BOULDER — At last check, and depending on what they devoured for dinner, one of Colorado’s first-string offensive tackles, Ryan Miller, goes 6-feet-7 and 305 pounds, and the other, Nate Solder, stands 6-8, 300.
“Bookend Behemoths?”
“Big Tackle Dudes?”
They must have a nickname, right?
“We’ve been kind of joking around with ‘Thunder and Lightning,’ ” Miller said. “I guess it’s kind of starting to stick.”
Which is which?
“I’m the Thunder and Nate’s the Lightning,” Miller said with a grin. “Nate’s a little more finesse. I’m a little more brute.”
Senior defensive end Maurice Lucas prefers to call them “Freaks.” That’s meant as a compliment — as in freaks of nature with their unique combination of size and athleticism.
The super sophomores certainly have the right DNA. As a senior at Columbine High School, Miller chased down an opponent’s tailback after an 80-yard gain in the state championship game.
Until this spring, Solder was a towering tight end who could get downfield. He averaged 16.7 yards on three receptions in 2007 (all against Miami, Ohio), a per-catch average that ranked only behind fleet wideout Josh Smith (19.6) on the team.
Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes “comes into the office every day with a smile on his face” knowing Miller and Solder will be cornerstones for three years, CU coach Dan Hawkins said.
“I hope it’s three years. In this day and age you never know,” Hawkins added, referring to their pro potential.
A consensus high school All-American and rated a five-star, national top-25 recruit by Internet sites, Miller picked CU over Notre Dame and lived up to his billing. He earned mention on national all-freshman teams last fall after earning the starting job at right tackle in midseason.
Solder, from Class 2A Buena Vista, wasn’t as highly recruited as Miller. A three-star prospect who weighed 245 pounds when he arrived at Colorado, Solder did receive additional offers from Nebraska and Iowa State. Grimes feels fortunate other marquee programs did not project Solder, who also played linebacker in high school as well as basketball, as a lineman. There aren’t a lot of offensive tackles his size with feet that nimble.
“The thing that’s most impressive to me at this point is how hard they worked this summer,” Grimes said. “Not only have they done everything we want physically, but also everything we want in terms of their work ethic and their leadership. If we had 100 guys on the team like them, we’d be unstoppable.”
Thus far during August drills, Grimes has been working Miller and Solder on the left and right sides. At some point, the most consistent pass blocker will win the job at left tackle — which protects the blind side of right-handed quarterback Cody Hawkins.
Saying it doesn’t matter which side they’re on, both try to elevate each other’s level of play. They roomed together during the Independence Bowl trip in December and became fast friends. Solder arrived in Boulder a year before Miller but redshirted in 2006.
“It’s really great to have a bond with the other tackle,” Miller said. “In the run game, I’ve been able to help him out. In pass blocking, he’s helped me tremendously. When we watch film, Nate is so balanced and straight back when he takes his first couple of steps.”
Said Solder: “All my game experience has been at tight end, and he’s always played offensive tackle. So I can learn the mentality it takes. It motivates you, seeing a guy as high-caliber as him on the field.”
Solder and Miller use their long arms to keep pass rushers at bay. “That reach of theirs is really hard to get past,” Lucas said of the battles in practice. “You just get out of your stance and they’re already on you.”
“Hogs. They’re hogs,” touted freshman tailback Darrell Scott added. “It’s going to be fun running behind those guys.”
Footnote.
Colorado lost its second player for the season with an ACL knee injury. Senior defensive end Drew Hudgins was injured Friday afternoon. CU lost guard Mike Iltis on Tuesday to a torn ACL.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
