BOULDER — Three years after becoming one of the most highly rated defensive linemen in history to sign with Colorado, junior Nick Kasa said Monday he finally has found a home.
At tight end.
The 6-foot-6 Kasa got in for “five or six” plays in his new position Saturday in the loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl and said he loved it. Tight end already feels like a great fit, he said.
One of the snaps was a pass play called for Kasa. But quarterback Tyler Hansen was pressured and had to throw the ball away, Kasa said.
“It was fun to get out there and run around,” he said.
An All-American at Legacy High School in Broomfield, Kasa arrived at CU in 2009 with much fanfare. had ranked Kasa as the nation’s No. 42 best prospect, regardless of position. And Kasa originally extended an oral commitment to Florida, the reigning national champion, before switching to Colorado.
Kasa never gained any traction in the trenches, however. During his initial August camp, he suffered a knee injury in the first scrimmage that caused him to miss three games. Soon after returning, he contracted mononucleosis and was sidelined for the last five games. Kasa played in all 12 games in 2010, but made only one start and was in on just 18 tackles.
Kasa believes his progress was slowed by being asked to play both defensive end and defensive tackle rather than concentrating on one position. Buried on the depth chart this season, he went to CU coaches at midseason and volunteered to play on offense if it would help get him on the field.
Coach Jon Embree suggested tight end and the move was made Oct. 26. Kasa now wears jersey No. 90.
Ironically, one reason Kasa chose Colorado over Florida during the recruiting process was because he did not want to play on offense. Former Gators coach Urban Meyer told Kasa that he might project as an offensive tackle.
“Now, I don’t care if it’s offense or defense, I just want to play,” Kasa said Monday. “I’m 260 pounds now (down from his listed preseason weight of 270), so that’s perfect for tight end.”
Kasa said he hadn’t played tight end since middle school. So, what about his hands?
“I can catch doing one-on-one stuff,” he said. “But it’s the team stuff (running pass routes) and reading defenses that I haven’t done much.”
Although Kasa may get some snaps Friday in the 1:30 p.m. season finale at Utah, Embree said spring drills “will be huge” for Kasa to show he can compete for a starting job next fall. Embree said Kasa will remain a tight end.
Two remaining suspended players are done. Embree said Monday that two suspended sophomores, cornerback Deji Olatoye and linebacker Liloa Nobriga, will not be invited back to the team.
Olatoye and Nobriga were among five players suspended on Oct. 5 by Embree for violating unspecified team rules. Josh Moten, Parker Orms and Paul Vigo have been reinstated.
Footnotes. Apparently Embree plans to remain at his alma mater for a while, perhaps for a long while. Public records of recent Boulder County real estate transactions show that Embree purchased property on 95th Street for $1.44 million. . . . Senior defensive back Travis Sandersfeld and junior defensive lineman Will Pericak were named to the 25-man Pac-12 all-academic team.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
