Tag: Guy Thomas

Brady Russell among former Buffs signing NFL deals

Brady Russell was among a few former #cubuffs who were able to sign NFL deals post-draft

The 2023 NFL draft has come to an end, and the Colorado Buffaloes were one of just seven Power Five football teams to not have a player selected in the seven-round draft. However, a few Buffs did earn undrafted free agent contracts and minicamp invites, so there is some hope that one of these players can crack a spot on a 53-man roster.

Plus, former Colorado cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon and Christian Gonzalez were both drafted.

Tight end Brady Russell was perhaps the most notable former Buff who heard his phone ring after the draft concluded.

Here’s a quick rundown of which recent Buffs standouts were able to crack a deal with an NFL team:

How did CU’s pro day compare to NFL combine numbers?

A few pro day Buffs compared well to NFL combine players

The Colorado Buffaloes held their 31st annual pro day on Wednesday with nine players participating. Pro days are held across the country for college players hoping to make the NFL. Scouts from 16 different NFL teams were in attendance to watch the Buffaloes’ talent showcase their skills.

College pro days are a great way for anyone who may not have been invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis to get in front of scouts. No CU player was able to snag an invite to the NFL combine, but that doesn’t mean the NFL is not in their future. A breakout performance at a college pro day can propel you into a tryout, or even better, becoming a draft pick. But how did this year’s CU group stack up against the players who were at the combine?

Thanks to Horton Barbell, we can compare each pro day Buff to the average NFL combine numbers for their position:

Guy Thomas ready to end his Buffs career on a high note

Guy Thomas enters his final college season with plenty of experience to lean on

With the 2020 COVID year and changes in the protocols, we see more and more sixth-year seniors in today’s game.

The Colorado Buffaloes have one sixth-year senior in Guy Thomas, and the  Buffs linebacker is ready to roll after a breakout campaign in 2021.

With the season right around the corner, Thomas has some massive goals for his final season (h/t Brian Howell of BuffZone).

“I plan to lead the team in sacks. I would like to lead the team in tackles for loss. I would like to at least be top five for the most tackles on the team. And I want to be one of the best pass rushers in the Pac-12.”

Thomas had 19 tackles and a sack in 2021, so he still has some work to do in order to reach those goals.

But, Thomas did admit that being a sixth-year player has some advantages (h/t BuffZone).

“I feel like going into my sixth year, I’m definitely experienced,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot and I’m just ready for kickoff. I’m just ready to get out there and compete with the top teams in our conference and to compete against TCU, Minnesota and Air Force.”

Let’s see if Thomas can become the star of the linebacker room.

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Colorado’s leaders share their thoughts on current locker room morale

Colorado Buffaloes leaders talked about the locker room morale following their loss to USC

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As is typical after another difficult loss, several Buffaloes were asked about the vibe in the locker room. Colorado’s losing performance on Saturday was its fourth in a row and wasn’t particularly inspiring. Obviously, a locker room culture feeds off wins but the Buffaloes at least did their best to stay positive following the game. Here’s what a few of Colorado’s leaders said of the locker room morale:

Dimitri Stanley: I think the morale is still pretty high. We know what we got in the locker room, and we have a whole bunch of talent on this team. It’s just breaking the film down and seeing what we’re doing wrong in order to fix it for next week. Going into this by week, we have a lot to focus on and a lot to work on to get ready to play Arizona.”

Brady Russell: I’d say the vibe in the locker room is it’s still good. It’s kind of the older guys are trying to bring the young guys along with us. We’ve been through some of these kind of things, me Mekhi (Blackmon), Carson (Wells), those kind of guys. They’re just trying to keep people’s heads up because we still got a lot of great players, and we still got a lot of capability. We just need people to understand that they are a lot more capable than they think they are.”

Sep 3, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Dimitri Stanley (14) returns a punt in the second quarter against the Northern Colorado Bears at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Lewis: I think that bye week timing is crucial right now because we’re not where we want to be. Our headspace isn’t where it needs to be. We understand how important this bye week is going to be. We’re going to take the rest but also we got to handle the details.

Guy Thomas: We love each other so I don’t see any of us giving up on each other.

Colorado’s atrocious first half ends on a high note

Deion Smith scored his second touchdown of the season.

For about the first 26 minutes of the first half, Colorado was playing some of its worst football of the season, and that is saying something. We saw the same uninspired offense combined with a secondary that simply couldn’t keep up with USC’s receivers, mainly Drake London.

Something finally went Colorado’s way when Guy Thomas forced USC running back Keaontay Ingram to fumble around midfield. Mark Perry was alert and picked up the fumble to give Colorado its best field position of the game at USC’s 48-yard line.

The momentum garnered stayed with the offense as Brendon Lewis immediately found Dimitri Stanley for a 7-yard gain. Jarek Broussard broke loose on the next play as well for a 19-yard rush, his longest of the game.

Tight end Brady Russell got into the act too with a gutsy 13-yard gain.

With the Buffaloes just over one yard outside of the end zone, Deion Smith punched it home for his second touchdown of the year. The TD and extra point would bring the game to its halftime score of USC 20, Colorado 7.

Five Buffs that impressed in Week 2 against Texas A&M

Buffaloes Wire applauds five Colorado players who stood out positively in the Buffs’ narrow loss to Texas A&M.

It took a team effort on Saturday to hang with the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies. Even though a win wasn’t quite achieved, the Buffaloes’ effort was nearly impeccable all afternoon. Below are five players who I believe played a key role in turning an expected blowout into a white knuckler.

Karl Dorrell’s near upset was aided by a stellar defensive performance from the D-line to the defensive backs. We saw breakout performances for some and a return to greatness for others. Two of the players listed below even began their college careers at the junior college ranks before transferring to CU. Regardless of their background, these Buffaloes united for one of the most memorable CU games in recent memory.