Colorado’s size debate has followed the Buffaloes all summer, but the people inside the program aren’t entertaining it.
The conversation took off after a video from Colorado’s April 11 spring game went viral, showing a number of the team’s skill players running out of the tunnel. From there, the online chatter turned into a full-blown narrative about the Buffs being too small. Coaches and players have pushed back ever since, and at fall sports media day, safety Ben Finneseth and defensive lineman Dylan Manuel added their own blunt responses.
Finneseth didn’t buy the criticism for a second.
“Like what are we? Bodybuilders?”
Finneseth said. “It fries me when people say that.
It would be one thing if we were a bodybuilding team… but we’re not. You’ve got to be able to run, you’ve got to be able to change direction.
So, I don’t care. At some point, like coach [Brennan] Marion said, you’ve got to pull up and spot the ball.
Hopefully all of those muscles can help you catch up with Q for 6 [Quentin Gibson], Ernest [Campbell] and guys like that.”
Manuel, a 6-1, 300-pound transfer from Appalachian State, had a similar reaction when the comments started circulating.
“I laughed at [the comments],” Manuel said. “I know what we have on my side of the ball; I know what we have on the other side of the ball.
So we’re nowhere near small. September 3, you’re going to see.”
Colorado’s defensive front, in particular, gives the size talk a pretty short shelf life. ESPN lists five players in that group at 290 pounds or more, and defensive tackle Samu Taumanupepe tops them all at 375 pounds on a 6-3 frame.
Deion Sanders also used the numbers to swat down the viral narrative during the first week of fall camp, making his case from the podium on August 6.
“Next fact is they're talking about the size of our team, which is hilarious,” Sanders said. “16 linemen, average [height and weight] is 6-5 310 pounds, six tight ends, average is 6-5 255 pounds, interior defensive linemen average is 6-3 295 pounds, defensive ends average 6-3 245 pounds, cornerbacks average 6-1 185 pounds. I don't think that's small by any means.”
For now, the message from Colorado is the same across the board: pull up. And on Sept. 3, the Buffaloes will get their chance to back it up against Georgia Tech in an ACC road test.
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