Coach Roper gives Montez a clean slate Buffs and Rams wrap up recruiting
BOULDER» In December 1998, Ole Miss hired David Cutcliffe as its head football coach and he selected a pair of up-andcoming assistants to join his staff: quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper and receivers coach Mike MacIntyre.
Those chance hirings nearly two decades ago laid the groundwork for a pivotal juncture in the career of starting Colorado quarterback Steven Montez. MacIntyre, entering his sixth season as CU’s head coach, hired Roper as the Buffs quarterback coach last month and he was formally introduced Wednesday to local media.
When Brian Lindgren’s departure to Oregon State opened the vacancy, Roper appeared a natural fit. But after a career with 13 combined seasons as an offensive coordinator, it was initially unknown whether he’d be willing to give up play-calling duties when not retained at South Carolina.
“(Roper) could have gone some other places to be a coordinator this year,” MacIntyre said. “But he wanted to come here and wants to be part of what we’re doing.”
Beyond his prior football relationship with MacIntyre, which extended to a 2008-09 stretch on staff under Cutcliffe at Duke, Roper says he was “intrigued” by adapting to the Buffs’ spread attack under cooffensive coordinators Darrin Chiaverini and Klayton Adams. Roper’s coaching resume includes the mentorship of four future NFL quarterbacks: Eli Manning (Ole Miss), Andre’ Woodson (Kentucky), Thad Lewis (Duke) and Sean Renfree (Duke).
“I hope my strengths are on the grass,” Roper said. “I think when you get to the practice field and you start coaching those guys fundamentally and schematically that you help them get better each and every day.”
Roper has met once a week with his new crop of quarterbacks in the lead-up to spring practice starting Feb. 23. Roper also reviewed countless hours of film since his Boulder arrival to digest the Buffs playbook, and in the process has discovered much about Montez’s perceived strengths and weaknesses.
But Roper keeps it all in perspective.
“When a new coach comes in, that’s a fresh start for a quarterback,” Roper said. “I really The Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams wrapped up the 2018 football recruiting cycle Wednesday during National Signing Day. Here is a closer look at each class with the addition of early period signees.
COLORADO (23)
National Signing Day (2)
RB Travon McMillian, 6-0, 210 (Virginia Tech, Woodbridge, Va.) LB Alex Tchangam, 6-3, 250 (De Anza College, Cupertino, Calif.) Early signing period (21)
CB Delrick Abrams, 6-3, 185 (Independence CC, Independence, Kan.) DL Israel Antwine, 6-2, 290 (Millwood HS, Millwood, Okla.)
WR Daniel Arias, 6-3, 190 (Jackson HS, Bothell, Wash.)
ATH Jarek Broussard, 5-9, 175 (Bishop Lynch HS, Dallas)
OL Frank Filip, 6-7, 275 (Clear Lake HS, Houston)
DE Tava Finau, 6-3, 254 (Luther Burbank HS, Sacramento, Calif.) LB Joshka Gustav, 6-2, 220 (Aquinas HS, Cherry Valley, Calif.)
S Hasaan Hypolite, 5-11, 200 (Hightower HS, Missouri City, Texas) DL Mustafa Johnson, 6-2, 285 (Modesto JC, Turlock, Calif.)
TE Darrion Jones, 6-6, 255 (L.A. Harbor College, Wilmington, Calif.) OL Josh Jynes, 6-2, 310 (Desoto HS, Cedar Hill, Texas)
S Aaron Maddox, 6-1, 195 (Pima CC, Tucson, Ariz.)
LB Clyde Moore, 6-0, 225 (Corona Del Mar HS, Newport Beach, Calif.) OL Kanan Ray, 6-4, 284 (UCLA, Chatsworth, Calif.)
S Ray Robinson, 6-1, 205 (Highlands Ranch HS, Littleton)
RB Deion Smith, 6-0, 180 (Second Baptist HS, Houston)
WR Dimitri Stanley, 5-11, 165 (Cherry Creek HS, Englewood)
QB Blake Stenstrom, 6-3, 205 (Valor Christian HS, Littleton)
LB Davion Taylor, 6-2, 215 (Coahoma CC, Clarksdale, Miss.)
WR Dylan Thomas, 6-0, 185 (Cathedral HS, Los Angeles)
S Lavon Wallace, 6-1, 190 (Buhach Colony HS, Atwater, Calif.)
COLORADO STATE (23)
National Signing Day (6)
LB Cam’ron Carter, 6-1, 200 (Tucker HS, Tucker, Ga.)
WR Nikko Hall, 6-1, 180 (Calabasas HS, Calabasas, Calif.)
OL Ches Jackson, 6-5, 290 (Tifton County HS, Tifton, Ga.)
CB Malcolm Magee Jr., 6-0, 180 (Ocean Springs HS, Pascagoula, Miss.) OL Kavesz Sherard, 6-4, 280 (T.L. Hanna HS, Anderson, S.C.)
OL Keith Williams, 6-6, 280 (Independence CC, Independence, Kan.) Early-signing period (17)
CB Rashad Ajayi, 5-11, 175 (Langston Hughes HS, Fairburn, Ga.) DE Jan-Phillip Bombek, 6-4, 255 (Feather River College, Quincy, Calif.) S Quinn Brinnon, 6-0, 185 (Bishop O’Dowd HS, Oakland, Calif.) DL Damion Daley, 6-4, 260 (Ridge View HS, Columbia, S.C.)
DE Brandon Derrow, 6-4, 243 (St. Francis De Sales HS, Columbus, Ohio) DL Damion Dickens, 6-2, 250 (Copia-Lincoln CC / Wesson, Miss.) S Tywan Francis, 5-11, 180 (Landry-Walker HS, New Orleans)
DL Troy Golden, 6-3, 207 (Olympia HS, Orlando, Fla.)
LB Dequan Jackson, 6-2, 205 (Robert E. Lee HS, Jacksonville, Fla.) TE Trey McBride, 6-4, 240 (Fort Morgan HS, Fort Morgan)
OL Florian McCann, 6-5, 270 (Mullen HS, Denver)
DL Devin Phillips, 6-2, 305 (Neville HS, Monroe, La.)
LS Ross Reiter, 6-0, 235 (Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix) LB Rushton Roberts, 6-5, 220 (The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Fla.) LB Zach Schlager, 6-1, 211 (McCook Senior HS, McCook, Neb.)
WR A’Jon Vivens, 6-0, 180 (Mullen HS, Denver)
TE Gary Williams, 6-3, 220 (Zebulon B. Vance HS, Charlotte, N.C.) don’t want a whole lot of somebody else’s opinion or preconceived ideas. I want to get out on the practice field and learn, and give them an opportunity to be who they want to be.”