Day 5 Camp Notes: New DC Chris Wilson talks to the media

BOULDER — Five days of fall camp are done and Colorado is putting the pads on tomorrow!

New defensive coordinator Chris Wilson, who took over for Tyson Summers after the season, spoke to reporters on Monday. It was the first time he’d taken the podium since camp started on Thursday. DNVR also caught up with defensive linemen Jalen Sami and Terrance Lang in exclusive interviews.

Reminder: Reporters aren’t allowed to watch practice, so these notes are all based on what coaches and players told DNVR after practice.

Here’s what we learned.

The new defense is simpler

Back at Pac-12 Media Day, linebacker Nate Landman told reporters that one of the changes under Wilson was a simpler defense.

“We’ll be a versatile defense,” Landman said. “We won’t be as intricate as we were. Pretty simple. He’s still running great defense, great calls. (We) have a bunch of calls, bunch of checks but I think the way he’s going to be running the defense allows us to create the ability for more depth and have more guys feel comfortable to be playing and comfortable in the defense.”

On Monday, Wilson agreed.

“Nobody comes to watch me coach,” Wilson said. “I learned as a young coach that you simplify things so your players can play fast. If you’re a 4.6 (40-yard dash time), I just want you to play a 4.6. You do that by giving them things that they can process consistently and that happens with clean reps every day.”

So far in camp, it doesn’t seem like the changes to the defense will be major. There will be changes, though.

“It’s a new team. Every year in college football the dynamics change so much and we’re custom tailors,” Wilson said. “All we’re trying to do is tailor things every week for our best players. It will be different, as our players are different and a little bit of our scheme is different but primarily we will have some similarities.”

Wilson expects a lot from his linemen

With Colorado’s defensive line coach serving as coordinator, Sami says that the standards have been raised for his position group.

“He’s always a hard coach,” Sami said. “He’s very technical in drill work. He puts a lot on our plate. It puts a lot of pressure on us that we need to set the standard. We need to be the backbone for the team. Everything does start up front.”

To nobody’s surprise, Wilson agrees that everything starts up front.

“One of the things about playing up front: you’re a first responder,” Wilson said. “When everybody else is running out, you’re running in.”

According to Wilson, the results speak for themselves when teams invest in the trenches.

“I believe this to my core. It’s not just coach talk,” Wilson said. “When your fronts become great, your teams become great. Every place I’ve been where you win championships you are dominant up front.”

Na’im is DL3

With Mustafa Johnson no longer playing for CU, there’s a starting job available on the defensive line.

Sophomore Na’im Rodman was the pre-camp favorite to land the job, thanks in part to his fill-in start last season when Lang missed the Utah game. (Lang’s stated goal, by the way, is to play in every game this season at full-strength.)

Sami says that he and Lang are trying to help develop the rest of the group. He hinted that Rodman might be out in front of the pack.

“Me and T-Lang, we’re working on it,” Sami told DNVR. “Na’im, he’s already working with us, so we’re trying to get everyone else to come join along with Na’im.”

Regardless of who starts, Wilson has made it clear in the past that he wants a deep rotation… assuming there are enough players worthy of seeing the field. With Johnson gone and Jeremiah Doss, who was a rotational piece in 2020, sidelined for the season with an injury, there’s no guarantee of a deep rotation.

T-Lang likes the QBs

Although Lang wasn’t paying attention to the NFL scouts who attended Monday’s practice, he was peeking at the quarterbacks.

“Those are two great quarterbacks back there working,” Lang said. “As long as they keep working the rest of camp, I know the coaches are going to make the right decision.”

Is he happy with what he’s seen?

“I am.”

The pads come on tomorrow

Day 6 will be the first day in full pads, following a couple of days wearing shoulder pads.

The guys are excited.

“It’s been a long five days but let’s get it on,” Sami said. “Get ready for the game on the third. Get ready for that.”

Wilson said that it’s tough to evaluate the trenches before padded practices begin.

“You can see some athleticism,” Wilson said. “It’s a lot different when they put the pads on so we’ll get a chance to see some guys evaluate themselves once the pads come on.”