BuffStampede.com publisher Adam Munsterteiger and football analyst William Gardner discuss the members of the herd that ranked between No. 20 and No. 29 on this year’s countdown of top CU football players...
Adam Munsterteiger
Video -->
Podbean audio -->
This podcast wassponsored byMcCauley Capital Management
No. 29 - DL Taurean Carter
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 33 | William Gardner: No. 19 | Brian Howell: No. 30
A transfer from Arkansas, Carter is listed at 6-foot-3, 303-pounds, and he looks all of that. He was a player trending upwards with the Razorbacks before transferring to CU this spring. Carter has played in 33 collegiate games, and with one year of eligibility remaining, he has a sense of urgency.
No. 28 - Edge Arden Walker
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 29 | William Gardner: No. 21 | Brian Howell: No. 29
The former Cherry Creek product and former Missouri transfer graded out well last season, during his first campaign with the Buffs, and ranked fourth on the defense in pressures. Walker did miss spring practices due to a hand injury but has returned to the mix this summer. He is also part of the leadership council.
No. 27 - RB Micah Welch
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 26 | William Gardner: No. 30 | Brian Howell: No. 22
One of the most talked about Buffs during spring ball, not only because of his well-documented battles with Shilo Sanders on the practice fields, but also because the running backs room had a massive overhaul. The true freshman from Georgia is now firmly in the mix to be RB1 going into the 2024 season.
No. 26 - P Mark Vassett
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 14 | William Gardner: No. 32 | Brian Howell: No. 31
Vassett led the Pac-12 with 20 punts inside-the-20 and was a first team all-conference selection by Pro Football Focus in 2023. The former Louisville transfer consistently put opponents in bad field position, and he aims to do the same in Boulder now, during his final season of college eligibility.
No. 25 - Tyler Johnson, OL
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 17 | William Gardner: No. 18 | Brian Howell: NR
According to PFF, Johnson has only allowed two sacks across 890 career pass block snaps at the collegiate level. He spent time at Texas, before moving overto Houston. This off-season he joined the Buffaloes as a four-star transfer, ranked No. 5 among all interior offensive line transfers on 247Sports.
No. 24 - OL Hank Zininskas
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No.25 | William Gardner: No. 22 | Brian Howell: No.26
Playing both a traditional offensive center role and as a jumbo tight end in short yardage situations, Zilinskas played in 11 games with two starts as a true freshman with the Buffs last fall. He appears to have a slight lead in the center competition going into the dog days of summer.
No. 23 - LB Trevor Woods
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 19 | William Gardner: No. 27 | Brian Howell: No. 21
An "Original Buff," Woods has created six turnovers andhas scored a punt return for a score over 29 games at CU. He played safety before moving over to linebacker late last season. The Buffaloes currently plan to utilize him as a linebacker in 2024.
No. 22 - OL Kahlil Benson
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 20 | William Gardner: No. 13 | Brian Howell: No. 28
The creator of "#DT2" (Don't Touch Two), Benson has established himself as the vocal leader of Colorado's offense since arriving as a transfer from Indiana this off-season. He is the likely candidate to start at right tackle, and also has the ability to slide in and play guard if needed.
No. 21 - DL Amari McNeill
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 22 | William Gardner: No. 28 | Brian Howell: No. 10
PFF graded McNeill as the Buffaloes' best interior offensive lineman last season, his first season at CU after transferring in from Tennessee. He had three sacks, which was third most on the team. McNeill's game should shine now that he is a junior, but the Buffs also added other quality pieces to the interior of the defensive line.
No. 20 - OL Tyler Brown
Voting: Adam Munsterteiger: No. 23 | William Gardner: No. 20 | Brian Howell: No. 15
Arguably the strongest player on the team, Brown is now eligible after having to sit out the 2023 season due to transfer rules. He started out at Louisiana-Lafayette, and was later a third-team all-FCS All-American at Jackson State in 2022. He is now set to be a big piece on the Buffaloes' offensive line in 2024.
