BOULDER — Not too long ago, the University of Colorado coaching staff found itself looking at some tape of its offensive line from a couple of years back. And the difference from then to the Buffs’ situation so far this year, coach Dan Hawkins said, can’t be measured on a calendar.
“You’re going, ‘Whoa!’ It’s unbelievable,” Hawkins said Sunday evening after his team’s practice. “It’s like light years.”
Instead of scrambling to find enough bodies to line up from tackle to tackle, CU is suddenly flush along the O-line, and nowhere is that more apparent than at right tackle, where Bryce Givens, a sophomore and returning starter from a year ago, is being pushed by redshirt freshman David Bakhtiari.
“And I’m not sure that Jack Harris (a 6-foot-5, 290-pound freshman from Chaparral High School in Parker) hasn’t played as well as anybody in there,” Hawkins said.
“That’s a good thing; as long as they continue to handle it and push each other, that’s an awesome thing. And it’s across the board, from catch/drop charts for the receivers and quarterback efficiency — it’s on it every day and every play matters, and I think that helps everybody get better.”
For his part, Bakhtiari realizes he’s come a long way in a relatively short period of time.
“I knew I did really well in the spring game, and I’ve been working hard, just grinding,” he said. “And I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I wouldn’t say I’m 100 percent shocked, and it’s not totally out of the blue, but it’s still a little surprising.”
The native of Burlingame, Calif., certainly has the genes to succeed. One brother, Eric, plays for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans; another, Andrew, is a junior at the University of San Diego. And at 6-4, Bakhtiari certainly had the right frame. The question was whether he’d be able to fill it out.
When he initially reported to CU, Bakhtiari weighed about 245 pounds. He’s now up to 290, thanks to some intense work in the weight room and a never-ending supply of Gatorade/protein shakes from the Buffs’ strength and conditioning coach, Jeff Pittman.
“You come in and you’re 18, 19 years old and you have to get a little maturity on you,” offensive line coach Denver Johnson said. “He’s made tremendous strides in that way. He’s athletic, he’s quick, aggressive and physical, and right now we have a heck of a battle going on at that right tackle spot.”
But as much as he would like to win it, Bakhtiari said the most important thing is that the team comes out on top.
“I’m going to do everything I can to keep it, but really, it’s whatever’s best for the team,” he said. “I want to see the team succeed before I succeed.
“If that means I need to be playing, great. If it means only going in for certain downs, or not playing at all, then fine — whatever helps the team.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
