Buffs DC Livingston Likes Spring Ball Progress

BOULDER — With just two more spring sessions to go — Thursday's practice and Saturday's spring game — new Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston believes the Buffaloes have made good progress in putting down a solid foundation.

But the process hasn't been one proceeding at a breakneck pace. Rather, Livingston has been an advocate of steady, incremental advancements based on assessing the strengths of his players and adjusting the "vision and break" scheme accordingly.

"There's been goods and bads," Livingston told the media after Tuesday's practice. "The spring is very much that way. When you go versus the offense, you're the best in the world or you stink. So consistency is what we're striving for … There's pros and cons to going slow. I recognize that but that's where our mindset is and I'm very proud of the effort that we're seeing every day. The guys are running to the ball and execution has been good. So once we get this first floor set, then we'll put the second, the third and the fourth but we won't go any higher until we get our foundation set."

 Livingston believes he and the rest of the defensive staff have identified key playmakers who can deliver in specific situations. The Buffs are clearly well-stocked in the secondary — where Livingston coached with the Cincinnati Bengals prior to coming to Boulder — and have made improvements along the front seven.

"We have some guys that can rush the passer, we have some guys that can cover," Livingston said. "We have to see who the playmakers are, who the guys are that we need to get shots. Guys that can blitz, those guys that can rush, and let them impact the game … We have a pretty good feel of who we want covering, who we want rushing and how we want the structure to be."

Livingston's job is clearly a big task. The Buffaloes finished last season near the bottom of the nation in just about every critical defensive statistic. One priority since Day One has been improving a run defense that put the Buffs on their heels on far too many occasions.

"You got to stop the run," Livingston said. "All the fun stuff you want to do on third down and the exotics and all that stuff doesn't matter if it's second and three or third and one. We have to win the early downs. Our job is to get them to second and seven or more … Then we can go have fun."

The Buffs did beef up their roster in the offseason up front with the addition of transfers Anquin Barnes (Alabama), Taurean Carter (Arkansas), Chidozie Nwankwo (Houston) and Samuel Okunlola (Pitt) along with new inside linebacker Jaylen Wester (Florida Atlantic).

CU also has a pair of returning starters at inside linebacker with LaVonta Bentley and Trevor Woods, as well as defensive line returnees Taje McCoy (redshirted last year), Shane Cokes and Amari McNeill.

And, there are more newcomers reportedly headed to Colorado via the transfer portal that should add more strength in the trenches.

"Obviously this is 2024," Livingston said. "People come and people go and that's our job as coaches to coach the team we have … It's our job to put them in position to be successful and once we do that, I think we'll like the results."

The strength of CU's defense will once again be an experienced, talented secondary, led by Paul Hornung Award winner Travis Hunter.

Hunter, who played cornerback last season, has been seeing plenty of time this spring at the nickel spot, a position that allows him to drop into coverage and also be more of a factor against the run game. 

That has allowed newcomers DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge to settle in at the corners while Shilo Sanders, Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and Herman Smith III are making plays at safety.

The safeties in particular have been a cornerstone for the installation of Livingston's scheme.

"They've done a great job," said Livingston. "I tell them all the time, leaders gotta lead from the front. They are the heartbeat of this defense, right there in the middle. They're our quarterback. They've got a vested interest and a say in this defense. I think communication is imperative and they've done a great job grasping where they fit in the defense and once you do that, the game slows down."

SPRING GAME: Saturday's Arrow Electronics Black and Gold Spring Game  is set to kick off at 1 p.m. at Folsom Field. KOA radio will carry the broadcast and the Pac-12 Network will televise the affair.

The game will include scrimmage situations with the No. 1 offense squaring off against the No. 2 defense and vice versa. 

Tickets are still available at $15 for bowl seating, $25 for Byron White East Club seating and $5 for students.