August 18, 2008 11:53 AM

The Sumler decision

If you bet on highly touted Darrell Scott being CU's No. 1 tailback from the opening game of his freshman season until . . . whenever, you lost.

Unless he's injured between now and Aug. 31st, when the Buffs play Colorado State in Denver, sophomore Demetrius Sumler will get the first carry in the CU offense.

By all accounts, starting Sumler makes mucho sense. At the moment, he's the better pass blocker, knows the offense better and has worked diligently last spring and over the summer to remain atop the depth chart.

What's more, coach Dan Hawkins once again is sending a message to his players and potential recruits: The right work ethic, not press clippings and prominent mentions on ESPN, translates into playing time. For everybody.

Now, that's not to say Sumler will remain the starter for the entire 2008 season. That's up to him and Scott's development. Scott appears as good as advertised, but he's been in Division I football (brotha) for two weeks.

If he stepped onto campus and immediately ascended the depth chart, it would have been pretty miraculous.

Meanwhile, running backs coach Darian Hagan still is insisting he might play all three of his celebrated freshman backs -- Ray Polk and Rodney Stewart being the other two -- in his tailback rotation.

But redshirtting Polk makes sense, provided sophomore Brian Lockridge, who rushed things a bit after having off-season surgery for a sports hernia, can return.

If Scott develops as expected and leaves early for the NFL, it would be very beneficial to have a big back like Polk in the wings with an extra year of eligibility. But Hagan hints Polk, while still in a formative stage as a tailback, might be too valuable on special teams to sit for his first season.

The question CU must answer: Is playing him for that purpose prudent in the long run?

Posted by B.G. Brooks at 11:53 AM | Comments (1)