Freshmen look to make an impression on the coaches during Saturday scrimmage

Walker Parks is one of the talented freshman offensive lineman. (Photo courtesy of CU Athletics)

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Aug 15 08:55:08 GMT-04:00 2020

The first scrimmage of fall camp is scheduled for Saturday, and it’s a big one for the freshmen who want to make an impression on the coaches.

Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Jordan McFadden is now considered a veteran – he enters 2020 having played 332 snaps over 17 career games. That includes 315 snaps over 14 games a year as he played backup at both tackle spots. This season, McFadden is penciled in as the starter at right tackle, and he’s looking forward to the scrimmage.

“I think the scrimmage is very, very big and very important. At practice, the coaches are right behind you so they can guide you through plays,” McFadden said Friday. “At the scrimmage, they are going to be out of the way and everything is going to be full-speed and people are going to be playing full-speed. It's a matter of people showing what they can do, especially some of those freshman offensive linemen showing the coaches that they can be trusted and they know what to do and how to do it. And physically that they can do it, especially for the offensive linemen.”

The Tigers have to replace four starters along the offensive line and the scrimmage also offers a chance for the new starters to build chemistry.

“I feel like the chemistry is going very well. You know, I got to learn a lot from Jackson (Carman) last year,” he said. “Me and Jackson were already close being that we were roommates freshman year. And then I feel as if the guys who are stepping in like me, Matt Bockhorst, Cade Stewart, Will Putnam, all played together last year pretty much all the time in practice and things like that. So, I feel like the chemistry is going very well with the offensive line. We’re making calls. We’re talking a lot.”

McFadden wants to be the best lineman in the ACC, but he also has bigger goals in mind.

“Camp is going pretty well. I am excited to be back and excited to get going. I am ready to play ball. Overall, I am enjoying it and I feel like I am doing pretty well,” McFadden said. “I feel like I am a guy who is always willing to learn and I work hard. I will admit that when I first got here, understanding the playbook wasn't something I was good at. But over time I studied and got some of the older guys to really help and become knowledgeable about what I need to do and how to do it and things like that. Through my time here I have put in the work and I feel like they have put a lot of faith in me because of how I have worked and the things I can do. And now I am knowledgeable, too, and I think that helps a lot.

“One of my goals is to be one of the best linemen in the ACC, for sure. That is definitely my goal. But I think my biggest goal is just to help this team win as much as I can. I am a big fan of winning. Of course, I want to be the best lineman I can be and the best in the ACC, but most importantly I want to help this team win.”

On Myles Murphy

“He’s a dog, Myles Murphy. I got to go get him in the spring a good bit. And he’s not a regular freshman I would say. I don’t know how much he knows in the playbook and things like that but physically Myles Murphy, he’s already really good player. I think he’s only he’ll get better. He’s physically big, quick, very strong to be an incoming freshman and things like that. So, yeah, Myles Murphy is going to be a dog.

What other freshmen are standing out?

“Definitely Kobe Pace, Freshman running back. He’s a big body. He likes contact, very physical.

So he definitely stood out to me and things like that. Mikey Dukes is standing out. And then just like the freshman lineman, Walker Parks, Mitchell Mayes, Bryan (Bresee) is physically doing really well. You know, it takes a while to get in the playbook and know everything about the back of your hand. But physically, those guys are doing pretty well.”