Ed Navarro/Colorado Daily

University of Colorado sophomore quarterback Cody Hawkins (7) drops back to pass during spring practice. Hawkins and the Buffs begin fall practice this week.

Summer vacation is over now for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Fall practices begin Tuesday.

All players report today for physicals, team photos and their first team meetings, as the University of Colorado football team will begin to lay the groundwork of the 2008 season.

Entering the fall, the Buffs bring with them the no-huddle spread offense that was installed during the spring while they look to further sort out the depth chart with the addition of several prominent newcomers.

While it's clear that all eyes will be locked on freshman running back Darrell Scott, the Buffs have several areas of the team that need to be solidified before CU faces Colorado State in the August 31 season opener.

The Buffs' defensive secondary is one of the bigger question marks on a team that will have to face aggressive spread offenses nearly every week this season, as at least eight teams on CU's 2008 schedule run a version of the spread offense.

The starting safeties are expected to be returning seniors Ryan Walters and Daniel Dykes. Walters sat out the spring due to injury and his return will be important to help integrate a group of inexperienced cornerbacks who have to replace both starters from a year ago.

The Buffs have yet to find a dominant pass rusher since the graduation of Abraham Wright in 2006, and with solid depth at the linebacker position it is expected that the Buffs will employ more three-man defensive lines with more linebackers and defensive backs on the field. It will enable the Buffs to bring pressure from more angles while not leaving them susceptible to the spread attacks that await.

Cody Hawkins returns as the starting quarterback and that will be a good thing for a young team that is still learning a new offense. Hawkins' sophomore status belies his leadership skills and intangibles, and if he improves on his freshman year, where he set the CU freshman touchdown pass record, the younger Hawkins could leave CU with his name elsewhere in the school record book.

Darrell Scott is not the only freshman on campus. Dan Hawkins produced a Top-20 recruiting class that also included four-star recruits Jon Major, Shaun Mohler, Ryan Deehan and Ray Polk.

Major and Mohler, a juco transfer, both have a chance to be part of the linebacker rotation while Polk is looking to prove the the Buffs have two future stars at running back. The Buffs have been known to use several tight ends in a variety of roles, and Deehan will be one of a handful who will chip in with junior Patrick Devenny.

While it's not a glamor position, kicker is one of the most important positions on the field and the Buffs left the spring without a clear cut starter between Aric Goodman and Jameson Davis. One will need to step up before kick-off against the Rams at Mile High.

Practices are open to the public from August 5-17. The Buffs are not in pads until August 9. This week the newcomers practice from 9:45-11:45 a.m. and the veterans go from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Contact Eliot Dempsey about this story at (303) 443-6272 ext. 112 or sports@coloradodaily.com