The CU Buffs Coaches are Holding a Virtual QB Competition

Colorado's offensive staff discuss the challenges of choosing a quarterback during a pandemic.

“It’s a bad deal,” quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf said about holding a quarterback competition without any spring practices. “You'd like to be able to go through 15 practices in the spring and have a pretty good idea of your depth.”

Langsdorf has been asked to evaluate Tyler Lytle, Sam Noyer and Brendon Lewis without seeing them in person. He says he’s been encouraged by what he’s learned so far.

“I haven't hardly seen him on the field but boy I have spent a lot of time with these guys with these meetings,” Langsdorf said. “I think we've had so much time together, going through cut ups and going through playbook and talk and fundamentals and having an opportunity to show them a lot of different stuff. I think it's really spurred some good conversation so I've liked that about the group.”

Langsdorf said to him, the most important characteristic in a quarterback is accuracy, which can’t be evaluated over Zoom.

“I think if you're if you're spraying balls all over the place, it makes it hard as a thrower. So I think they need to be accurate.”

Offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini has more familiarity with the quarterbacks. He worked with Noyer and Lytle during their careers at CU and was part of incoming freshman Brendon Lewis’s recruitment.

“Two of the three guys have been with me. So they know the offensive terminology they know how to read progressions, they understand the protections that we're going to run,” Chiev said.

Neither Noyer or Lytle, who are entering their Senior and Junior seasons respectively, have played many live snaps, backing up Steven Montez who did not miss a single game in his career.

Coach Chev says the quarterbacks will have to prove they can execute the offense at a high level.

“I'm really excited to see those guys compete and see them execute it.  At the end of the day, you can know the offense, but you have to be able to execute the offense at a high level, to be the starting quarterback at Colorado.”