CU Buffs position preview: Defensive line carries collective chip on shoulder

Shane Cokes is grateful for his time at Dartmouth, but he comes to Colorado with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Cokes was a star at Dartmouth, earning second-team All-Ivy League twice. But now he aims to prove himself at the Power Five level with the Buffaloes.
“Just coming from FCS and being at that level, people don’t think you deserve to be here,” Cokes said this spring. “Coming out of high school, I didn’t have any Power Five offers. So just taking that, having that chip on your shoulder, going out there every single day, just proving yourself going against those guys and showing like, hey, I’m here now and that I’m a better player.”
Leading up to preseason camp, BuffZone.com will preview each position group for CU and in this installment, we look at the defensive line, including tackles and ends.
At the defensive tackle spot, Cokes is one of several transfers aiming for a fresh start or a second chance.
With his Ivy League eligibility exhausted, Cokes came to CU hoping to produce as he did at Dartmouth. Last year for the Big Green, he recorded 54 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. As a junior, he had 32 tackles, 5.5 TFL and four sacks.
This spring and summer, Cokes impressed coaches and has emerged as a leader.
“He’s a very intelligent guy coming out of Dartmouth transferring here,” defensive line coach Sal Sunseri said in the spring. “He was a great guy to get into the program and he goes out there and he works every single day. He wants to get better and that’s the most important thing when the guys watch the tape.”
Along with Cokes, the Buffs brought in Leonard Payne Jr. from Fresno State, who was a regular starter in 2021 but came off the bench last year.
In addition, Chazz Wallace (Old Dominion), Amari McNeill (Tennessee) and Bishop Thomas (Florida State) are angling for bigger roles than they had last year, and Zach Blackwood is making the jump from junior college to the Buffs.
Each one has something to prove and that could fuel the group.
“I think it’s just a growing process,” Cokes said. “Just out with the old, in with the new and taking what coach (Nick) Williams, coach Sunseri has been teaching us and just becoming better for it. I think that’s what’s really been exciting for us is raising that intensity level each and every day.”
Like the tackles, the ends have plenty to prove, as well.
Chance Main is the lone holdover from last year, but even he didn’t spend the offseason with the Buffs. He thought his college career was over after last year, but he petitioned for an extra year, got it, and recommitted to CU in late spring.
Main played 354 snaps last year at CU, recording 28 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He did that at 240 pounds, however, and has added about 30 pounds of muscle.
“It’s a really good situation,” Main said of being back with the Buffs under the new coaching staff led by head coach Deion Sanders. “With that caliber of coaches and being able to get coached under them, I’m thinking this season is going to be huge for me.”
Like Main, Taijh Alston is looking to make the most of his last year of college. He transferred in from West Virginia, where he was a full-time starter in 2021, but a backup last year.
Sav’ell Smalls (Washington), JJ Hawkins (Mississippi) and Arden Walker (Missouri) have joined the herd after playing limited roles at their previous stops. All three have exceptional potential, however.
Although a lot of the players up front don’t have much game experience, especially at the Power Five level, many of them came from Power Five programs and Williams, who coaches the ends, said that’s a good thing for the Buffs.
“It’s extremely valuable for a coach because they understand why we’re doing what we’re doing because they’ve been through it,” he said. “They’ve been good for the room. They’ve been a help just by helping other guys that don’t understand the standard and the way we do things and how we do it and why we do it.”
Regardless of where the players up front came from, the Buffs need them to play well in order to have a successful season. And, there’s no question Williams and Sunseri will push them.
“Coach Prime expects you to go out there every single day, go to get better; don’t go out there to just go through the motions and get through the day,” Sunseri said. “Don’t come out there and be satisfied. You can’t be because there’s somebody else out there in this country that’s outworking you.”
Position: Defensive line
Tackles
Returners: None
Transfers: Leonard Payne Jr., Sr. (Fresno State); Shane Cokes, Jr. (Dartmouth); Chazz Wallace, Jr. (Old Dominion); Zach Blackwood, So. (Garden City CC); Amari McNeill, So. (Tennessee); Bishop Thomas, R-Fr. (Florida State)
True freshmen: None
Walk-ons: None
Key losses: Jalen Sami (transferred to Michigan State); Na’im Rodman (transferred to Washington State); Tyas Martin (transferred to Jackson State).
Ends
Returners: Chance Main, Sr.
Transfers: Taijh Alston, Sr. (West Virginia); Sav’ell Smalls, Jr. (Washington); JJ Hawkins, So. (Mississippi); Arden Walker, So. (Missouri).
True freshmen: None
Walk-ons: None
Key losses: Terrance Lang (graduated); Justin Jackson (graduated)