As the lone senior in the receivers room, it would stand to reason that Terrell Timmons Jr. could be in line for a leadership role with the Colorado Buffaloes. That’s not what receivers coach Jason Phillips wants the most out of Timmons, however.

“It’s been very important for him to accept that role (as a leader), but what I would prefer he do is basically just work at being a better Terrell Timmons,” Phillips said Tuesday after the Buffs completed the 10th of 15 spring practices. “Just constantly focus on himself.

“He could have made some contributions to the group last year, but I just need to see him take that next step from a production standpoint.”

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Timmons has exceptional ability and is a big target for CU’s quarterbacks. Last year, however, he didn’t get a lot of playing time behind a quartet of NFL-bound receivers and dynamic youngsters Drelon Miller and Omarion Miller.

A transfer from North Carolina State, Timmons caught just four passes for 22 yards in 2024. In two seasons (2022-23) at NC State, Timmons caught a total of 14 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown — averaging 19.6 yards per catch.

Both Millers are back this year, and Tulsa transfer Joseph Williams has been added to the mix, along with four freshmen. But, Timmons is angling for a big role, too.

“He knows what he’s doing out there,” Phillips said. “He has the ability to lead, but I’d like to see more production out of Terrell at this point.”

D-line stepping up

Like the receiver room, there are a lot of new faces on the defensive line, but it’s a group that’s having a good spring. “I love my D-line, man,” senior safety Ben Finneseth said. “They’ve been hunting. Those guys are balling.”

Anquin Barnes, Amari McNeill and Tawfiq Thomas are all back as seniors, but the Buffs have added veterans through the transfer portal. Tavian Coleman (Texas State), Gavriel Lightfoot (Fresno State) and Jehiem Oatis (Alabama) all joined the team in January.

“You got a bunch of athletic guys who are trying to prove the point they can be the guy,” linebackers coach Andre Hart said. “Even on the front line, we’ve had a lot of change, as far as roster is concerned, so it’s creating competition. And everybody wants to say, ‘I can be the guy,’ which we love.”

Notable

Redshirt freshman receiver Kam Mikell is healthy this spring after missing all of the 2024 season with an injury. “The thing that jumps out to you immediately is the speed and he can run,” Phillips said. “That’s something desperately we need, something we need to continue to develop with him.” … Sophomore receiver Drelon Miller participated in CU’s pro day on Friday — the only player not eligible for the draft to take part. And it was a surprise to him when former Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders asked him to participate. “We just had spring break, so I just get (to) Dallas working out, and I get a call, like, ‘We need you to come back here and do pro day,’” he said. “I’m like huh? Two days later, I had jumped on a flight, got back out here and just started training and get right with them.” … The Buffs will return to practice on Thursday after taking Wednesday off.