Tag: Alton McCaskill

Colorado transfer RB taking UCLA visit

UCLA hosting a Buffs RB this weekend on a visit.

The UCLA Bruins football program continues to do work in the transfer portal. The latest update is a big one as former Colorado Buffaloes and Houston Cougars running back Alton McCaskill is set to visit UCLA this weekend, per a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN.

McCaskill transferred to Colorado from Houston after suffering an ACL injury with the Cougars. However, his lone season in Boulder did not go as planned and he ended up requesting a redshirt during the season.

McCaskill had just 14 carries for 59 yards and two catches in four games for the Buffs. He is originally from Texas.

Nonetheless, the Buffs bringing in McCaskill for a visit is a big move for DeShaun Foster and his program. Playing for Foster, a former UCLA RB and an NFL RB with the Carolina Panthers, among others, could be an intriguing idea for McCaskill.

McCaskill was the AAC Rookie of the Year in 2021 after a 1,000-yard all–purpose campaign.

Alton McCaskill IV reflects on his first season in Boulder

Alton McCaskill IV opened up on his first season at Colorado

When Alton McCaskill IV transferred to Colorado from Houston, he was expected to play a major role in the Buffs’ offense. The running back was still recovering from an ACL injury, but some thought he would earn a starting role.

But, for a number of reasons, he couldn’t find consistent playing time, and McCaskill eventually decided to redshirt and turn his focus to 2024.

On his YouTube channel, McCaskill recently opened up on his first year playing for head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs (h/t Adam Munsterteiger of 247Sports).

“It didn’t go the way everybody thought it was going to go, obviously, but you see where you have to grow,” McCaskill said. “Still more work to do. You see what it could be, though. You got to see what we could be. You got to see some really great flashes. The flashes were just off the top.”

Before joining the Buffs, McCaskill rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in 2021 and was named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.

The future is bright for McCaskill and the Buffs, especially with a revamped offensive line coming to Boulder.

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Alton McCaskill IV asks Deion Sanders for redshirt season

Alton McCaskill IV is expected to sit out for the remainder of the season

As head coach Deion Sanders revealed on Tuesday, Houston transfer running back Alton McCaskill IV is deciding to redshirt this season and prepare for the 2024 campaign.

McCaskill was expected to do a lot of things this season after missing last year with an ACL injury. But Colorado’s running back room is crowded and a poor offensive line prevented McCaskill from getting many touches.

Sanders revealed that it was McCaskill who made the decision to redshirt. Coach Prime elaborated on the situation during a press conference on Tuesday.

“Alton came into my office yesterday and he wanted to be redshirted, which I think is very wise,” Sanders said. “I’m all for it. If he had wanted to continue to play, I would’ve been all for it. He’s one of my favorite human beings on this team. He’s a great young man, raised properly and he wants it. But he does understand that it’s been a while since he has had his full strength and full potential and ability to move and cut and explosion. And he understands that. He wants to train and work his butt off and get into shape and come back in the spring and earn that No. 1 spot.”

Coach Prime repeated that McCaskill wants to work hard and compete for the No. 1 RB job in the spring, and there is a path to that happening if things go well.

On the year, he had just 14 carries for 59 yards. His best game came against Stanford as he recorded six rushes for 23 yards.

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Deion Sanders expecting Alton McCaskill IV to see action against Stanford

Alton McCaskill IV could play an increased role against Stanford

The lack of a ground game has been one of the biggest weaknesses for the Buffaloes. As a team, Colorado has rushed for just 472 yards this season and its leading rusher, freshman Dylan Edwards, has only 217 yards.

Ahead of the Buffs’ Week 7 matchup against Stanford on Friday night, head coach Deion Sanders addressed the importance of making an effort to run the ball. He mentioned that it can be hard to do that when you have so many talented ball carriers and only one football to go around.

Coach Prime specifically mentioned Alton McCaskill IV, the Houston transfer who has just six rushing attempts on the season, as someone who he expects to see increased touches as early as this week.

On the season, McCaskill has six carries for 22 yards but has also been recovering from an ACL injury that he suffered last fall.

As a freshman for the Cougars in 2021, McCaskill rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns before missing the 2022 season with a torn ACL.

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Demouy Kennedy, Alton McCaskill IV named to Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list

A pair of #cubuffs were named to the Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list

Colorado’s Alton McCaskill IV and Demouy Kennedy were both named to the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list on Tuesday ahead of their first seasons with the Buffs.

McCaskill, a former Houston running back who earned the 2021 AAC Rookie of the Year, missed all of last season with an ACL tear but told me earlier this month that he’s “feeling really good and explosive” following an extensive rehab process. He’s expected to be at or near 100% for the season opener.

The linebacker Kennedy appeared in five games last year for Alabama before suffering a season-ending knee injury. In 2021, he was one of the Crimson Tide’s top special teams contributors.

Now at Arizona State, former Colorado wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who led the Buffs with 470 receiving yards last season before suffering a lower-leg injury in November, also made the watch list.

Jarek Broussard remains Colorado’s only player to win the award, doing so in the shortened 2020 campaign.

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Trio of Buffs make Doak Walker Award watch list

The #cubuffs have a whopping three representatives on the Doak Walker Award watch list

The Doak Walker Award is given annually to the top running back in college football. The Colorado Buffaloes, with their new roster and a new head coach, have three running backs who landed on the preseason watchlist Wednesday.

The three players are Kavosiey Smoke, Sy’veon Wilkerson and Alton McCaskill IV.

It’s not often that the Buffs have even one running back make the list, so three in the same year is outstanding. Wilkerson followed head coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State and has a lot of familiarity with quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Smoke transferred from Kentucky and has an impressive highlight reel. But McCaskill might be the best of the bunch despite missing all of his final season in Houston due to injury. Early on, McCaskill is catching eyeballs at Buffs camp and there’s a path to him being the lead back.

This is terrific news for Coach Prime and offensive coordinator Sean Lewis, who have a logjam at running back. But, it’s better to have too much talent than not enough.

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Coach Flea gives update on competition at running back

Coach Flea gave an update on how Colorado’s RBs room is shaking out

Colorado’s roster looks way different than it did at the end of the 2022 season. The running back room has two returnees in Anthony Hankerson and Charlie Offerdahl but also brought in Kentucky transfer Kavosiey Smoke and Houston transfer Alton McCaskill IV, not to mention incoming freshman Dylan Edwards and former Jackson State lead back Sy’veon Wilkerson.

The position is deep early on, and running backs coach Gary “Flea” Harrell admitted it will be a slit workload (h/t Jake Schwanitz of DNVR Buffs). Coach Flea went on to mention that McCaskill is the lead guy right now, which isn’t surprising after seeing how well he played at Houston before suffering an injury. Smoke, Edwards and Hankerson are also right behind, Harrell said.

With quarterback Shedeur Sanders and a flurry of other new weapons on offense, the running back room is as loaded as ever in Boulder, which is a tremendous sign for head coach Deion Sanders and offensive coordinator Sean Lewis.

McCaskill might be on top, but the Buffs could very easily use three or even five backs in this high-octane offense.

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WATCH: Alton McCaskill IV opens up about why he chose Colorado

Alton McCaskill IV opened up about why Colorado was an attractive option for him in the transfer portal

Although taken advantage of often, entering the transfer portal is rarely an easy decision to make for college players. That was the case for former Houston running back Alton McCaskill IV, who committed to Colorado in May following two seasons with the Cougars.

In a video posted to his YouTube account earlier this week, the 2021 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year opened up about his decision to leave Houston and join the Buffs.

“I chose Colorado because of the opportunities coming from the popularity around the school,” McCaskill said. “How many eyes are going to be on the school is going to be a really good thing for people who are trying to get to the next level, which is something I’m obviously trying to do. On top of that, Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) and all of his staff, from the trainers to the strength coaches, everybody is very genuine.”

McCaskill is now entering his first fall camp at Colorado as one of the top contenders for the Buffs’ starting RB job. Also in the video, McCaskill, who missed all of last season due to an ACL tear, mentioned that he’s nearly 100% in terms of his recovery.

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Colorado football 2023 state of the position: Running back

How do you see Colorado’s offensive backfield shaking out in 2023?

The Colorado Buffaloes’ passing offense is getting a lot of love heading into the 2023 season. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders earned rave reviews for his play during spring ball and the wave of talented wide receivers have been social media darlings during offseason workouts.

So, Colorado will be a pass-first team next season, right? As the great Lee Corso often says, not so fast, my friend! Offensive coordinator Sean Lewis mentioned his Badger blood as a way of reminding the country that the Buffaloes are going to run the ball early and often.

Below is a breakdown of what Colorado’s RB room looks like with fall camp just weeks away:

Transfer Profile: What to know about new Colorado RB Alton McCaskill

Here’s what you should know about Alton McCaskill

The Colorado Buffaloes have been on the lookout for dynamic playmakers since head coach Deion Sanders came in and they snagged a good one in Houston transfer RB Alton McCaskill.

Because of roster attrition, running back was a position of need for the Buffs and they have done a great job in remaking that room. McCaskill has a chance to grab the lead back spot through what will be a likely competition between 2022 holdover Anthony Hankerson, Kentucky transfer Kavosiey Smoke and true freshman Dylan Edwards.

Here are the five things you should know about Colorado football’s potential lead back for next season: