With the end of the season in sight, senior safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig has been a standout on a dominating Colorado defense. His play inside the box has been game-changing and a reason for the unit’s success.
Having played for head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders since high school, he has grown and developed into a role as a leader by action. Much of his mindset was developed early on.
“I felt like I was a better player than I actually was when I first met him,” Silmon-Craig said during Tuesday’s presser. “I felt like I was the best thing since sliced bread…then I kind of learned what it was to be great and how to go be great every day and be consistent every day,” Silmon-Craig said during Tuesday’s presser.”
One of the most consistent parts of his game is tackling. Thus far he has recorded 72 total tackles (56 solo), a forced fumble, two sacks and three pass deflections. Silmon-Craig has the most solo tackles on the team with ten more than linebacker Nikhai-Hill-Green but is edged in total tackles by one, to Hill-Green.
“Me, Nikhai, and (LaVonta) Bentley we communicate a whole lot,” Silmon-Craig said.
“We make sure we see things the same way. I mean a lot of the stuff, a lot of adjustment that you see that's happening on the field we're just playing on the fly. I really trust what they say and what they see.”
The fundamentals of defense are to read and react, which Silmon-Craig excels at. He stands out by knowing his team's scheme, as well as the offense's scheme to perfection. To make these plays he must first have gotten to the correct spot. Film study is the biggest way to gain an advantage over your opponent, and learn their scheme. Standing at 5-foot-10, Silmon-Craig’s preparation off the field has led to his success with an undersized frame.
Colorado will be traveling on the road to play the Kansas Jayhawks (4-6, Big 12 3-4) this Saturday. Silmon-Craig is focused on studying for quarterback Jalon Daniels. He is looking at previous opponents to help execute the defensive game plan to stop Kansas’ QB.
“I look at what other teams tried to do before and I look at what this team (Kansas) has. Going into this week we have a quarterback that runs the ball a lot,” Silmon-Craig said. “I look back at UCF, that's the last quarterback we had that was like a dual-threat guy that likes to run the ball.”
Knowing what is happening before your eyes and then reacting, are two separate abilities in the human brain. With the average play taking just a few seconds, football players have a short time to react. The confidence and recognition from film study help in the game.
“[We] see what they try to do to us,” Silmon-Craig Said. “If you watch it enough, once you see it in the game it kinda clicks for you. I can’t have no recipe for you, it just happens."
Communication and recognition have been the keys to success for the Buffs. Working from the top down the unit has continued to gel and improve throughout the year. With players like Silmon-Craig, the defense will play an important role in a potential playoff run.
Cover photo by Roberto Patrick Gerra/Sko Buffs Sports
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