K.D. Nixon shares his insight into the quarterback competition

BOULDER — Chemistry is at the forefront of K.D. Nixon’s mind.

In the midst of the first quarterback battle at Colorado in years, the senior wide receiver isn’t picking sides. He’s worked with all three competitors — true freshman Brendon Lewis, junior Tyler Lytle and senior Sam Noyer — but he’s ready for the competition to end so he can invest his time in building chemistry with the winner.

“Once we know, the work is getting turned up another level because now we can start working on chemistry, chemistry, chemistry, chemistry; instead of working with three quarterbacks,” Nixon said.

Chemistry between a quarterback and a wide receiver is a tough concept to put into words. The overly simple explanation is that chemistry is knowing what each other is going to do, so that nothing comes a surprise and no opportunities are missed because of mixed signals.

Nixon explained it like this:

“He’ll know, (based on) routes versus air, how fast I will run (the route), what spot to throw it to, if the (cornerback) is on top he can throw it back shoulder, if (the cornerback) is below trailing he can throw it over the top,” Nixon said. “That’s the basics. That’s the chemistry.”

That chemistry would come easiest with Lytle.

“Tyler is the quarterback of my class, so I’ve been throwing with him since my first year,” Nixon told reporters on Wednesday.

But chemistry with the team’s most established receiver isn’t going to be enough to win the starting job. Luckily, that’s not all that Lytle brings to the table.

“Tyler is smart; Tyler graduated,” Nixon said. “I’m following Tyler’s footsteps off the field, but on the field, everybody who was recruited was the best at their high school. We all have the ability to be the best ever. Tyler has the ability to start but it’s all about mindsets.”

The chemistry with Lewis is coming along nicely, too. Lewis arrived in Boulder a week before voluntary athletic activities were allowed to begin and he’s been working with Nixon ever since.

“Now he knows, ‘Okay, at practice I was throwing with this touch at this yard mark and he was running under it,'” Nixon said. “That’s how you’re going to get it in a game. It’s going to be the exact same thing. Practice makes perfect.”

This is the first time Nixon has been the veteran when building a relationship with a quarterback.

“I’ve never had a chance to teach a quarterback,” Nixon said. “I just was able to see (Steven) Montez, Sefo (Liufau), college greats around the Pac-12 and around the world. Just being able to be in practice and see those guys compete, you know they’ve got their eye on this job so why not help them?”

To sum things up between Lewis and Nixon, things are going well.

“We’re steadily growing,” Nixon said. “Some days you might have a bad day but we don’t call it a bad day because it’s a working day. We’re progressing. We’re getting better every day. B-Lew, he’s catching on so fast, it’s so beautiful.”

That’s what Buffs Country should want to hear about its true freshman quarterback but Nixon wasn’t close to ready to pick one of the three quarterbacks and he definitely isn’t counting out the senior in the competition.

“Sam Noyer is a beast. Sam Noyer been a beast. Sam Noyer will be a beast. Y’all will see Sam Noyer soon.”