Post-Travis Hunter, Colorado And Coach Prime Have A 380-Pound 2-Way Player

The newest two-way player for the Colorado Buffaloes is listed at 380 pounds and enjoys nothing more than throwing that weight around in the trenches.

Sophomore Chauncey Gooden has developed into the interior lineman version of former Colorado receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter.

Gooden's primary responsibilities are at left guard and keeping quarterback Julian Lewis well-protected.

But in goal-line and short-yardage situations, the second-year player from Nashville, Tennessee, uses his 6-foot-3 frame to help clog up the middle.

In a season-opening 14-13 comeback win at Georgia Tech, Gooden played 65 offensive snaps and another seven on defense.

He was the lone interior lineman in the Division I ranks last week to play both ways, according to research provided from the school.

There was no real lobbying for the assignment, either.

It was just showing coach Deion Sanders that he could excel at an elite level on the offensive line.

Once he did that, more responsibility was heaped onto his plate.

"Coach Prime just gave me the opportunity, like, ‘Chauncey, what can you do on that D-line?’" said Gooden, who was named the Outland Trophy national player of the week on Wednesday for his work on the line of scrimmage.

"I was like, ‘Coach, I can go over here and show you now.’ So I went over there.

I was just causing havoc and being myself and things like that.

Next thing you know, he just trusted me to throw me in there." Memo to any other Buffaloes who want to play both ways: No need to mention it to Sanders.

"You’d be a fool to just tell me ‘I want to play both ways’.