BOULDER — Colorado sophomore Ethan Adkins has jumped to first team at left guard, but the former Douglas County High School star understands that depth charts are usually in a state of flux.
It would help his standing, Adkins said Wednesday, if he performs well today during the first scrimmage of August camp. Adkins (6-feet-4, 300 pounds) supplanted returning starter Blake Behrens (6-3, 285) for the spot in the No. 1 offense.
“I’m not trying to think about ‘the battle’ per se; I’m just thinking about doing the best job I can,” Adkins said. “You want to have a good scrimmage. But you need to do that in every practice.”
Offensive line coach Denver Johnson said Adkins came out of spring drills as one of the team’s five best linemen. Behrens, a Scottsdale, Ariz., native who started in 11 of 12 games in 2008, missed spring ball because of shoulder surgery.
“There is still going to be competition in there, but Ethan took advantage of an opportunity (Behrens’ offseason surgery) and earned the right to start off fall camp with the ones, and he has started off pretty well,” Johnson said.”He’s progressing nicely, and someone has to beat him out. Or he has to give it away. So far, it doesn’t look like he’s going to give it away.”
Scrimmage talk.
CU coach Dan Hawkins said he will “not put a lot of pressure” on players as far as winning jobs or their standing on the depth chart until after the second scrimmage (Aug. 20).
“But you start kind of lining things up,” Hawkins said of today’s first scrimmage. “You get in more of a game-like deal. You see who can make some plays.”
Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said it is especially important to see how younger players react during the first scrimmage because, unlike during regular practices, this will be the first time they are asked to perform without a script.
“You have to see what these kids can retain and remember from what we’ve done all week,” Kiesau said.
Position battles to watch.
In addition to Adkins vs. Behrens at left guard, competition should be interesting at defensive end (including sophomores Conrad Obi and Lagrone Shields and freshman Nick Kasa) and at wide receiver. This will be the first game-like conditions for freshmen Jarrod Darden (6-5, 210), Will Jefferson (6-0, 195) and Terdema Ussery (6-4, 205).
Wideout is a position of particular need, with sophomore Markques Simas suspended for the first two games and the eligibility of junior college transfer Andre Simmons unclear. Simmons still has not been cleared to practice.
Footnotes.
Scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. at Folsom Field, today’s scrimmage will be the final session of summer drills open to the public. . . . Hawkins said junior place-kicker Aric Goodman has looked “great” on field goals. “He’s been banging them,” Hawkins said.
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
