Colorado is adding a new layer to quarterback development, and A.J. Smith is the coach driving it.
According to The Denver Post, the Buffaloes quarterbacks coach is bringing in custom virtual-reality software to help his room work through coverage looks, play calls and route concepts from a first-person perspective. The goal is simple: give quarterbacks more mental reps without taking physical punishment.
That matters even more with Brennan Marion now running the offense. His fast-paced Go-Go system means Colorado’s quarterbacks will be absorbing a new playbook, and the VR setup is designed to help them retain it faster. They’ll still go through everything on the field in practice, but the technology is meant to sharpen the mental side by adding visual repetitions.
The benefits go beyond learning the calls. The system is also supposed to help quarterbacks spot blitzes, work through progressions and complement both film study and traditional practice. For a player like redshirt quarterback Julian Lewis, who arrived in Boulder as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, that extra layer could make the transition less intimidating.
The idea is to speed up development across the room. More chances to see plays, more comfort reading defenses, more time spent processing the game without the wear and tear that comes with live reps.
Colorado still hasn’t named a starting quarterback, and that part remains unsettled. But the VR approach should give every quarterback in the room another tool to grow, regardless of who ends up taking the first snap.
Smith has already worked with similar technology before, using it during his time in the UFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks, per The Denver Post. Now he’s bringing that same concept to Colorado, where the hope is that film study can turn into quicker reads and better quarterback play.
The Buffaloes have a talented quarterback room, and now they’re pairing that talent with a modern training tool. Whether the mix of work ethic, athleticism and technology pays off on the field is still to be seen.
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