Christian Gonzalez knew it was time to abandon the ship.
In his two years playing for Colorado, the Buffaloes were 8-10 and many of his teammates were transferring. It made perfect sense for him to end his tenure as a Buff.
But for Gonzalez to leave Boulder, Colorado, and transfer to a program bringing in a brand new head coach, offensive coordinator and nine other transfers was a little surprising.
He knew coach Demetrice Martin from his time as a Buffaloe. But aside from Martin, Gonzalez was entering a new program with very few connections and very little establishment.
Little about 2022 was crystal clear. During media day, the questions that dominated the afternoon gave the impression that Dan Lanning’s first season would be a reboot year for the Ducks. Lanning made it known that there would be competition at every position and that playing time was to be earned. Nobody’s job was safe. Especially not the new guys. Gonzalez knew he’d be leaving a program that he was the center of, for one he may not even start for.
Even still, Gonzalez took the risk. In January of 2022, he announced he was leaving the Buffaloes after two seasons in Boulder and entering the transfer portal. Later that week, he said he’d found a new home: Oregon.
“I was excited. It was a new chance to do what I want to do,” he said. “And it’s Oregon. That’s a national team, a national organization and a national university. That played a big role in [my decision].”
Gonzalez’s decision evidently affected both programs. The switch seems to have paid off in his favor.
Since Gonzalez left, Colorado and Oregon have gone in two completely different directions. The Ducks are flying high at 7-1 and first in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes are 1-7 and are 11th in the conference standings.
Oregon is looking to make a meaningful bowl game, but Colorado is already looking ahead to basketball season. The Buffs fired their head coach, Karl Dorell, after an 0-5 start and several blowout losses. Gonzalez would have been overlooked by everyone had he remained in Boulder.
The Ducks, however, are thriving in their first season under Lanning’s command. They’ve won seven straight and are favored to win the Pac-12.
Gonzalez, like the Ducks, has had serious success in 2022. His career at Colorado was littered with penalties, but he’s truly been a dominant force at cornerback for Oregon and is drawing hardly any flags. A true accomplishment on this team.
“The way I run, the way I step, the way I take the field, the way I mentally take the field. All the little things lead up to the plays you make and the plays don’t make,” Gonzalez said. “Film study is something that I really stepped up and I think it’s translated over.”
His risky transfer has paid dividends. He’s fifth in the team in tackles with 32 — a stat that could be higher, but opposing quarterbacks just aren’t testing him. There’s a fear of Gonzalez that didn’t exist during his time at Colorado where he was regularly picked on as an inexperienced underclassmen, and it often led to the aforementioned penalties.
But he got significant playing time as a bright spot on a disappointing roster. He gained experience, discipline and a better understanding of the game. He said his time in Colorado allowed him to focus on the “little things” that make a player great.
After two seasons in Colorado, Gonzalez had bolder ambitions. He took a risk to join a retooling Oregon team. He had to earn his spot during spring ball, where he turned heads and established himself as the top cornerback yet again.
As a part of Lanning’s new defense, Gonzalez has proved to be one of the best corners in college football. He’s flying up the draft boards.
Lanning has high praise for Gonzalez saying his experience has benefitted him and having him on the team is “certainly good for our program.”
It was a calculated risk for Gonzalez to come to Eugene, but one that may just land him a spot in the National Football League.
Draft Network said Gonzalez “flashes good eyes and instincts in zone coverage and makes it hard to find throwing windows.” NFL Draft Buzz said his “closing speed and willingness to make the big hit make him one of the more versatile safeties in the class.”
It seems 32 professional teams will have their eyes on Gonzalez in April at the 2023 NFL Draft. It’ll be a similar feeling to when he had 32 original offers to play in college. Ironically, Oregon wasn’t one of them.
“When he finally settled on Colorado I was kind of surprised,” his mother, Temple Gonzalez, said. “His words [to me] were, ‘they were the first ones to notice me. They were the first ones to take a chance on me.’”
Gonzalez found playing time at Colorado, but true success in Oregon.
On Saturday, the Ducks face Colorado in Boulder. Gonzalez gets to flex his new team in his old stomping grounds.
He expects to be welcomed back kindly, as he states there’s no bad blood between him and Colorado.
“I was blessed to get the opportunity to go there,” Gonzalez said. “They gave me the opportunity to play and show what I can do.”
Colorado’s loss has been Oregon’s gain. Duck fans have been blessed to watch the young corner play this season. He’ll likely make an NFL team happy in the future.
But for now, as Gonzalez says, it’s “one step at a time.” That next step is a homecoming reunion with the first team to want him and a chance to cement that his new team is a better fit.
