Derrion Rakestraw is excited for the Buffs' aggressive third-down packages

BOULDER — Once Colorado safety Derrion Rakestraw took over a starting job, there was no looking back. He picked off a pass against Arizona State, his first start, and quickly became a mainstay at the back end of Colorado’s defense.

“I am extremely comfortable back there now,” Rakestraw told reporters last week. “This is my last go-round so I am ready to show people what I can do. We showed what we were doing at the end of last season, so I am ready to continue that trend into this next season.”

Rakestraw noted that this is his second year in defensive coordinator’s Tyson Summers’ system, so there’s no need to learn a new playbook with new terminology.

“It’s huge for us to have coach Summers back,” Rakestraw said. “He came in and he really changed the attitude of our defense. He really brought that intensity and he really demands a lot out of us. A lot of us really got a lot better because of that. It’s great having him back calling plays, and I know we’re going to have something crazy out there on third down packages.”

Third-down packages are the fun part for defensive coordinators. When the offense has no choice but to throw the football, the defensive coordinator gets to dream up creative ways for the defensive front to get to the quarterback.

We saw plenty of that from Summers in 2019, particularly late in the season:

Seeing a lot of double A-gap formations today. Love it.

This third-down look is the most aggresive yet. Eight defenders within two yards of the line of scrimmage.

Again, love it. pic.twitter.com/lJvWqKydAH

— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) November 9, 2019

There are only three defenders in the above photo who can’t rush the quarterback: the two cornerbacks and the deep safety. Any combination of the other eight defenders could be rushing, while the others drop back in coverage. The offense has no idea what is happening.

The key to making this sort of package work, of course, is the versatility of the defenders. Players who can cover and also get to the quarterback are the key. Rakestraw, due to his background as a cornerback before switching to safety, possesses that versatility.

“It has been a long road, for sure, but I feel like all the obstacles I went through to get here, that has really made me into the player I am today and it has given me a lot of confidence,” Rakestraw said.

The question is where the rest of the defensive backs fit into the puzzle. Chris Miller is now listed as a safety after playing cornerback, as is Jaylen Striker. That’s the same switch that Rakestraw went through a few years back.

“They are great fits,” Rakestraw said. “Both of them are guys that really want to work and really want to get better. They have really been trying to learn the playbook and just do everything they can. I am going to help them out, too, along the way. They have been asking me questions and I have been helping them out.”