Quick Post: On Shane Callahan

As if the Fall Practice, Good News Sunshine Express wasn't enough in and of itself, the 2014 outlook for the Buffs got even rosier yesterday afternoon when it was announced that OL Shane Callahan is immediately eligible to play this fall.  Callahan, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Auburn, had been in camp with CU up to this point, but didn't know whether he'd be able to play in 2014, as, under normal circumstances, he'd have had to sit out a transfer year.  Luckily, and thanks in no small measure to Auburn, the NCAA granted a transfer waiver due to Shane moving closer to home for family reasons, and the Buffs suddenly have depth in the trenches.

Callahan is immediately eligible!  From: the BDC

This is big news for the still developing Colorado O-Line.  Callahan, a class of 2012 recruit out of Parker, was a 4-star prospect when he spurned CU for Auburn and former Buffs O-Line coach Jeff Grimes.  But Grimes isn't with the Tigers anymore, and Callahan, after a redshirt season, was lost in depth chart hell, practicing with the 3rd team on last season's national title runners-up.  Over the offseason, I started to hear rumblings that Shane was coming home to the Centennial State, but mostly put them out of my mind, since I didn't figure that the waiver was a realistic possibility.  Thankfully, that's not the case, and Callahan, after two years of SEC competition and coaching, is now a seductive option to help protect a very young quarterback. Oh, and he'll have three years to play three.  Huzzah!

Excitement aside, don't immediately assume that Shane is an anointed starter.  4-stars or no, he's still got to earn his spot. Offensive terminology will be a hurdle, and anything can happen in the heat of fall camp; position battles are fickle bitches, after all. But it's hard not to get excited when an in-state recruiting miss comes home.  That he was able to take advantage of the NCAA, an organization that usually only seems intent on leeching off of their wards, makes the whole situation even more appealing.


Welcome aboard, Shane!