[ColoradoTree]

I would love to see Buncom on the field at least in nickel if not every down.

This is the key for me, and why a formal position change might not be that meaningful for the current season.  Whether a corner plays nickel or a safety does, it's somewhat immaterial, since the role is the same.  Buncom's experience at both positions would seem to be helpful in playing nickel. 

We have an acute safety shortage looming after next season: No more Reid, Edwards, Simmons or Franklin.  Before this move of Buncom there, the only other safeties on our roster were Pryts and Head.  The coaches' concern with our safety numbers likely figured in their decision, and may have driven it.

pcgoode made this point regarding Edwards, but each of those guys actually has eligiblity remaining after this coming season, as this will only be Edwards and Reid's third seasons on the Farm, and Simmons and Franklin had redshirt years that would allow them to play in 2018 if they're invited back.  Is it so certain that all of those guys would be gone? 

Also, when did Treyjohn Butler become a strong safety?  I must have missed that, but that's what the roster says.  I know there's always been positional flexibility there (he played some safety his senior year of high school in addition to corner, but Shaw said he was a corner when he came in, though he also noted all of the DB signees' flexibility, and Butler was a hybrid CB/S listing on the roster last year), but I didn't recall that he'd fully transitioned to safety, let alone strong safety.  In any event, he's another name in the mix. 

Looking at the current roster, we have 7 guys at safety (Simmons, Buncom, Edwards, Pryts, and Franklin at FS, and Butler and Reid at SS) and 7 at corner (Antoine, Murphy, Alexander, Holder, Eboh, Meeks, and walk-on J.J. Parson).  With this year's recruiting class, each group adds one guy to get to 8 for the season (Adebo at CB, Head at S).  Of that group, only Alexander's eligibility expires at the end of this coming season, though certainly some guys at both CB and S could elect to leave early. 

[ColoradoTree]

I would love to see Buncom on the field at least in nickel if not every down.

This is the key for me, and why a formal position change might not be that meaningful for the current season.  Whether a corner plays nickel or a safety does, it's somewhat immaterial, since the role is the same.  Buncom's experience at both positions would seem to be helpful in playing nickel. 

We have an acute safety shortage looming after next season: No more Reid, Edwards, Simmons or Franklin.  Before this move of Buncom there, the only other safeties on our roster were Pryts and Head.  The coaches' concern with our safety numbers likely figured in their decision, and may have driven it.

pcgoode made this point regarding Edwards, but each of those guys actually has eligiblity remaining after this coming season, as this will only be Edwards and Reid's third seasons on the Farm, and Simmons and Franklin had redshirt years that would allow them to play in 2018 if they're invited back.  Is it so certain that all of those guys would be gone? 

Also, when did Treyjohn Butler become a strong safety?  I must have missed that, but that's what the roster says.  I know there's always been positional flexibility there (he played some safety his senior year of high school in addition to corner, but Shaw said he was a corner when he came in, though he also noted all of the DB signees' flexibility, and Butler was a hybrid CB/S listing on the roster last year), but I didn't recall that he'd fully transitioned to safety, let alone strong safety.  In any event, he's another name in the mix. 

Looking at the current roster, we have 7 guys at safety (Simmons, Buncom, Edwards, Pryts, and Franklin at FS, and Butler and Reid at SS) and 7 at corner (Antoine, Murphy, Alexander, Holder, Eboh, Meeks, and walk-on J.J. Parson).  With this year's recruiting class, each group adds one guy to get to 8 for the season (Adebo at CB, Head at S).  Of that group, only Alexander's eligibility expires at the end of this coming season, though certainly some guys at both CB and S could elect to leave early.