Colorado hasn’t wasted any time in rebuilding its running back room.
On Friday, the Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders got a verbal commitment from Miami-Ohio transfer Rashad Amos.
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Shortly after Amos’ announcement, former Villanova offensive lineman Wyatt Hummel announced he will join the herd, as well. The Buffs also got a verbal commitment from Alex Graham a four-star defensive back in the 2025 class.
A 1,000-yard rusher for the RedHawks last year, Amos had originally committed to Mississippi State about two weeks ago. He decommitted on Thursday, however, and is visiting Boulder this weekend.
CU, which will conclude spring football with Saturday’s spring game, went into the offseason with four scholarship running backs. In the past eight days, however, three of them left the team to put their names into the transfer portal: Alton McCaskill IV, Dylan Edwards and Sy’veon Wilkerson.
On Monday, the Buffs landed former Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore who rushed for 663 yards and six touchdowns in his two years with the Buckeyes.
On Friday, they added even more punch with the 6-2, 234-pound Amos. A fifth-year junior, he began his career at South Carolina, playing three seasons (2020-22) with the Gamecocks before transferring to Miami-Ohio last year.
After playing sparingly at South Carolina, Amos rushed for 1,075 yards on 210 carries (5.1 average) last season, scoring 13 touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 37 yards. Amos earned third-team all-conference honors in the Mid-American Conference.
Amos and Hayden join a running back room that includes true freshman Micah Welch and walk-ons Charlie Offerdahl and Christian Sarem. While at South Carolina in 2020, Amos was a teammate of current CU safety Shilo Sanders.
Hummel, listed by Villanova at 6-6, 315 pounds, will be a sixth-year senior with the ability to play center, guard and tackle.
Last season, Hummel started four games – all at left guard – for the Wildcats, while also playing right guard and right tackle. He played 402 snaps, allowing no sacks and three QB pressures.
During his five seasons at Villanova, Hummel started 11 games and, according to Pro Football Focus, played 1,002 snaps, allowing just one sack.
Graham, from IMG Academy in Florida, is listed at 6-foot-1, 186 pounds and has a four-star rating from 247Sports.com. He has 30 scholarship offers, including from national champion Michigan, as well as Alabama, Georgia and Oregon.
Colorado quarterback Ryan Staub drops back to pass against Utah during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)
Staub stepping up
Ryan Staub ended the 2023 season as Shedeur Sanders’ top backup at quarterback. Even with some transfer additions, Staub has solidified his spot as the No. 2 quarterback.
“Ryan has been terrific,” offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur said. “I think he showed in the Utah game what he’s capable of and that was a one game setting. He played really pretty well in kind of a pressure situation.”
With Shedeur missing the finale against Utah on Nov. 25 with an injury, Staub got the start and gave the Buffs a shot at the upset. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown in the 23-17 loss.
Now a redshirt freshman, he continues to progress.
“He’s doing what he’s got to do,” receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. said. “Ryan is gonna be good. You all got to see a little showcase of what he can do against Utah. Ryan, he’s a good kid, good dude. He’s got a lot of potential.”
Shurmur said this spring there has been “more and more good plays and less and less bad” from Staub.
“I think that’s what you’re looking for from a young man who develops,” he said.
Transfers Destin Wade (from Kentucky) and Walter Taylor III (from Vanderbilt) are progressing, as well.
“They’re getting a feel for things,” Shurmur said. “Their challenge will be to master what we’ve done already and if they’re forced into action, you’ve got to cut (the game plan) way back, and give them things that they’re good at. That’s no different than any league. That happens at the next level as well.”
Notable
CU has sold more than 24,000 tickets for Saturday’s spring game. The 2023 spring game set a CU spring game attendance record (47,277), but prior to that the record was 17,800 in 2008. … Although it snowed last year and rain is in the forecast for Saturday, precipitation has been rare at the CU spring game. Before last year, there had not been any precipitation at the spring game since a light rain in 2012.