: 1. Brady Russell, 2. Austin Smith, 3. Erik Olsen

Brady is a surefire starting tight end but the five freshmen in the room could finish in any order.

Caleb Fauria and Louis Passarello missed significant time during the spring which will put them at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, Erik Olsen and Austin Smith we’re among the stars of camp.

Both are better receivers than blockers at this point their careers. Smith gets the edge because he figures to serve as a flex tight end in the long term, which is a role that will require less blocking ability, so he shouldn’t need to clean up quite as much to be ready to see the field. It’s pretty close to a toss-up for TE2, though.