We’re finally back at it— football is back, and our Buffs are back at it on the practice fields preparing for what we all hope is a banner 2026 season. The first days of practice are often not too eventful, and things don’t really get hot until the pads go on. But there are things we can pick up from a careful look as long as we keep in mind that a lot will change between now and the Georgia Tech game.
Day two offensive line depth chart
| LT | Bo Hughley | 55 | 6'7" | 300 | 4th yr |
| LG | Chauncey Gooden | 51 | 6'3" | 380 | 2nd yr |
| C | Sean Kinney | 62 | 6'2" | 305 | 3rd yr |
| RG | Jose Soto | 73 | 6'3" | 310 | 4th yr |
| and | Jayvon McFadden | 71 | 6'3" | 300 | 2nd yr |
| RT | Leon Bell | 57 | 6'8" | 330 | 6th yr |
| LT | Xavier Payne | 72 | 6'7" | 320 | 1st yr |
| LG | Phillip Houston | 56 | 6'5" | 280 | 6th yr |
| C | Yahya Attia | 59 | 6'4" | 340 | 3rd yr |
| RG | Jayvon McFadden | 71 | 6'3" | 300 | 2nd yr |
| and | Jose Soto | 73 | 6'3" | 310 | 4th yr |
| RT | Larry Johnson | 53 | 6'7" | 350 | 5th yr |
The first thing to say is don’t write this in pen yet. Initial fall camp O-line lineups are generally not who ends up lining up on the first play of game one. This depth chart will be based on spring and on summer work and any other factors the O-line coaches think are important, but it’s full contact play that will determine who starts on the O-line.
The second obvious question raised by this lineup is where is Demetrius Hunter, and to that question I have no answer at this time. We will inquire into this tomorrow and try to get more information.
The third thing to notice is that Jose Soto and Jayvon McFadden alternated with the ones and twos, but it was fairly clear to me that Soto has the edge as the first team right guard right now. That said, McFadden looks bigger and better than I expected. He clearly put in some work this summer in all regards.
Sean Kinney looked solid at center and played well with his guards, and overall the first O-line looked pretty good. The second O-line was not as effective, but remember the name Xavier Payne. He may be a true freshman, but he is as ready to play right now as you could want from a first-year tackle.
Other thoughts and observations
I only have a few other thoughts from what I saw today, but will keep my eyes open for more in the coming days.
I thought both Chauncey Gooden and Samu Taumanupepe looked noticeably slimmer than they did in spring, when both were far too large. As I say this, I want to also put it in perspective. When you start out at 380, there’s a lot of slimming down that needs to happen, and neither of these guys is close to looking like they are on a hunger strike. But they clearly made progress this off-season, and both looked good in practice today. Chauncey continues to impress at left guard, and Samu both technique and the ability to move the line of scrimmage. Samu could be that roadblock in the middle that we had in 2024 in Block Bully, and that would be a crucial development.
Damian Henderson continues to impress at RB, and his familiarity with the offense allows him to simply play and demonstrate his abilities. He runs well inside. He has good vision and finds holes. He is physical, and he continues to demonstrate more speed than anticipated. I continue to believe he will be the breakout player of this season for CU.
Another who impressed today was DeKalon Taylor at RB. As you might expect, he looked good in space on option pitches to the outside and in the passing game. His speed is impressive. But what stood out to me on Tuesday was his inside running. He showed good vision, found openings, and was shifty enough to change direction quickly and take advantage of openings before they closed.
Quentin Gibson and Zach Atkins both had very good days today, and both Corbin Laisure and Fisher Clements caught my attention again at tight end. We may have more at that position than just Atkins.
Beyond that, the tempo, aggressiveness, and overall energy were very good today. I was impressed with Coach Marve and Coach Prime both as motivators and in their attention to detail across the entire defense.
Thank you for visiting Buff Stampede. We appreciate you choosing us, and we will continue to give you as much news as possible throughout CU fall camp.
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