Wright gets his chance to repay Embree

Senior safety Ray Polk and sophomore cornerback Greg Henderson were knocked out of Colorado's 22-17 loss to rival Colorado State last week with sprained ankles. Polk's injury is more severe and could cost him several weeks.

If Henderson can't play Saturday against the Big Sky's Hornets, Wright will step in alongside fellow freshmen Kenneth Crawley, who started at left cornerback last week, and safety Marques Mosley, who's also expected to get plenty of playing time.

Colorado (0-1) has never started two true freshmen cornerbacks in a game.

Wright was the gem of Embree's recruiting class this spring. He was a top-100 talent nationally and was being recruited heavily by Michigan until he ran into some controversy for derogatory racial references and graphic sexual comments he posted on his Twitter account.

Wright was subsequently expelled from his high school, national football power Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., and the Wolverines backed off.

Wright expressed remorse and Embree offered him a shot at redemption.

"Coach Embree treated me real good throughout the whole situation that happened. He definitely trusts that it won't happen again. That's something I won't get involved in," Wright said this week.

"There was a lot of extra stuff before and now I can just focus on football and school, really."

Wright said he's eager to repay Embree for believing in him.

"That lets me know that he thinks I'm a lot different than what people say I am. He thinks different of me, he knows I'm not really that type of kid," Wright said. "I really want to show him more than anything that I have definitely learned my lesson from that whole thing that happened."

Wright and his two fellow freshmen DBs would join junior safeties Terrel Smith and Parker Orms as the Buffaloes face the Hornets (0-1), who were thrashed 49-19 by New Mexico State last week.

Mosley said there will be no hesitation among the trio of freshmen in the defensive backfield.

"I feel confident enough to go out there and be aggressive just like the actual starters, because they prepared us for this," he said.