Buffs Solder and Maiava fitting in at new blocking positions
It has been an interesting spring practice session for sophomores Nate Solder and Kai Maiava, both of whom have been trying to adjust to playing unfamiliar positions.
Solder, who played tight end last season, will play offensive tackle this season, and Maiava, who practiced as an offensive guard in 2007, will move to fullback for the upcoming year.
The Buffs’ coaching staff said the moves were prompted both by a need to fill spots on the offense and their belief that both athletes are better suited at their new positions because of their physical talents.
Head coach Dan Hawkins said there is always a bit of a learning curve when coaches ask two young men to play completely different positions, but things have been looking good so far.
“Both young men are doing well,” Hawkins said. “Both Nate and Kai have the physical tools to succeed at their new positions, now it’s just about putting it all together.”
The Buffs are halfway through spring practice, a time when everyone from senior starter to fifth-string redshirt freshman is asked to go back to the basics and work on the fundamentals of football. It is the perfect time for a young player to learn a new position.
Solder played in all 12 games as a tight end and special team standout for the Buffs last season. He said he is happy about playing a new position and is excited about the challenge it presents.
“It’s a learning experience,” Solder said. “In high school I played middle linebacker and tight end. Last year I played tight end. The year before that I played tight end, so it has been interesting.”
The 6-8, 280 lb. Solder said he has been working hard to put on weight, and he hopes to weigh around 300 lbs. by the time fall training camp starts.
The newly named offensive lineman said he moved from tight end to tackle because he thought he would be good at it. He felt his build was well suited to the offensive tackle position and the skills required to play the position were some of his strong suits.
Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said it was Solder who made the final decision to move from tight end to tackle.
“I told him he had a really good opportunity to help our team and to help his future,” Grimes said. “I told him he has the chance to be an average tight end but he could be a phenomenal offensive lineman, not only at this level but at the next level if he develops.”
Grimes said the coaching staff recognized early on that Solder had all the tools required to be a great offensive lineman. All that remains is for him to learn the position.
“He is a tough guy, he is hard working, and he is smart,” Grimes said. “He has great feet. He had decent athleticism at tight end so when you move him to the offensive line, now he has phenomenal athleticism.”
Grimes added that he expects Solder to compete for a starting position on the offensive line in the fall.
Hawkins said the Buffs’ offensive coaches are all very excited to watch Solder develop into the offensive lineman they all believe he can be.
“He is transitioning great,” Hawkins said. “He is very talented, he really is. He has got the length you want, and he’s very athletic. He is doing a nice job.”
The third-year head coach said the coaching staff is also enthusiastic about the potential of Maiava, the other young player who has been practicing at a foreign position this spring.
Maiava, who was named to several freshman All-American teams as an offensive guard last season, will be moving to fullback for his sophomore year.
Maiava said the transition from the offensive line to the fullback position has been a challenge because there are many different things he has to know before every play.
“I’ve still got a lot to learn about where to line up, who to block, you know, all the simple things,” Maiava said.
Unlike Solder who is trying to gain weight, Maiava, who is listed at 6-0, 280 lbs., said he is trying to slim down to increase his speed and mobility, which is more important for a fullback than a lineman.
“I’m trying to eat better, and I’m running more with the fullbacks,” Maiava said. “No more fast food, no desserts at dinner, and I spend about 10 minutes in the sauna after practice.”
Hawkins said that he does not want Maiava to lose too much weight because that is one of his strengths as a blocker.
“I’m not real concerned about him losing a bunch of weight, I’m really not,” Hawkins said. “I’d rather have him just be an offensive guard in the backfield. You know, be able to pick up blitzes, lead block and be able to catch the ball three times next year.”
Running backs coach Darian Hagan said from a tailbacks perspective, Maiava is fitting into the Buffs’ backfield quite nicely.
“The guys are doing a good job of running behind him,” Hagan said. “We’re doing a lot of things with him like back-side cut-offs and pulling him like an offensive lineman. He was a guard last year so he is doing a lot of the same things he did last year, he is just doing them from a two-point stance instead of a three-point stance.”
Hagan said Maiava’s size and athleticism makes him more suited to the fullback position than the lineman position, and it has been showing in practice.
“Playing fullback gives him an opportunity to show his athleticism,” Hagan said. “We have a surplus of offensive lineman, and being an athletic dude and not very tall, he can line up in the backfield and help us back there.”
Maiava said his favorite thing about playing fullback is the freedom he has to run and gain momentum more than at the guard position.
“Now I get a five-yard head start at people trying to blitz, defensive ends, or whoever,” Maiava said. “I get the chance for a little more one-on-one contact and the chance to blow somebody up.”
Both Solder and Maiava said they felt comfortable at their new positions in the Buffs’ first scrimmage of the spring, and both said watching themselves on film after the game gave them valuable insight into how to play their new positions.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brad Cochi at Bradley.Cochi@thecampuspress.com.
