Greetings all. Thanks for joining me for our first offseason chat. Looks like there are going to be a lot of them with more than 270 days before next season starts.

Anyway, yes, the issues with Katoa are academic, but they are not limited to academics. I think Lynn is trying to get used to what is expected of him at this level and it's taking some extra time. I'm not ready to call him a "transfer candidate." But he does have work to do before he becomes the player CU fans want him to be.

I think it depends on exactly what he is referring to. I think when he is talking about the depth chart, yes, it's valid to a point. I mean, he has 15 seniors again next year. That's a problem he inherited for the most part. He had a similar number this year. But I do think it is much less valid now than it was last year or two years ago. He is slowly getting that part of the program fixed. But you don't recruit players and have them show up and be ready play and be as experienced as you need them to be in three years. Some of them have gotten there, but it really takes four or five years to get the roster to the point where it's entirely on one guy. We haven't quite reached that with Hawkins yet.

Sure. Eugene Goree can be a player. So can Marquez Herrod and Will Pericak. Everyone else there still has a lot to prove. And, yes, I think you have reason to be concerned about it.

I really can't speak to what that relationship is like. I know there is one, but I don't know how close it is. I don't buy the notion that Logan steers kids away from CU. I think he still loves CU, but he also wants his kids to find the place that suits them best. His job as Mullen High School football coach is not to install a pipeline of players to CU.

If anything, I would think you would see him more as a receiver and less as a returner. You will have more guys capable of handling returns next year. But you might want to keep Josh there, too. He did have a pretty darn good year doing it. I think the shoulder problems hurt him and kept him off the field at times. He also needs to really dedicate himself to knowing the playbook like a junior ought to.

Because it was a 57-yard field goal attempt by a kid who had never made anything more than a 48-yard kick.

I think it depends on whose definition of successful we are using. I'd say at least seven considering the schedule. But that's just me.

No and no. He will add some things to the offense, but I wouldn't expect wholesale changes. He said he loves all his coaches and wants all them to stay.

I'll say this. There are almost always guys who either think the grass is greener somewhere or decide to give up football. So it would not surprise me. However, I don't think there is anyone who is a regular contributor to this team who will leave or is considering leaving.

I think it would be easy to say that and probably easy to blame it all on one or two guys and be done with them. I don't think that is necessarily true or the right thing to do at this point considering everything that went in to the struggles of those units. If we're sitting here a year from now and things haven't changed much, then, yes, something probably needs to happen.

We do question him about it. You've probably read his responses 1,000 times at this point. I think it's very naive to compare one program to another like that as if it's all just interchangeable and the same. Total falsehood and unrealistic way to look at things. You have to look at it all program by program. What is in place and what works at Florida for Meyer is completely different from what is happening here or elsewhere.

Recruiting will pick up quite a bit over the next two weeks and then again in January. 20-22 scholarships to fill.

Everything I have heard about Evans has been great. I know he is expected to come in and compete for playing time right away. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the field at some point next year. Wynn was probably a significant loss, but if he doesn't want to be here, it's best he makes that decision now.

We ask him tough questions all the time. We also live in reality and know the nature of things and don't get emotionally involved, which affects our judgment and ability to be fair in our reporting. Funny, a person who is afraid to use their real name calling for a tougher stance from someone else. Seriously? come on Mr. Anonymous. Easy to be you.

Casey is coming along. He had an injury there for a bit, but he will come around I think. He is definitely a big component, but he also sat out a year and didn't play a ton at Wake Forest. It might take him a little while to really get back to hitting on all cylinders.

Well, they have easier entrance requirements. They are more easily able to get junior college players into their programs and they didn't have a recruiting scandal that basically wiped out two years or recruiting and led to a coaching change. They also have top-notch facilities. Other than that, not much.

They can meet with the players, but for the most part it's Pitman's team from now until spring ball begins.

I think it's lame, but it helps illustrate the point that his whole system is a sham and not really about settling it on the field of play. Yes, I am a proponent of a playoff.

Just called CU police this morning about that and they had nothing new to report.

He is being recruited as a safety. I think he will probably end up there. Kid is a playmaker. Wouldn't surprise me if he got a shot at RB, but I think he plans to play safety.

That's a good question, but one I can't really fully answer cause I don't know the matchups. I would say undefeated is a possibility.

He will stay at running back. Markques Simas will fill the void at WR, or at least be a big infusion of ability there. Ray is doing well. He's recovering from shoulder surgery and wearing a sling right now. Hopes to be ready for spring ball. Might be a limited contact guy then though.

If you're going to call people names, at least grow a pair and put your name on it. I think it's fair to question whether he is the man for the job if he doesn't at least qualify for a bowl game. I think seven wins is a reasonable expectation.

I think Cody will have his hands full with Tyler, but only if Tyler really dedicates himself to understanding and improving in the passing game. I think Matt Ballenger can give him a run, too, but I would think Tyler and Cody go into it pretty close to even, just with different strengths.

I think they will find some more wide receivers. There are a few guys with potential on the defensive line right now, but they have plenty of room for improvement just to get to the point where Hypolite, Nicolas and Lucas were this year. That's a trouble spot.

I think it has been more of a freak occurrence. If it continues next season, then maybe there is more to it. I don't see them doing a ton of hitting in practices.

I just think Demetrius Sumler was the better player at the time in the game. I think Scott is coming along and made some improvements by the end of the year, but he was never fully healthy. He played a little in the Nebraska game. He will get it going. That's my guess.

Well, Hawkins is pretty public person and easy to get in touch with. I'm sure he would take your call. Look him up. His office number if accessible on CUBuffs.com under the directory tag. Search around and find it and give the man a call and a piece of your mind if you want to.

I do think Notre Dame has made the mistake of thinking it's all so easy and they are Notre Dame and all they have to do is throw money at the situation and fix it. There is much more to building a winner these days than that, especially at a school with such high academic standards. At a place with lower standards, it's much easier. Let's face it, firing a guy after three years in this game is absurd.

Mike Iltis will replace Sanders, if he is healthy. Otherwise maybe Behrens or Keenan Stevens. Givens is trying to put on weight. I think they still see him as a tackle ultimately, but they will play him at guard if they think he is the best option.

They will get the new practice facility funded and started probably some time in 2009. I know they have other plans, but that is the big one for now.

I think maybe Darrell Scott. Also Markques Simas. Doug Rippy, and Ray Polk.

I don't parrot anything. I've written on multiple occasions this season about other programs succeeding with young players. My game story in the Texas A&M game was all about how the Aggies won with sophomores and freshmen making the key plays. Perhaps you should read a little closer. I just wrote a story two days ago about how time is running out on some of these excuses now that we are in year four. However, I'm not totally blind to the fact that many of these "excuses" are actually factors in what is happening and I would not be doing my job if I didn't write that as well. Hawkins gets held accountable all the time.

I hear Ryan Miller is one. That's a good question though. I'll try to get an answer for you soon in the paper or on the blog.

It has. Rodney Stewart ring a bell? Scotty McKnight? Patrick Mahnke? They've made Patrick Devenny into a pretty decent player, though he was recruited by the former staff. Maybe not a ton of guys yet, but it has happened and will continue. It's the Hawkins way.

No problem. Thanks for the questions. I can appreciate your passion. I'm a Chicago Cubs fan after all.

Thanks to everyone for all the good questions tonight. I really enjoy this.

I think Christensen will do well if he can get some recruiting going there. That's always the tough part about that job. He has obviously proven to be an innovative offensive mind. I'm sure it will be fun for Pokes fans these next three or four years, but it's not going to happen over night.