Colorado set to reload for another run

Aug 18, 2017 - 3:16 PM Redshirt sophomore quarterback Steven Montez is by no means a wide-eyed, inexperienced rookie. So, Colorado's task of replacing its all-time leading passer, Sefo Liufau, might not be as daunting as it sounds.

Montez takes over at quarterback for a program that enters a season for the first time as the incumbent Pac-12 South champion. And while spirits are high in Boulder after the school's first 10-win season since 2001, a return to the conference title game is considered a long shot, especially given the departure of eight starters on defense.

But another successful season is within reach, and that starts at the top of the depth chart with Montez, who replaces the talented and charismatic Liufau, who tallied 9,746 yards and 60 touchdowns in a Colorado uniform.

In his first career start, Montez herded the Buffs into Autzen Stadium and walked out as the first player in the program's 126-year history to throw for more than 300 yards (333 yards, to be exact) and rush for more than 100 on the ground (135 yards) in a game. He would go on to throw for 1,078 yards and nine touchdowns, with five interceptions in 140 passes.

Montez will have plenty of support to lean on, including arguably one of the best wide receiver corps in the country. The Buffaloes returns 13 of the 17 players who caught a pass in 2016, five of whom hauled in 400 or more yards. The trio of Bryce Bobo, Shay Fields and Devin Ross have combined to play in 113 games and amass 4,072 receiving yards to go along with 27 touchdowns.

Throw into the mix Phillip Lindsay, who has the lowest drop-rate of any returning tailback in the nation (1.82 percent), and the Buffs offense has the promise to be a well-seasoned group. Lindsay is one of the top runners in the Pac-12, with 2,301 career rushing yards.

"We have so many good ones. It's day to day who's best, which is good," head coach Mike MacIntyre said.

The defense, however, is where many question marks lie. Chief among them is how to restock a unit that landed seven players in NFL training camps this summer. The defensive overhaul is also happening on the sidelines, with the hiring of D.J. Eliot from Kentucky to head up the defense.

Despite the mass exodus, the cupboard is not barren of talent for Eliot, who will retain the 3-4 system used last season by coordinator Jim Leavitt, who packed his bags and headed to Oregon this offseason.

MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: ILB Rick Gamboa -- With such turnover on the Buffs roster, including at linebacker with the departures of Kenneth Olugbode and Jimmie Gilbert to the NFL, the defense is in search of a leader. The obvious candidate is Gamboa, a team captain. The junior hasn't missed a game in two seasons, finishing third on the squad with 79 tackles in 2016 at the middle linebacker position. Gamboa plays bigger than his 6-0, 240-pound frame. Coaches rewarded him by giving him the team's Eddie Crowder Award for outstanding leadership after spring practice.

BREAKOUT STAR: CB Isaiah Oliver -- The 2016 Buffs were led by an impressive group of cornerbacks in Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon and Tedric Thompson, all of whom are now in the NFL. Often overlooked in the shuffle was Isaiah Oliver, who has the talent to be better than all three of his former teammates. Oliver registered 34 tackles as a freshman, 22 of them solo. Colorado will rely on Oliver with the rest of the cornerbacks still battling it out for playing time. The Arizona native will also return punts. Last year, he scurried his way to 158 return yards, with 124 of them and a touchdown coming in a 20-10 win over UCLA.

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: WR K.D. Nixon -- Colorado stockpiled its already impressive wide receiver talent pool when K.D. Nixon eschewed Baylor for Boulder. The four-star prospect has the tools to make an impact ... if he can eke out playing time among the Buffs' crowded wide receivers. The same goes for fellow freshman receiver E.J. Scott, who turned down offers from Mississippi State and Vanderbilt for an opportunity to play for Colorado.