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A few leftovers from the first week of spring ball

Posted March 28, 2008

I'm back from a mini-vacation watching some spring training games in the Cactus League. Nothing like a new season and new hope for my Chicago Cubs along with some summer-like heat to recharge the batteries.

Spring break is winding down, and if you're like me, your NCAA Tournament bracket is in shambles. The CU football team is just days away from its first padded practice of spring. Here are a few leftover notes I saved from the first week of drills with this down time in mind.

Here is a name plenty of CU fans aren't real familiar with right now, but I predict they will be by the middle of next season. B.J. Beatty.

The third-year sophomore is really beginning to find his way after two years in the program learning to play linebacker after playing defensive end throughout high school. Beattyis the nephew of former CU All-Big 12 offensive lineman Chris Naeole.

Beatty is unforgettable when you meet him because of his trademark long red hair. You don't see many guys like him. He's low-key sort of personality with a good sense of humor. One of the interesting parts of this job is watching some of these student-athletes mature from the time they arrive until the time they graduate. Some guys really open up along the way and get outside the shell they brought with them to campus. That seems to be happening with Beatty both in terms of how he is playing and how he is becoming more outgoing.

"He played defensive line in high school and plays linebacker here, and he's kind of starting to come into his own," coach Dan Hawkins said. "Sometimes I just think in this world of immediacy, we're wanting them to show up and the

second day out here just look really awesome. Sometimes it just takes a little development there."

Beatty said he has been working to improve his footwork since last season ended. It was an area coaches stressed he needed to improve in. So he has dedicated himself to agility drills and jumping rope in order to improve his speed and coordination. Beatty said he's also beginning to better understand the defense and his responsibilities.

"Being at D-end in high school, all I basically watched was the guy right in front of me," Beatty said. "Now being at linebacker in college, I look at the whole formation. I look at everything now."

Beatty is playing behind senior linebacker Brad Jones. He'll be hard-pressed to win the starting job away from a player with as much experience as Jones brings to the table. But fans should expect to see Beatty's long red locks on the field more often in 2008, spelling Jones and on special teams.

"We've become really close," Beatty said. "He's helped me a lot. That's how I feel I've picked it up really quick is from him."

...Senior guard Erick Faatagi has had his share of problems since he arrived from junior college two years ago. He missed a season because of injury and then missed another because of academic problems he admits he brought on himself.

He is not out of the woods yet. He needs to do well in the classroom this spring and summer to remain eligible, but he seems to have a great attitude about things again. Considering all he has been through, it would be a good story to write if he makes it all the way back and becomes a contributor next fall. He has the strength and ability to be a starter.

The first day of spring drills, I stopped him in the Dal Ward Center and asked him if he was healthy and eligible. He smiled and said, "Yeah, all at the same time."

He went on to say, "I'm ready to get out there. It's been a long, long wait."

Faatagi has looked pretty solid to start spring ball, but the real tests come next week when the pads are put on and players get a chance to really get after each other.

...The Buffs return to practices Tuesday and practice Thursday, Friday and Saturday next week. So a week from today, they will be at the halfway point of spring and we should have a pretty good idea of who is starting to stand out and who has some ground to make up.