That would be interesting, and the Steelers could benefit from either defensive player later in the draft class, depending on how everything plays out.
For my PGH people: While Mike Tomlin & Kevin Colbert have taken high-profile trips to UGA's and now Clemson's Pro Day, the #Steelers had 2 scouts, Mark Bruener & Kelvin Fisher, at Colorado's Pro Day Wednesday.
ILB Nate Landman and OLB/Edge Carson Wells are names to watch there.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert made the trip to watch Clemson and Georgia, specifically, but sending a pair of scouts to the Buffs Pro Day is definitely a noteworthy aspect.
Both Wells and Landman are projected to be Day Three picks, with some evaluators even having both Buffs players going undrafted. However, Wells’ performed well during the Pro Day, and Landman’s resume speaks for itself.
With the NFL Draft a month away, it will be worth monitoring how Landman and Wells pop up on recent mock drafts. Who knows, maybe one of them ends up with the Steelers.
Nate Landman is set to compete in the NFL Scouting Combine
In his five seasons at Colorado, Nate Landman enjoyed one of the most dominant careers we’ve ever seen from a Buffs defender. His 409 total tackles ranks fifth all-time in program history and his pure toughness should translate well to the NFL.
The All-Pac-12 linebacker took a big step towards that destination this week when he received an invitation to compete in the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The all-week event begins March 1 and allows much of the nation’s top talent to showcase their skills with the upcoming draft looming.
Vote for the Colorado Buffaloes Wire Player of the Year
We’re turning it over to you, the fan, to pick our inaugural Colorado Buffaloes Wire Player of the Year.
You may not agree with our finalists, but we’ve narrowed it down to five Buffs for this prestigious award: McKinley Wright IV, Nate Landman, Carson Wells, Evan Battey and Mya Hollingshed.
To remind you just how special these Buffs were in 2021, check out our favorite article from each finalist.
The Buffs will have two players in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
The Colorado Buffaloes football season has been over for some time and all they can do is sit back and watch the bowl games taking place.
But, there is some (hopefully) good news around the Buffs team apart from the hiring of new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford.
Senior linebacker Nate Landman has officially accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl in February as he tries to impress NFL scouts in hopes of playing at the next level.
However, Landman isn’t the only Buffs player headed to Vegas. Fellow linebacker Carson Wells will also be joining Landman after he accepted his invitation.
Both Wells and Landman played well for the Buffs’ defense despite a frustrating four-win campaign, but there’s no denying that both players have a lot of talent and are worthy of the invitation.
Wells posted 51 tackles with 5.5 sacks and an interception on the year and Landman recorded 63 tackles of his own.
While Landman received second-team Pac-12 honors, Wells was a surprising absence from that list.
Now they get recognition at the longest-running college football all-star game at the beautiful Allegiant Stadium, which happens to be the site of the 2024 Super Bowl.
So, Buffs fans get one more chance to watch Landman and Wells before they officially close their CU careers.
However, one name that didn’t make either team is Carson Wells, which is a huge surprise. The fourth-year junior linebacker compiled an impressive 51 tackles with 5.5 sacks and a pick-six on the season while he helped pace the Buffs defense.
But, none of that mattered, and Wells only earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention along with a lengthy list of Buffaloes players.
Still, the absence of Wells is certainly a surprising one.
Nate Landman (second team) is the only Buff to earn All-Pac-12 honors from the league’s coaches.
How Carson Wells (honorable mention) remained so invisible to people outside of Boulder continues to confuse me.
The rest of the Buffs to crack the all-conference honorable mention list are as follows:
WR Daniel Arias
CB Mekhi Blackmon
RB Jarek Broussard
CB Christian Gonzalez
OL Kary Kutsch
DL Jalen Sami
P Josh Watts
Landman finished his Colorado career with a second-team bid after posting 63 tackles with four pass deflections as he heads out with a storied career sporting the Buffs uniform.
Still, why Wells didn’t make it in his final season at Colorado is surprising, and the Buffs 4-8 season most likely didn’t help his case at all.
All in all, quite a few Colorado players cracked the honorable mention list. It is a good thing that a lot of players got some recognition at least, but Wells missing out on at least a second-team nod is a massive oversight.
Nate Landman is recovering from an injury he sustained vs. Cal.
The Colorado Buffaloes’ chances against the Oregon Ducks seem to be dwindling.
Nate Landman “likely” won’t play in Saturday’s game as he recovers from a soft tissue injury he sustained in the game against California, head coach Karl Dorrell told reporters on Wednesday.
“He’s likely out because he’s pretty sore,” Dorrell said. “We’re hopeful he’ll get a chance to bounce back. But he’s not going to be able to play this week.”
He missed a drive or two late in the first half but returned in the second half against Cal.
Landman has been the rock for the Colorado defense over the last four years.
The 6-foot-3 linebacker currently leads CU in tackles with 71, the next closest behind him is Isaiah Lewis with 47. This is the fourth-straight season Landman has averaged over 10 tackles per game.
He was named second-team All-American for his efforts last season by both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. He was named second-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele before this season.
It will be interesting to see how the Buffs try to replace him. True freshman Zephaniah Maea (one tackle) currently sits behind him on the depth chart, along with junior Jon Van Diest (three tackles) who has played a lot of football during his time at Colorado.
But they could also go away from the traditional ‘mike’ linebackers and go with one of the guys that have played more this season including Robert Barnes (10 tackles), Jack Lamb (11 tackles) or Marvin Ham (five tackles).
Other injury notes
Quarterback Brendon Lewis has practiced this week and will likely play vs. Oregon
Wide receiver Dimitri Stanley is “making progress” and will be a game time decision vs. Oregon
Running back Ashaad Clayton remains out and may be a redshirt candidate for the season
The Colorado Buffaloes played out a familiar synopsis on Saturday in arguably their most uninspiring performance of 2021. Coming off a dominant shutout win over Arizona, the Buffs fell horribly flat in a 26-3 loss to California.
Colorado, which dropped to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in Pac-12 play, managed just 104 total yards and relinquished a season-high six sacks. Chase Garbers ran and threw all over the Buffs’ defense, which couldn’t make up for the poor offensive performance.
For Karl Dorrell, another “really good week of practice” preceding another brutal loss stumped him.
“That wasn’t the type of game I was expecting at all,” Dorrell said.
While we knew the Golden Bears were better than their 1-5 record said coming into Week 8, their superiority on both sides of the ball was concerning, especially considering the momentum Colorado supposedly had after last week. Cal cruised in the first half and scored two touchdowns and three field goals to take a 23-3 lead. Cole Becker’s 33-yard field goal, which was largely set up by a 67-yard Brenden Rice kickoff return, was the only response CU could muster.
Oct 23, 2021; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears tight end Keleki Latu (40) catches a pass for the touchdown during the first quarter against Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Quinn Perry (12) at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Even for the biggest fans of defense, the second half was largely a snoozer. The Buffs recorded one first down and held possession for just seven and a half minutes. They did hold Cal to only three points, however, to mention at least one positive. Nate Landman, who recorded his 400th career tackle in the first quarter, and Mekhi Blackmon each had double-digit tackles on the afternoon.
The special teams’ performance was good, if you care for that. Josh Watts had two punts over 50 yards and two that he finessed inside Cal’s 20-yard line. Rice had an impressive kick return and with Dimitri Stanley absent with a soft tissue injury, Chase Penry returned a punt for 16 yards. Colorado nearly blocked a field goal in the fourth quarter but it was reversed when Christian Gonzalez was found to be offsides.
But the ever-important battle in the trenches was ultimately what lost Colorado this game. In addition to Cal’s 12 tackles for a loss and four QB hits, the Buffs’ running backs averaged just 2.3 yards a carry. Dorrell was once again puzzled by how his O-line got pushed around.
“I can’t quite put a finger on that,” Dorrell said. “I’m trying to figure that out and we’re going to have to really look at that and see what’s going on there. We’ve had some issues up front and I figured that at this point in time we should have some of those things cleared up. But apparently, we’re still struggling with doing some things.”
[lawrence-related id=1463,1429]
Doing his best to navigate meager time in the pocket, Brendon Lewis threw for 69 yards on 9-of-17. Drew Carter replaced Lewis late in the game but attempted just one pass and was more there to just hand the ball off.
With the likes of Dorrell, offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini and now O-line coach Mitch Rodrigue receiving heavy criticism, Rice instead argued that it begins with player accountability.
“If you’re not bought in, you might as well just leave,” Rice said. “There’s no room for anybody who’s trying to be out or trying to excuse themselves from the team. We need to all be bought in in order for us to take the next step because the season’s not over.”
When Nate Landman came into Saturday’s matchup vs. Cal with 399 career tackles, there was little doubt if he’d be able to reach the looming milestone of 400.
Landman hit the landmark on Cal’s second offensive play when he and Mustafa Johnson brought down Damien Moore. The senior linebacker became just the sixth player in Colorado Buffaloes history to have 400 tackles.
The five players ahead of Landman are Barry Remington (493), Matt Russell (446), Greg Biekert (441), Jordan Dizon (440) and Ted Johnson (409). Surpassing Johnson, who played from 1991-1994, is the next marker to watch and could likely happen against Cal.
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 23, 2021
Landman soon added two more assisted tackles on the drive to help force a 49-yard Cal field goal.
If he can once again lead Colorado in total tackles, which he is currently doing with 61 coming into Cal, Landman would become the first Buffalo to lead the team in tackles four times.
The Golden Bears are currently up 10-0 over CU in the second quarter.
Colorado snapped a four-game losing streak in its 34-0 win over Arizona.
Confidence can be a powerful factor for a college football team and Colorado regained some of that on Saturday in a commanding 34-0 win over Arizona.
For now, let’s ignore the fact that Arizona is now riding an 18-game losing streak. A win is a win, right? Nearly every facet of the now 2-4 Buffaloes took a step forward to finally seal their first Pac-12 win.
Offensively, look no further than what Brendon Lewis and Brenden Rice were able to accomplish. Lewis’ improved deep ball accuracy helped his wide receiver reel in a career-high 111 receiving yards, including a 62-yard touchdown.
It did take a while for the offense to fully get going, however. The ball was moving but Cole Becker’s two made field goals were all the Buffs could get in the first half. And if it weren’t for a four-play goal line stand by the defense, Colorado was nearly down 7-6 late in the second quarter.
On an Arizona punt attempt, freshman Trevor Woods, who plays safety outside of special teams, snuck past the Wildcats’ line and blocked the kick. Woods was then able to recover the football and return it 36 yards into the endzone. The punt block turned touchdown was CU’s first since Lawrence Vickers did so against Washington State in 2004. Just five plays later, the fun continued on Arizona’s ensuing drive when defensive end Carson Wells picked off Gunner Cruz and brought it home 50 yards.
Karl Dorrell believed the pair of big plays gave the Buffs a “shot in the arm” to close out the game strong.
“This is a really good win for us because all three areas (offense, defense and special teams) scored touchdowns,” Dorrell said. “A young freshman (Woods) made a play—it was great to see that. It kind of gave us a chance to create some opportunities on the defensive side. Carson Wells did a tremendous job of stepping in front of a pass and going for another score.”
Rice’s 62-yard TD soon followed and Lewis later found Dimitri Stanley for an 11-yard score. Lewis ended the afternoon with a career-high 248 yards and two touchdowns. After receiving plenty of criticism during Colorado’s now extinguished four-game losing streak, the second-year freshman QB appeared relieved following the win.
“I was able to keep my head up because of the support that my teammates and my coaches have showed me throughout this adversity that we’ve gotten,” Lewis said.
Oct 16, 2021; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Brendon Lewis (12) prepares to pass the ball in the first quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Going back to Wells, his pick-six wasn’t his only shining moment on Saturday. All four of his tackles were for a loss and he added a sack of Cruz in the third quarter.
In the secondary, Christian Gonzalez and Mekhi Blackmon were strong once again and Mark Perry caught his first interception of 2021. Cruz and Will Plummer, who replaced an injured Cruz in the third quarter, combined for just 153 passing yards. Colorado’s defensive shutout was its first against a conference opponent since beating Oklahoma State by the same score of 34-0 in 2005.
But with all that being said, a better barometer of how good the Buffs are will come next week at California. Yes, the Golden Bears are 1-5, but they are nowhere near how bad the Wildcats have been. A Buffs’ win in Berkeley would quickly catapult them back to .500 in Pac-12 play.
The Colorado Buffaloes’ defense has shined through three quarters against Arizona.
We knew that Arizona, like Colorado, hasn’t exactly put up gaudy offensive numbers in 2021. But pitching a shutout through three quarters against any opponent deserves some praise.
In the first half, the Buffaloes’ defense allowed just 99 total offensive yards and just barely held Arizona off the scoreboard. I say just barely because of a gritty goal line stand that CU put together late in the second half. Earlier in that Arizona drive, however, Colorado wasn’t nearly as disciplined. Aided by Mekhi Blackmon grabbing a facemask and then committing a pass interference penalty on consecutive plays, Arizona marched down to the 1-yard line.
The Wildcats would not gain another yard.
Terrance Lang, Jalen Sami, Christian Gonzalez and Joshka Gustava all had tackles before Nate Landman hurried Gunner Cruz and forced an incompletion on fourth down.
The fourth down stop helped Colorado carry a 6-0 lead into the locker room.
Defensive end Carson Wells had perhaps his best half of the season with three tackles for a loss. Landman, who came into the game nine tackles away from 400 in his career, had four tackles in the first half.
The special teams unit made the first big play of the second half when Trevor Woods blocked a punt and returned it to the end zone. Because of Woods’ heroics, the Buffs’ defense came back to the field a little earlier than expected. On the fifth play of Arizona’s ensuing drive, Wells picked off Cruz and returned it 50 yards for another touchdown. Colorado’s first pick-six since 2018 put the Buffs up 20-0 in the third quarter.
