Colorado Buffaloes Spring Practices Gaining Attention

The Colorado Buffaloes are competing in spring practices, bringing a new physicality that coach Deion Sanders has asked to see from the team.

However, one play from practice is getting national attention based on what it looks like from the outside.

Colorado Buffaloes Spring Practice Physicality Coach Deion Sanders Safety Randon Fontenette Tight End Fisher Clements — Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) is grabbed by Vanderbilt safety/outside linebacker Randon Fontenette (2) in an NCAA college football game on Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Colorado’s Spring Physicality

In a video from Well Off Media, safety Randon Fontenette delivered a physical hit to tight end Fisher Clements during a team period, which seemed to knock the wind out of Clements for a little while, but he was able to get up and seems to be okay. Following the hit, Fontenette looked to make sure Clements was alright.

When it comes to situations like this, there are often overreactions from people on the outside looking at the hit. Football, in its nature, is a physical sport, and even in practice, trying to take the physicality out of it is not possible in some circumstances.

Following the disappointing performance in 2025, "Coach Prime" knew his team needed more physicality, which is why that became an emphasis this offseason.

Recently, the teams that have been the most physical are the teams that usually end up being the most successful. The examples that come to mind are Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024, and Indiana in 2025. All of these teams won national championships and relied on an elite level of physicality to dominate their opponents.

The Overreaction

Across social media, Fontenette‘s hit on Clements has started to pick up significant steam with fans stating that this is not the type of hit that should be happening during practice. However, as is the case on social media, many people have never played the game of football or have not played the game of football at the collegiate level.

With that lack of experience, it is very difficult to understand why players do what they do in practice and in games.

If players do not practice their physicality during live compete sessions, there is no reasonable expectation for them to turn up the physicality when the fall comes around on game day. Football is not something that can just be turned on and off. Habits must be built to be successful in this game.

Spring practice is the perfect time to build the proper habits, and when these hits happen, it is up to the offense and defense to stand up for each other as they would during a game. The Buffaloes collectively need to build chemistry with a lot of new players now on the roster following the transfer portal cycle.

Focusing on Fontenette and Clements, each of these positions experiences physicality during the game.

Fontenette at safety has to be comfortable delivering hits, as well as taking on blocks from moving offensive lineman and screens, and in the open field. For Clements, as a tight end, like this hit, he will get hit over the middle when trying to make tough catches, but also when he catches a pass, he has to get used to getting hit at any moment.

Sanders asked Colorado to bring better physicality as a team, and clearly Fontenette listened to that message, which should wake up the rest of the team to match that level of physicality.

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