HONOLULU — A total of 13 true freshmen made the Colorado travel squad for Saturday’s game against Hawaii, an impressive number considering first-year Buffaloes coach Jon Embree and his staff only had about two months to salvage a recruiting class after he was hired in early December.
Those among the recruiting class of 2011 making the trip were three starters: cornerback Greg Henderson, place-kicker Will Oliver and punter Darragh O’Neill.
Colorado considers O’Neill to be a true freshman although, having enrolled at CU in August 2010 as a student only, he has four years to use up four seasons of eligibility rather than five years to play four.
Joining them were true freshman reserves Juda Parker (outside linebacker), Kyle Washington (safety), John Schrock (quarterback), D.D. Goodson (returner, running back), Nelson Spruce (wide receiver), Will Harlos (safety), K.T. Tu’umalo (outside linebacker), Paulay Asiata (offensive guard), Brady Daigh (inside linebacker) and Tyler McCulloch (wide receiver).
“I’m not afraid to play freshmen,” Embree has said. “I played as a true freshman (in 1983 for Colorado) and I trusted me.”
This time last fall, Daigh was playing for Mullen.
“It’s exciting,” Daigh said before the trip. “I’ve just been working as hard as I can.”
A 14th Colorado true freshman was expected to be on the trip but offensive lineman Alex Lewis contracted a flulike virus last week and was left home.
CU’s travel party also included 11 redshirt freshmen, including one starter: center Daniel Munyer.
Bohn pleased with turnout.
Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn, who traveled with the team, said an estimated 1,500 Buffs fans were at Saturday’s game. They gathered for a CU tailgate party beforehand.
“The great thing about it is, coming out to Hawaii, coupled with the Pac-12 move, we’re meeting so many very successful alumni,” Bohn said.
Home opener.
Bohn said advance ticket sales for this weekend’s 2011 home opener against California “are solid” but could be better. With upcoming promotions he expects a good turnout, he added.
The game against Cal will not count in the Pac-12 standings. The game had been previously scheduled as a nonconference game and the teams could not find suitable replacements.
Footnotes.
Colorado linebacker coach Brian Cabral, who grew up in Hawaii, picked this as his annual lava-lava game, wearing the traditional islands wrap-around garb on the sideline. . . . This marked CU’s first season opener to be nationally televised since the 2004 CU vs. Colorado State game.
