Zak Wood Colorado Daily

University of Colorado freshman running back Darrell Scott is seen here.

The University of Colorado held their first day of fall football practice Tuesday and all eyes were on No.2, running back Darrell Scott.

While Scott is the most heralded freshman to step foot on the CU campus is recent memory, he was not the only newcomer who turned heads. Fellow frosh running backs Ray Polk and Rodney Stewart each passed the eyeball test as well, according to CU running backs coach Darian Hagan.

"It's like the first day of school and you want to be the best dressed. Darrell wants to be the best dressed, Rodney wants to be the best dressed, Ray wants to be the best dressed," said Hagan.

It's no fashion show on the Buffs' practice fields, but with freshmen like linebacker Doug Rippy and offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner, as well as Hagan's talented trio, first mpressions ran high. CU head coach Dan Hawkins said he does not put much into the eyeball test, but did notice I few things."I try not to get into that too much, but I did at one point look over at Rippy and go, 'Well that guy is kinda big.'"

The Buffs will practice without pads until August 9, and until then practices are focused more on getting people to understand their roles, knowing when to go and how fast to get there. The practices are split between newcomers in the morning and veterans in the afternoon in order to help the young guys learn at their own pace while the vets can practice what they already know.

"You know, everything is always in the details with young guys," said Hawkins. "Just finishing things and working on the details, working on finishing and running the ball."

Running the ball is something that the Buffs will be doing a lot of in the upcoming season with so much talent at the postion, but Hagan has his hands full thus far.

"They are just doing everything too fast," said Hagan. "I told them, the first two running plays we put in today are the most important plays we are going to run and you have to be patient to be successful running those plays, and they were just doing it too fast. Once we got to the individual period and they understood what we were trying to accomplish, they started to pick it up."

For players like Scott, who just moved into his dorm room yesterday, everything is predicated on studying the playbook and staying in good shape. He has enough to worry about as an incoming freshman student, let alone athlete.

However, that did not stop coaches from adding a wrinkle to the playbook. Scott was seen punting the ball with the regular punters and kickers, and was punting around 40 yards consistently. It is a skill that Scott said he picked up in the sixth grade playing soccer, and now has his CU coaches excited.

"Coach wanted to put that in. He said we have never had a punter/runner back there," said Scott.

The 6-foot, 220-pound running back also let it be known that he is ambidextrous. He kicks with his left leg, his right leg is his dominant leg, he throws with his right arm and catches with his left arm.

"I have to have my whole body, if I don't have my whole body... wow," said Scott.

CU coaches are probably thinking the same thing.

Practices are open to the public and run from 9:45-11:45 a.m. for newcomers and 4:30-6:30 p.m. for veterans.

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