FOUNTAIN — Colorado’s new Go-Go offense suffered a significant personnel setback even before the first snap of the preseason.
Earlier this week, receivers coach Jason Phillips quietly left the CU program, with reports surfacing that Phillips was leaving due to personal reasons.
Head coach Deion Sanders took to X on Monday to post, writing, “He’s retiring after a stellar career.” And during his media session Wednesday following the Buffaloes’ workout at Fountain-Fort Carson High School, first-year offensive coordinator Brennan Marion hinted that it was family matters that required Phillips’ focus.
“That’s my dawg. I love that dude,” Marion said. “He’s a truth-teller. He keeps it real. Which, that’s frowned upon from a lot of people who want just to be praised and not hear any criticism. I love J-Phil. I love what he brought to our team. That will stay with our players throughout.
“I’m happy for him to be able to spend time to be with his family and his mom and take care of them when they’re in their time of need right now. J-Phil’s meant a lot to the game of football. He’s been a lot of places and won a lot of games. You don’t replace a person like that. You just hope to honor them with the way the receivers play on the field this year.”
Rashad Davis has taken over as CU’s receivers coach. Davis has been on CU’s staff since Sanders’ first season in 2023, serving roles as a quality control analyst and a graduate assistant before moving to an on-field role as an assistant receivers coach this past offseason.
“We love coach Phil,” CU receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. said. “He was a great coach. A great human being. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to keep moving. We got to move forward. We have a common goal. It’s just like if one dude goes down. That’s our brother, and we’re going to help him get back up. But we need to keep moving forward to go win this game.”
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Evolving
Cornerback Cree Thomas spent last season at Notre Dame, and he enjoyed an opportunity to pick the brain of Denver Broncos standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II during the offseason.
Despite appearing in just three games with the Fighting Irish last year, Thomas said an offseason under the tutelage of figures like Sanders, one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history, and Surtain have sharpened Thomas’ skills.
“I would say all-around, technique-wise, I’m just much more polished,” Thomas said. “I’ve really locked into it. But also just confidence in my game, being ready to go make a play. I feel like now I’m really looking to go find the ball. I would say, coming to play for Coach Prime I’ve really grown and I’ve really been able to show that side, show my play-making ability.”
No-phone zone
During their media session Wednesday, running back DeKalon Taylor confessed he wasn’t immediately pumped about leaving Boulder for the dorms of UCCS. Moore admitted he missed the comfortable sprawl of his king-sized bed.
Since the Buffs have arrived in Colorado Springs, however, the team bonding aspect of the opening week of the preseason has gained traction.
“After day one, we began to grow closer,” Taylor said. “We started putting the phones down. During the day, we don’t take our phones everywhere. I promise you, after 7 a.m. no one has a phone on. I don’t have my phone with me at all. We just talk to each other. We built a brotherhood. We laugh and we’re joking all day. It feels surreal. It’s like a true getaway. We get to focus on ball. We don’t have to worry about the outside noise.”
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