During a pass rush drill Wednesday, Colorado defensive lineman Jalen Sami hit center Van Wells with a move and won the rep.
“As soon as the rep was over,” Sami said, “he came over to me and he’s like, ‘Come talk to me. Walk me through how you did that and how can I defend that.’”
An 18-year-old true freshman, Wells isn’t a polished player, but he’s a quick learner and already one of the top young players on the roster for the Buffaloes (1-5, 1-2 Pac-12), who visit Oregon State (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday in Corvallis, Ore. (6:10 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
“First practice,” interim head coach Mike Sanford said when asked when he was first impressed by Wells. “When you watch him play, you can feel his joy of the game of football, and he just gets better and better and better every week.”
The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Wells, known as “Bam,” was a three-star prospect coming out of C.E. King High School in Houston. Although he had just two Power 5 offers — Colorado and Maryland — he did everything in his control to be ready to help immediately.
“Honestly, I put so much work in from the summer before coming out to Colorado,” he said. “During the season (at C.E. King in 2021), I was working out with the team and after that, practice; and after practice I’d go work out again. I was just preparing myself to come to the next level and play.”
Wells was aware the odds weren’t great for him to get on the field this year, as most true freshmen linemen aren’t game ready.
“I knew that coming to college and getting a starting spot wasn’t gonna be easy, but I wasn’t gonna let that stop me from working,” he said. “I just continued to do what I do on a day-to-day basis. Coaches said it was time for me to play.”
Wells didn’t play in the first two games and then made the start at left guard in the third game, at Minnesota. He was flagged for false starts twice in his first nine snaps.
“I was just ready to go,” he said. “It calmed down after that.”
In 231 snaps since, Wells has been penalized just twice.
“I don’t like coaches screaming at me,” he said. “… So when I make a mistake, I tend not to make the same mistake over and over and over.”
Wells, in fact, continues to impress coaches and teammates with his quick development. After two starts at left guard, offensive line coach Kyle DeVan felt confident enough to move Wells to center, where he’s played the last two games.
Wells is just the 13th true freshman in CU history to start on the offensive line and the first to start at center. He’s also the first true freshman to start at two different positions.
“When you’re a freshman, there’s a lot of things to handle, especially if you’re the center making the points and the IDs,” DeVan said. “I think he’s done a great job. What I didn’t realize was how great of a football foundation he had coming from (high school). I’ve really been impressed with him from a mental standpoint and catching up to the older guys.”
Physically, Wells has been impressive with his ability as a run and pass blocker.
“I think thatap something that gets undervalued and under-evaluated is the ability to sustain blocks,” DeVan said. “Thatap something that from the time he’s arrived to even the last game, he’s shown that he’s exceptional at.”
Sami may have won that rep in practice Wednesday, but Wells wins his share of reps, too.
“He’s great with his hands, a good athlete,” Sami said. “He’s smaller, but he’s aggressive and we need that. He’s got great technique. He learned that in high school. Seeing coach DeVan just perfect it a little more to play at the collegiate level, he’s got potential. The sky’s the limit for him.”
Like Sanford, Sami said “you just see the joy and love of football he has.” That love for the game developed in his youth, but is now rooted in his drive to succeed.
“I just want to do good; I want to be great,” he said. “(I want to) help my family out. I know I can do that with football, so I’m trying to do everything I can.
“I actually continue to grow in confidence. As I keep playing each game, knowing that I can play at this level, itap great. I just keep building and building and my teammates got my back so itap always helpful.”
