Although converted receiver Michael Harrison did an exceptional job catching passes from the tight end spot in 2023, the Colorado Buffaloes didn’t have true tight ends available.
That will change this year, and Brett Bartolone is looking forward to getting them ready.
“We’ve got a great group of guys,” Bartolone, the Buffs’ tight ends coach, said Tuesday after the 10th of CU’s 15 spring practices. “We’ve got a great offensive unit. We’re gonna score a lot of points this year, and the tight ends are gonna play an important role in that.”
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The Buffs have rebuilt the tight end room from top to bottom, including the philosophy and coaching of the position. Traditional tight ends didn’t play much of a role in former offensive coordinator Sean Lewis’ scheme, but they will under new coordinator Pat Shurmur.
“Coach Shurmur, he’s an NFL guy, he’s a West Coast guy,” said Bartolone, who coached receivers last year and is in his first spring with the tight ends. “His history over time has shown tremendous production out of his tight end rooms. So, we’re going to advertise that position and there’s just a multitude of things that they’re going to have to be asked to do in the run game, in the throw game.
“We’re trying to detail all of that right now. And we’re embracing every single scheme, every single assignment that we have. We’re just trying to carve out those details.”
Colorado tight end Sav’ell Smalls before practice on March 22, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)
As far as personnel, the room is vastly different. Harrison has transferred to San Diego State and Caleb Fauria has transferred to Delaware.
Leading the group now is Chamon Metayer, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior who caught 23 passes at Cincinnati last year.
“Every day what we talk about is just developing consistency,” Bartolone said. “Some days are better than others. Right now, every facet of his game is great; he’s just got to be more consistent catching the ball down the field and making contested catches and that’s overall as a group right now. But he shows up, he works. We need to develop more consistency right now.”
To bolster the room, the Buffs moved two players over from defense this offseason. Former defensive end Sav’ell Smalls (6-3, 260) and former linebacker Morgan Pearson (6-1, 225) weren’t getting playing time on defense, but they fit the mold at tight end.
“We kind of sat down as a staff and we’re looking at guys’ strengths and where they could help this football team and those are two big-bodied guys that play physical,” Bartolone said. “For whatever reason, it wasn’t clicking on defense. What we’re asking our tight ends to do, they’ve got to be physical, they’ve got to be able to run. Both those two guys, they carry traits that could transition to the tight end position.”
While both are working on the details and still learning, Bartolone said he feels things are clicking better for Smalls and Pearson on offense.
“They’re getting better and better each day,” he said. “I’m gonna get you ready to play this year and that’s non-negotiable. And they’re doing a good job with it.”
Louis Passarello is fighting to get on the field, too. One of only two scholarship players remaining from the 2022 season (along with linebacker Trevor Woods), Passarello missed the 2023 season with a knee injury. He has yet to appear in a game during his three seasons at CU, but at 6-5, 250 pounds, he has the physical tools if he can get healthy.
“He’s still recovering, so it’s week to week with him right now,” Bartolone said. “He’s around, he’s positive. He’s great for the group.”
It’s a group that Bartolone hopes can make a bigger impact this season.