UDOFFIA STARTING TO SHINE FOR BUFFS
BOULDER» Trey Udoffia knew it was coming.
In a secondary that endured a major offseason makeover, Udoffia still had an experienced safety behind him and a talented fellow cornerback opposite him when he took the field for the first time with Colorado Buffaloes this month.
To no one’s surprise, even Udoffia, the Colorado State Rams attempted to pick on Udoffia out of the gate. To perhaps the pleasant surprise of CU fans, Udoffia weathered the early storm and has more than held his own ever since. Expected to make his fifth start as a redshirt freshman this weekend when CU plays passhappy UCLA at the Rose Bowl, Udoffia already is showing the sort of ability to shake off a bad play and move on to the next snap with the expertise of a veteran.
“I think maybe it’s that I’ve been playing football from a young age, just knowing it’s the same game,” Udoffia said. “The first play of that (CSU) game, I was in on the hit and I was like, ‘That was it?’ I was expecting a lot more. I slowly got into my groove and once I was in, that was it.”
Cornerback was a CU position of great concern entering this season; the Buffs’ defense lost eight starters from last year’s 10-4 team that won the Pac-12 South title. Udoffia was asked to take on one of the roles left behind by graduated corners Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon, both of whom are on NFL rosters now.
With Isaiah Oliver — arguably one of the top No. 3 corners in the nation a year ago — manning the opposite side of the field, Udoffia has settled in comfortably on the heels of a redshirt season.
“Any time you’re a novice at what you do ... it takes reps and it takes opportunities to get better,” CU defensive backs coach Sha-Don Brown said. “I think each and every day he’s working to be improving. He’s done that in each game. People have tried to attack him, and he knows that. When you’re the young guy and you’ve got a really talented, best corner in America, on the other side, they’re going to go after you. And he has stepped up to the plate.
“They’re going to catch some balls. But I think overall as a redshirt freshman playing in the Pac12, he’s played pretty well.”
Through four games, Udoffia has made 13 tackles (12 solo stops) and also has five pass breakups, sharing the team lead with Oliver. Perhaps more important than any numbers, however, is how Udoffia has brought an air of confidence to the position as a firstyear starter. He may come up on the wrong end of a few plays, as he did last weekend when Washington’s Quentin Pounds hauled in a juggling 43-yard touchdown reception despite having Udoffia in his lap, but so far Udoffia has displayed a knack for being able to shake off such plays.
“My confidence is definitely going up every week,” Udoffia said.