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CHSAA state basketball Great 8 scouting report: What to watch in Denver Coliseum
A look at each of the Class 6A Great 8 matchups set for this weekend at the Denver Coliseum:
BOYS
Class 6A
Saturday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Rangeview (25-0) vs. No. 9 Regis Jesuit (19-6)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: RV — LaDavian King, 6-2, sr. (16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg); Marceles Duncan, 6-5, fr. (14.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.1 bpg, 2.6 apg); Archie Weatherspoon, 6-3, so. (13.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.5 apg). RJ — Eric Fiedler, 6-8, jr. (23.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg); Lucas Dickinson, 6-5, sr. (15.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.0 apg); Alec Roumph, 6-4, sr. (10.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.4 apg).
What to know: The last time Rangeview entered the Coliseum unbeaten, COVID cut its bid for perfection short. Now, the Raiders are back to finish the job with a new cast, including transfer guard LaDavian King, who was on the wrong end of a Final Four heartbreaker last year with Eaglecrest. The other Raiders in this matchup are no strangers to the big stage. Ken Shaw’s Regis Jesuit program reached the Final Four two years ago and is in the Great 8 for the sixth time since 2015. Four of those previous five teams lost in the quarterfinals.
No. 5 Valor Christian (21-4) vs. No. 4 Ralston Valley (23-2)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: VC — Cole Scherer, 6-2, sr. (26.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.0 apg); Brady Wynja, 6-6, sr. (14.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg); Ryan Mandes, 6-3, sr. (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 spg). RV — Tanner Braketa, 6-1, sr. (18.7 ppg, 5.5 apg); Caiden Braketa, 6-3, jr. (16.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.4 apg); Zeke Andrews, 6-6, jr. (10.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 apg).
What to know: The defending champion Eagles return with 2024 Mr. Colorado Basketball Cole Scherer on a heater since the start of February (22.5 ppg on 58.5% shooting). The Eastern Washington commit’s one off game during that span? A 5-for-15 night vs. Ralston Valley that ended with Scherer banking in a game-winner. Those heroics ended R.V.’s 19-game win streak to start the season — a run that included a 65-58 win over Valor. Northern Colorado commit Tanner Braketa and brother Caiden have R.V. in the Great 8 for the first time in 17 years and ready to win the rubber match.
No. 2 Eaglecrest (23-2) vs. No. 7 ThunderRidge (20-5)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: EAG — Anthony Nettles, 6-0, sr. (15.8 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.3 spg); Garrett Barger, 6-9, sr. (12.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Lucas Kalimba, 6-5, sr. (12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg). TR — Drew Paine, 6-8, jr. (18.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg); Kael Carney, 5-11, sr. (10.8 ppg, 1.1 spg); Ulysses Brown, 6-5, sr. (9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg).
What to know: A year ago, these two produced an instant classic in the Final Four decided on a last-second T-Ridge putback. Both teams have retooled since, with transfer guard Anthony Nettles playing the role of LaDavian King for Eaglecrest, and junior big man Drew Paine taking the baton from a talented senior class to lead ThunderRidge back to the Great 8 for the fourth time in five seasons. The Raptors are 23-1 since losing their opener at Regis Jesuit, but played just two games (1-1) against Great 8 qualifiers.
No. 6 Mountain Vista (20-5) vs. No. 3 Chaparral (21-4)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: MV — Cal Baskind, 6-0, sr. (20.4 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.0 spg); Oliver Junker, 6-8, jr. (15.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.7 bpg); Carlos Arocho, 5-11, sr. (7.8 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.2 rpg). CH — Christian Williams, 6-2, so. (19.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.6 apg); Luke Howery, 6-5, so. (17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.6 apg); Luke Williams, 6-9, jr. (8.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.4 bpg).
What to know: Mountain Vista returns to the Coliseum looking for redemption after last year’s buzzer-beater loss to Smoky Hill in the Great 8. Cal Baskind and Oliver Junker, who were both on the court for that heartbreaker, combined for 50 points in a double-overtime win over Overland in the Sweet 16. Now they get a date with the most talented sophomore duo in the state in guards Christian Williams and Luke Howery. They were also on the losing side of a Great 8 matchup with Valor last winter.
Class 5A
Friday at Denver Coliseum
No. 16 Green Mountain (16-9) vs. No. 25 Sand Creek (20-6)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: GM — Simon Lunsford, 6-4, sr. (17.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Sam Mielenz, 6-3, so. (13.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Jake Swanson, 6-4, jr. (10.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg). SC — Elijah Brotherns, 6-1, sr. (13.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 spg); Mathew Starks, 6-2, sr. (9.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.6 spg); Josh Kotto, 6-3, sr. (8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.7 apg).
What to know: A pair of Cinderellas meet in a Great 8 matchup few saw coming. Green Mountain clinched its first Great 8 trip in 16 years with a 55-42 upset of No. 1 Lutheran in the Sweet 16. Sand Creek beat eighth-seeded Severance (47-40) and ninth-seeded Cheyenne Mountain (59-57) in succession after emerging from the play-in round. The Scorpions’ last win came on a frantic finish that saw Jaylen Brantley sink the go-ahead bucket on one end and Elijah Brotherns make the game-saving block on the other.
No. 21 Falcon (17-8) vs. No. 4 Montrose (19-6)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: FA — Tyler Cox, 6-4, sr. (12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Jeremiah Potts, 5-10, sr. (11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg); Aiden Wood, 6-3, jr. (8.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 2.2 spg). MO — Kaleb Ferguson, 6-5, sr. (16.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 spg); CJ Rocco, 6-4, jr. (8.2 ppg, 1.3 bpg); Brody Cooling, 6-2, sr. (4.4 ppg, 3.9 apg).
What to know: The other pair of glass slippers in a topsy-turvy 5A bracket belong to Falcon, which turned a 4-4 December into its first state quarterfinal trip in seven years with wins over No. 12 Eagle Valley (62-56) and No. 28 Mountain View (63-56). Now they face a Western Slope power in Montrose — a program that’s reached the Great 8 three times in five seasons. The Red Hawks allow just 36.68 points/game and appeared to have righted themselves after closing out the regular season 3-4.
No. 2 Mesa Ridge (24-1) vs. No. 7 Standley Lake (20-5)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: MR — Bryce Riehl, 6-1, sr. (17.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 spg); Zander Iwanski, 6-3, sr. (11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg); J’marius Jones, 5-11, jr. (6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.8 apg). SL — Derrek Sims, 6-1, sr. (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 3.0 spg); Asher Serlen, 6-8, so. (14.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 bpg); Titus Schrecengost, 5-11, so. (11.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.7 spg).
What to know: Mesa Ridge’s 5A three-peat bid is alive and well, with the Grizzlies entering the Coliseum on a 24-game win streak behind the talents of all-everything guard Bryce Riehl. Only two of those wins came against Great 8 qualifiers, however. Up next is a Stanley Lake squad that’s entering uncharted territory. The Gators have had just two winning seasons since 2012 (the other was last year’s 14-10 campaign) and this is their first trip to the Great 8 in at least two decades. Might as well start against the best.
No. 6 Windsor (19-6) vs. No. 3 Dakota Ridge (19-6)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: WI — Madden Smiley, 6-3, jr. (20.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg); Brady Kingsley, 5-9, jr. (12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg); John Backhaus, 6-4, sr. (11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg). DR — Ethan Berninger, 6-5, sr. (22.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg); Nathan Esau, 6-4, sr. (14.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg); Cody Rominger, 6-2, sr. (8.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg).
What to know: Windsor is looking to go one step further after falling just short in the 5A title game against Mesa Ridge last winter. Junior Madden Smiley has scored in double-figures in all but one of the Wizards’ 25 games and reached the 20-point plateau in both of their playoff wins. Dakota Ridge has a deadly scorer of its own in senior Ethan Berninger, who’s reached 30 points three times in the Eagles’ last five games and is shooting 40% (70 of 176) from 3-point range. The Eagles have lost in the Great 8 two years in a row.
GIRLS
Class 6A
Saturday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Grandview (22-3) vs. No. 8 Denver East (17-8)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: GV — Sienna Betts, 6-4, sr. (23.8 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 bpg); Ava Chang, so. (14.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.3 spg); Deija Roberson, 5-11, sr. (8.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg). DE — Evelina Otto, 6-5, sr. (16.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg); Grace Hall, 5-7, so. (12.1 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.0 spg); Mairead Hearty, 6-3, jr. (10.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.3 bpg).
What to know: The Grandview girls juggernaut is back at the Coliseum after a year away looking to reclaim the 6A state title it won in 2023. McDonald’s All-American Sienna Betts is less than 50 points shy of becoming the fourth Colorado prep girls basketball player to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. Three more wins, and the UCLA commit will have a third state title, too. First up is Denver East, which has the size in Evelina Otto and Mairead Hearty to give Betts problems. Since starting the season 1-7, the Angels have lost once.
No. 5 Pine Creek (23-2) vs. No. 4 Cherry Creek (18-7)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: PC — Brooklyn Stewart, 6-3, sr. (19.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg); Alli Dreessen, 6-1, jr. (12.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Leekaya Burke-Perryman, 5-3, sr. (11.7 ppg, 5.6 apg, 2.7 spg). CC — Braelynn Barnett, 6-1, sr. (11.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Molly Dorighi, 5-8, sr. (11.1 ppg, 3.1 spg); A’Neya Chambers, 5-10, sr. (9.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 spg).
What to know: Led by Oklahoma commit Brooklyn Stewart, the Eagles are in the Great 8 for the first time in program history. If they’re to advance, they’ll have to get past a Cherry Creek program with plenty of big-game experience. In fact, this is Great 8 trip No. 4 for Braelynn Barnett and A’Neya Chambers, who’ve started since their freshman seasons. Even with classmate and Alabama commit Tianna Chambers unavailable this winter, the Bruins have proven themselves dangerous with a 5-4 record vs. 5A/6A Great 8 teams.
No. 2 Valor Christian (23-2) vs. No. 7 Legend (20-5)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: VC — Peyton Jones, 5-11, jr. (24.1 ppg, 3.4 spg); Quinn VanSickle, 5-8, sr. (18.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.4 apg); Camryn Gunter, 6-2, jr. (11.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg). LEG — Mason Borcherding, 6-1, sr. (13.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg); Grace Stanley, 5-4, sr. (10.1 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.2 spg); Maley Wilhelm, 5-7, sr. (9.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.8 spg).
What to know: Valor enters the weekend riding a 30-game win streak against Colorado competition that dates back to last year’s 6A title run. The Eagles are 5-0 against fellow 6A Great 8 qualifiers this winter, including a 69-42 thrashing of Legend in December. Blue chip prospect Peyton Jones and Pepperdine commit Quinn VanSickle combined for 50 points in that rout. If the Titans are going to reverse that result, they’ll need someone other than Boise State commit Mason Borcherding (24 points, 13 rebounds) to step up.
No. 6 Highlands Ranch (22-3) vs. No. 14 Riverdale Ridge (20-5)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: HR — Ezra Simonich, 5-10, sr. (15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.8 apg); Jayda Rogers, 6-0, fr. (12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Tori Baker, 5-7, sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.7 apg). RR — Brihanna Crittendon, 6-3, jr. (26.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.3 spg); Chloe Parker, 5-8, jr. (11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Shay Vigil, 5-4, jr. (11.3 ppg, 3.0 spg, 2.7 apg).
What to know: A year after leading Riverdale Ridge to its first state title in Class 4A, five-star phenom Brihanna Crittendon has the Ravens back at the Coliseum in the program’s first 6A season. Her last-second block sealed a Sweet 16 win over No. 3 Broomfield. Now comes a date with Caryn Jarocki’s Eagles, who are making their 10th Great 8 appearance in 11 seasons. DU commit Tori Baker is the floor general, but a talented trio of freshmen Jayda Rogers and Kimora Banks-Thomas and sophomore Addie Moon gives HR depth.
Class 5A
Friday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Air Academy (24-0) vs. No. 8 Durango (19-6)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: AA — Tatyonna Brown, 6-2, sr. (19.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg); Lydia Flowers, 6-0, sr. (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Kinley Asp, 5-11, jr. (13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.3 apg). DU — Claire Goodwin, jr. (13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.0 spg); Mariah Maestas, 5-7, sr. (8.1 ppg, 2.3 spg); Ellie White, sr. (6.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
What to know: The Coliseum has been a site of heartbreak for Air Academy, with the Kadets squandering double-digit leads in season-ending losses to Northfield (2024) and Roosevelt (2023) the last two years. Now they enter the penultimate weekend eyeing redemption, with Kansas commit Tatyonna Brown and D-I recruit Kinley Asp leading 5A’s lone unbeaten. Durango survived a rock fight against Montrose (32-23) to reach the Great 8 for the second time in three years, but needs to hit another level vs. the Kadets.
No. 5 Green Mountain (23-2) vs. No. 4 Roosevelt (22-3)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: GM — Kantyn Pearson, 5-9, jr. (13.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg); Ella Cockrum, 5-6, so. (12.2 ppg, 2.2 spg); Addie Evans, 5-11, so. (8.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 spg). RO — Kyla Hollier, 6-1, jr. (26.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.8 spg); Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, 6-0, sr. (17.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.0 apg); Payton Terry, 5-7, sr. (6.9 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.3 spg).
What to know: Two-time defending 5A champion Roosevelt, led by the D-I tandem of Kyla Hollier and Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, brings its suffocating defense back to the Coliseum eyeing a three-peat. Each of the Riders’ three losses this season came to teams playing in the Coliseum, the last a 65-44 setback at No. 6 Mullen on Jan. 6. Nobody has come within single digits of them since. Although Green Mountain, winners of 22 straight and in the Great 8 for the fourth time in six years, is almost certain to test that.
No. 2 Mead (22-3) vs. No. 7 Frederick (19-6)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: MD — Madi Clark, 5-8, so. (12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Darby Haley, 5-6, sr. (10.6 ppg, 2.8 apg); Elena Gomez, 5-10, jr. (9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 spg). FR — Zoe Wittler, 5-6, sr. (13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Rylee Gallegos, 5-3, sr. (7.9 ppg, 3.3 spg); Izzy Howard, 5-9, so. (7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 spg).
What to know: Mead is back in the Great 8 for the fourth straight season, and this might be the Mavericks’ best shot at a title yet. Madi Clark has gone up a level since last year’s breakout freshman season, and the Mavs are 21-1 against Colorado competition. The lone setback was a Granite Peaks League loss to 6A No. 3 Broomfield. The last time these two teams met, Mead dominated from start to finish in a 54-19 home victory on Jan. 17. Translation: the Frederick Golden Eagles have their work cut out for them.
No. 6 Mullen (16-9) vs. No. 3 Windsor (21-4)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: MU — Makenzie Jones, 5-11, so. (16.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 spg); Tatum Jones, 6-2, sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Keaton Arangua-Egbert, 5-8, sr. (6.9 ppg, 2.5 apg). WI — Reyleigh Hess, 6-0, sr. (15.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg); Nola Greenwald, 5-11, so. (11.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Gracie Worlsey, 5-11, so. (10.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg).
What to know: Few teams are more battle-tested in 5A than the Mullen Mustangs, who went 6-3 in the rugged 6A Centennial League and 1-4 in games against 6A/5A Great 8 qualifiers. The last time the Mustangs were one classification below the largest in Colorado, they won three straight contested state titles — the last two capped by wins over Windsor in the championship round. Karin Nicholls’ Wizards have reached the Great 8 in the three seasons since, and now they have the size to match up with Mullen.
* All stats taken from maxpreps.com.
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Originally Published:
Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools. In turn, it’s reshaping the district’s future.
“I think we’re in a good position, but it’s responsible for us to always be looking in the future and knowing we have to make some adjustments,” said Chuck Carpenter, the district’s CFO.
In a two-year span between this past school year and next, DPS expects a decline in enrollment of around 1,700 students.
“We haven’t really seen anything like this,” said Carpenter in response to the consistent decline.
Because of this trend, the district is facing a $28 million structural deficit over the next five years.
“We have a balanced budget now, and we’re not predicting that we’ll have an unbalanced budget in three years,” said Carpenter. “We’re saying we need to make adjustments over the next three, four years, so that our budgets are balanced.”
DPS’s Director of Campus Planning, Andrew Huber, told CBS Colorado in an interview last month that those adjustments will likely include closing down more schools.
“Additional school closures will be necessary in the upcoming years. When exactly that would be is hard to forecast right now,” said Huber.
The district’s CFO says his biggest takeaway from a recent round of closures is to make sure to give families options for what’s next.
“No one wants their school closed, but the second-best option isn’t going to be the same for every family,” said Carpenter.
This issue could be one Denver faces for years to come.
“We sort of say, how many kids are born here? Because in five years, those kids will be kindergartners,” Carpenter added.
The city’s birth rate peaked in 2005, meaning those babies have already graduated high school. And, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, more young families move out of Denver and into surrounding counties than move into the city.
“I think school consolidation is very — I understand why people want to talk about it, but I think it’s more about, like, how do we make sure that the programs that are offered are rich programs,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter also says the district is closely monitoring some potential cuts to federal grants for students of poverty and language learners. He says those decisions will be made by October for the start of the new fiscal year, and cuts would have a “terrible” impact.
The Denver Broncos hosted eight tryout players at mandatory minicamp this week, including quarterback Sawyer Robertson. It sounds like the team has made decisions on those tryout players, and Robertson won’t be signed (at least not right now).
Instead, the Broncos are signing offensive lineman Reid Holskey (according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) and cornerback Blake Cotton (according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel). Holskey (6-6, 306 pounds) spent time on the Houston Texans’ practice squad in 2025 before joining the New York Giants in January. He was cut by New York last month. Cotton (6-2, 195 pounds) is a rookie who spent last fall at Utah, totaling 30 tackles and seven pass breakups in 13 games.
The two moves came one day after Denver wrapped up minicamp. The 91-man offseason roster was already full, so the Broncos will need to make corresponding moves to make room for Holskey and Cotton on the roster.
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Sean Payton has seen enough. The Denver Broncos’ third practice of mandatory minicamp, which was set to happen on Thursday, has been canceled.
“Just schedule-wise, today will be our last day,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “I just finished telling them that. It’s unusual because there’s a lot of packing, a little bit more than normal when you’re moving into another facility. So when we’re back here, we’ll be in the new building.”
The Broncos are moving into their new state-of-the-art facility, but the decision to cancel the final practice of the offseason was motivated primarily by what Payton has seen thus far and how the team is shaping up.
Thus concludes the Broncos’ offseason training program, which featured eight total practices as a team, four of which were open to the media. There was more on-field activity than that, including walkthrough practices unseen by the press, but in essence, we’re talking about eight sessions.
Some players have already begun to separate themselves in their respective competitions. Others have really popped, while some have failed to really stand out in any meaningful way.
By way of a Broncos stock report, let’s get to the biggest winners and losers of mandatory minicamp.
Winner: Bo Nix | QB
Nix finally returned to the practice field on Tuesday, the first day of minicamp. He was limited to individual drills only, but it was still great to see him out there.
On Day 2, though, Nix took another big step forward, participating in a 7-on-7 drill that included a highlight-reel touchdown pass to RJ Harvey. Just getting Nix back on the field was a big win for the Broncos, but seeing him progress over two days and look overall very sharp was more than a little encouraging.
Winner: Jaylen Waddle | WR
Waddle has been a lightning rod since the practices were opened to the media. He just looks different. That speed and explosiveness really add an element to the Broncos’ offense that has been lacking.
It’s been palpable. But arguably just as exciting is what Waddle’s teammates and coaches have been saying about him. Payton has called him a “force multiplier,” which is another way of saying that he makes everyone around him better.
Not that we really had reason to doubt it, but Waddle has been as advertised thus far, and then some.
Loser: Marvin Mims Jr. | WR
Mims is not listed as a loser because of any specific negative plays, like a dropped pass or a mental miscue. It’s just that, with other receivers, including Waddle, shining, generating buzz, and earning plaudits from Payton, Mims didn’t really.
Mims is a similar receiver type as Waddle, but the newcomer made it clear how much separation exists between them in practice. Now, Mims is still important to the Broncos, especially as a returner, and Payton did compliment his clutch gene and contributions in big games, but you have to wonder how he fits into the game plan on offense. That question still hasn’t been answered.
Winner: J.K. Dobbins | RB
Dobbins was his usually talkative self at minicamp, but the fact that he was healthy and out there doing his thing is a major win for the Broncos. It’s good to have him part of the daily process at Broncos HQ again because he’s one of those veterans that takes players under his wing, and elevates them.
Winner: Que Robinson | OLB
With the recent off-the-field drama the Broncos have dealt with, some extra attention was paid to the Broncos’ outside linebackers. Robinson, in particular, separated himself during minicamp.
His get-off is something else, and he was dispruptive during the Broncos’ team periods. Vance Joseph has said he views Robinson as a “future starter.” Pending Cooper’s situation, the future could be now, though Elliss will also have something to say about that.
Robinson had one heck of an offseason. I’m really looking forward to his second year.
Loser: Jonathon Cooper | OLB
After being arrested twice in the span of a week, the Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp. It would seem the Broncos want to create some distance from Cooper until his legal troubles are resolved, one way or another.
It’s a shame, in more ways than one. Beyond what legal ramifications might await Cooper, he’s very likely to be suspended by the NFL, and the Broncos releasing him at some point is not outside the bounds of the plausible. It’s a good thing that rush linebacker room is stacked.
Winner: Matt Henningsen | DL
None of these winners has been quite as surprising as Henningsen. He made a huge play on Day 1 of minicamp, tipping a Sam Ehlinger pass and returning it to the house.
Henningsen followed that up with another disruptive Day 2. He’s gone from being an after thought in the Broncos’ defensive line conversation to establishing himself as a bona fide threat for the roster.
Loser: Jahdae Barron | CB
Like Mims, Barron wasn’t bad during the offseason; he just didn’t pop, really, in any way. He broke up one pass on Day 2 of minicamp, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to see.
It will be interesting to see how Barron performs in training camp. We know the Broncos have high expectations for him, and a role on defense, even if as a depth piece, will be created for him, but I was hoping to see more signs of a Year-2 leap by now.
Winner: Jonah Coleman | RB
Another as-advertised player. Coleman has proven he’s ready for the NFL, which was partly what attracted the Broncos to him in the draft.
Coleman stood out in a major way at minicamp and made it clear that the Broncos have more than just a J.K. Dobbins insurance policy on their hands. Coleman is a force to be reckoned with.
Winner: Tyler Onyedim | DL
Like Coleman the Broncos’ first pick in the 2026 draft has looked NFL-ready. The Broncos still haven’t signed Onyedim, but that didn’t stop him from participating in the offseason program, which is a good harbinger.
Rocking the No. 98 jersey, it’s easy to mistake Onyedim for the guy he was drafted to replace: John Franklin-Myers. That’s especially true when the rookie is out there making plays like JFM. Onyedim has earned praise from his teammates, including the All-Pro Zach Allen.
Winner: Evan Engram | TE
Engram looked very good in minicamp this week. He looked like a big, athletic, smooth, explosive receiver, which is what he’s been in the NFL.
Engram wasn’t really all those things in his first year with the Broncos, but I’m hopeful that Year 2 will be different for the two-time Pro Bowler. He’s had a good summer.
Winner: Troy Franklin | WR
Franklin seems like the obvious No. 3 receiver in the pecking order. That doesn’t mean he’ll get the No. 3 snaps on an exclusive basis, though.
As the Broncos’ No. 2 last year, Franklin wasn’t able to fully live up to that, although he took some big steps forward in his second year. As the No. 3, it’s more his natural spot and that should allow him to continue to thrive in the offense, especially with the connection he has with Bo Nix dating back to Oregon.
Winner: Sam Ehlinger | QB
Ehlinger had a great offseason. He looked way more comfortable and far sharper in the offense in what is his second go-around in Payton’s offense.
Ehlinger was sharp this summer, and if he can continue to build on the foundation he’s created, it could create some uncomfortable conversations at Broncos HQ.
Loser: Jarrett Stidham | QB
Stidham has been less noteworthy this summer, but that doesn’t mean he’s been bad. In comparison to Ehlinger, though, Stidham wasn’t as good, which is curious, considering his standing as the team’s primary backup since 2023.
If Ehlinger ends up leapfrogging Stidham, what do the Broncos do? They’re holding a competition for QB2, and they have to be prepared for the possibility of Ehlinger winning it, especially after his strong summer.
If Ehlinger forces this issue, Stidham could become expendable. Stidham is very unlikely to be a cut candidate because of his contract, but as a trade piece? There’s a reason the rumor mill has been active on the Stidham topic this offseason. It’s something to watch.
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