BOULDER, Colo.—The last thing the Colorado Buffaloes want to do is rush their heralded rusher.
Freshman Darrell Scott, whom recruiting services called the top tailback in the country last year, will get plenty of chances to make an impact this season.
But coach Dan Hawkins doesn’t want to stunt his progress by putting too much pressure on the young man who chose the still-rebuilding Buffs over the powerhouse Texas Longhorns.
“We’re not hanging the moon on him,” Hawkins promised. “Everybody else has these different feelings or aspirations about what he should do or not do. All we’re asking him to do is come in and embrace our culture, which is be a great person, graduate and help us win a national championship.”
Just not all at once.
“That day is going to come, there is no question,” Hawkins said. “He’s very talented, who knows when that is? I’m not rushing that. I just want him to know where to line up and how to take a hand-off. He’s been great he’s been jumping in on all kinds of special teams. He wants to play that.
“We’ll see. I’m not rushing him. I’m not putting any pressure on him to lead us to the next level. I just want him to do all the right things and have fun and do things right.”
Scott isn’t the only fantastic freshman in the Buffs’ backfield.
Sophomore quarterback Cody Hawkins, who threw for more than 3,000 yards last season and has added some oomph to his throws this year, is thrilled to have Scott in his backfield along with fellow freshmen Ray Polk and Rodney Stewart.
“Defenses are definitely going to have to be wary,” he said, “because we’re going to have some great running backs with a great ability to run the ball, but we’re also going to have some playmaking wide receivers who can move down the field as well.”
Running backs coach Darian Hagan is eager to mold his raw backfield, which he calls the most talented in the country.
“Darrell is a power/speed back. Ray is more of a slasher type of guy and Rodney is just a blur,” Hagan said. “That dude is so quick when he runs I don’t think his heels ever touch the ground. He’s constantly moving forward.”
And what about the national attention that will inevitably follow Scott even if the program’s not placed on his shoulders right away?
“I don’t think it’s burden, I like it. It puts Colorado back out in the national scene and that’s all you can ask for,” Hagan said. “Darrell’s a humble kid, he knows there is no such thing as entitlement, he has to work hard in order to achieve the success that he’s had before. He’s come in and he fits right in with the guys, the guys like him. They call him five-star, it’s a good match.”
Scott has been the big man on campus ever since he signed his national letter of intent.
Now, he’s going through a crash course on his footwork while trying to get acclimated to the altitude and help the Buffs continue their bounce-back from a 2-10 season in 2006.
“It’s fun,” Scott said. “I’m just adjusting to the altitude. The altitude is tough, but I’m good. I just water down my body and get as many reps as I can.”
The Buffs return six starters on offense and eight on defense from a team that went 6-7 last year with three losses coming by a touchdown or less, including a 30-24 loss to Alabama in the Independence Bowl.
They’re extremely young on offense, however, and their schedule is tough as nails.
They miss Oklahoma and Texas Tech in conference, but the nonconference is tough—hosting West Virginia and getting Florida State in Jacksonville. Plus Big 12 road trips to Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.
“I tell our guys, life asks you to be your best every day, but our schedule demands it,” Dan Hawkins said.
