The dynamic duo is no more.
By the time Jason Phillips made his departure from the Colorado coaching staff just before the preseason, Rashad Davis had already processed the bad news.
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Davis was ready for what came next, as he took over as the Buffaloes’ lead wide receivers assistant. But just because Davis was ready for the challenge doesn’t mean it was easy to say goodbye.
“One thing about me and J-Phil, we have a really good relationship,” Davis said. “We actually called ourselves the dynamic duo. Because every time we’re together, great things happen.”
A CU staff member since head coach Deion Sanders’ first season in Boulder in 2023, Davis worked two seasons alongside Phillips coaching the Buffs’ receivers before Phillips’ retirement last month. While the move seemed sudden from the outside, within the staff it was known that Phillips’ departure was in the works. Already having ascended to a more hands-on role from his initial hiring in 2023 as a graduate assistant, Davis was ready for the next step. Even at the cost of breaking up the dynamic duo.
“When it happened, I was prepared for it,” Davis said. “This is something I’ve been preparing for for a long time. I was overwhelmed with emotion, but knew I had to get right to work. This is the highest I’ve ever been in my career, but this is the lowest that you’ll ever see me. Every time I step in this building, I go by a motto that I use every day — I’d rather see you at the top than from the top. And that’s just where I’m at right now.”
Davis assumes the top leadership role for a group of receivers long on talent but which also will be tasked with taking full advantage of what may be more sporadic opportunities with Julian Lewis leading offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s run-heavy Go-Go offense. Marion confirmed Thursday that Lewis is expected to start when the Buffs kick off the 2026 season at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3 (6 p.m. MT, ESPN).
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Collectively, the receivers haven’t been at full strength from the spring through the preseason due to an array of injuries, but the group is expected to be near full strength, or all the way there, when the Buffs hit the field in Atlanta.
A possible breakout star in Boulder is Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr., who ranked second for the Longhorns last year in receptions (38) and receiving yards (532) while scoring four touchdowns. The same can be said of Danny Scudero, who was a second team Associated Press All-American last year at San Jose State after recording 88 receptions for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns.
If injuries continue to be a problem, CU should have the receiver depth to cover the losses. Kam Perry put together a breakout season last year at Miami (Ohio), finishing with 43 receptions for 976 yards — an impressive average of 22.7 per catch — and six touchdowns. Hykeem Williams has the potential to unlock the sheer athleticism that once made him a prized five-star recruit at Florida State. Ernest Campbell followed Marion to Boulder after leading Sacramento State in receiving last year. Quentin Gibson has flashed big-play potential in the return game, and Joseph Williams returns after ranking second for the Buffs last year in receptions (37), receiving yards (489) and receiving touchdowns (four).
“I feel like we’ve all bought into one mind, one mission,” Joseph Williams said. “Any time we see someone slacking off, falling behind, we’re going to hold him accountable. Because we all got one goal in mind. We all want to get to that Big 12 championship and then make a run in the playoffs. So we all go to hold each other accountable if we want to do that.
“It’s just different. You walk into the building, everybody’s dappin’ each other up, everybody’s smiling. It’s just great energy around here right now.”
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