Five Colorado defensive players — linebacker Liloa Nobriga and defensive backs Parker Orms, Ayodeji Olatoye, Paul Vigo and Josh Moten — have been indefinitely suspended from the team, the school announced early Thursday afternoon.
The suspensions do not involve legal matters, CU coach Jon Embree said in the news release.
The five suspended players may not participate in football-related functions but are expected to meet their academic responsibilities.
“We are disappointed that these student-athletes have not lived up to the high expectations we have here at the University of Colorado,” Embree said in the release.
“While not going into specifics, there are not issues with law enforcement, but they have not met their obligations and responsibilities to be active members of the team.”
Moten is a redshirt freshman, the others are sophomores.
Orms, a former standout at Wheat Ridge High School, began the season as a starting cornerback before suffering a leg injury that kept him out of last weekend’s game against Washington State. The others were reserves.
Nobriga had not appeared in a game this season after playing seeing action in 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2010 – including starts in the last five games when Jon Major suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Cornerback had already been depleted by injuries and the position becomes even more challenging without Orms, Olatoye, Vigo and Moten.
On Saturday at Stanford, Colorado’s defense will face its biggest test. The seventh-ranked Cardinal are led by junior quarterback Andrew Luck, who is considered the likely overall No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
CU coach Jon Embree said following Wednesday’s practice that cornerback Jonathan Hawkins has returned to practice after dealing with a family issue, and the senior could supply depth behind starters Greg Henderson, a true freshman, and senior Jason Espinoza, who converted from wide receiver to the defensive secondary after August camp.
However, senior cornerback Brian Lockridge has an ankle sprain and is considered doubtful for the Stanford game. Lockridge converted from running back two weeks ago and was credited with five tackles against Washington State, including one solo stop.
Sophomore safety Terrel Smith is taking repetitions at cornerback, Embree said. And senior Arthur Jaffee, who has missed three games after spraining a knee against California, also is close to returning, according to the coach.
Colorado’s starting safeties, senior Anthony Perkins and junior Ray Polk, seemingly have worked with a different pair of cornerbacks each week.
“You just have to bring them up to speed on what we’re doing and what we’re trying to accomplish,” Polk said Wednesday. “We have to watch out for them.”
Helping to add depth at linebacker in place of Nobriga could be true freshman Woodson Greer. Embree said Greer, a 6-foot-3, 235-pounder from Carson, Calif., will make the trip to Stanford and likely will see his first college playing time this weekend as a reserve.
“That’s what we’re left with,” Embree said Wednesday following practice.
There is no further interview access to Colorado players or coaches beginning on Thursdays of game weeks.
