Colorado’s backfield is shaping up to be one of the more crowded parts of the roster in 2026, and that’s before you even get to the newest wrinkle. Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense is built to put multiple running backs on the field at once, which means there should be plenty of touches to go around for the Buffaloes’ top options.
Damian Henderson II, Micah Welch and DeKalon Taylor have all put together strong summer and fall camps. Richard Young, though, is still trying to get back on track after another setback.
The Alabama transfer has been dealing with an injury during the offseason, and Colorado running backs coach Johnnie Mack said on August 20 that Young missed a significant chunk of the summer and is still playing catch-up in the offense.
“Richard Young, he came back from injury, so he missed a lot of the summer, and a lot of people don’t understand that. Like he missed a lot of the summer, which kind of had him behind a little bit.
So now, he's starting to figure out the system, learn the system a lot more, and I think he's starting to get comfortable. So it's going to take some time for him, but he's growing every day,” Mack said.
That’s a tough break for a player who arrived with a massive reputation. Young was a unanimous four-star recruit, and ESPN ranked him as the No. 1 running back in Florida in the 2023 class.
His high school production backed up the hype. Young topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his final two seasons, and his junior year was especially loud: 1,755 yards and 19 touchdowns on nine yards per carry, according to MaxPreps.
The offers came flooding in, too. 247Sports listed 52 FBS offers for Young, with all but five coming from Power Four schools.
He chose Alabama and Nick Saban, aiming to carve out a place in the Crimson Tide’s long line of standout running backs. Instead, the results in Tuscaloosa never matched the profile. Injuries played a part, but Young also got buried in a deep backfield.
Over three seasons at Alabama, he finished with 234 yards and five touchdowns on 59 carries. To put that in perspective, he once ran for more yards in a single high school game against the North Fort Myers Red Knights than he did across his entire Crimson Tide career.
Now at Colorado, Young is trying to restart things with the Buffaloes, but the injury delay makes the path more complicated. If he keeps progressing and continues to learn the system, he still has a chance to contribute. For now, though, he’s facing an uphill climb to open the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Keelon Russell's First Alabama Season Comes With One Clear Warning
Keelon Russells first Alabama season is already being viewed through a careful lens, and for good reason. The Crimson Tide have a chance to bring along a quarterback with real dual-threat ability, but the challenge is making sure that talent is developed in a way that helps the offense instead of asking the offense to survive on his shoulders. Alabamas staff can learn plenty by looking at how Texas handled Arch Manning in his first year as a starter, especially when it comes to striking the right balance between patience and production.
For Alabama, the warning is less about Russells ceiling than about the temptation to rush him into carrying too much too soon. The lesson from Mannings experience is that a young quarterback needs room to grow naturally, an attack that fits what he does well, and enough structure around him that every snap is not a referendum on his development. How Alabama applies those ideas in 2026 could shape not just Russells first season, but the direction of the offense around him. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Could Suddenly Face A Former Tide Return Decision
A federal ruling on college football eligibility could ripple far beyond the courtroom and straight into roster planning, and Alabama is among the programs having to pay attention. The decision involving the 2022 high school class opens the door for a fifth season in 2026-27, creating another layer of uncertainty for coaches already trying to map out scholarships, depth charts and long-term personnel decisions.
Kalen DeBoer acknowledged the Tide are monitoring the situation, but there is no clear answer yet on how it will affect Alabamas future plans. The twist for a roster already built around constant movement is that eligibility shifts like this can change who is available, who can return and which positions may suddenly need to be rethought, even before the offseason really starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's QB Decision Just Changed The Tide's Outlook
The quarterback battle in Tuscaloosa finally has a name attached to it, and it comes with immediate implications for Alabamas season opener against East Carolina on Sept. 5. Kalen DeBoer has settled on Keelon Russell as the starter, closing the door on a competition with Austin Mack and giving the Crimson Tide a clearer picture of how the offense will be built in the early going.
Now the focus shifts from the decision itself to what it means for Alabamas ceiling, and thats where the outside evaluations start to matter. Analyst Josh Pate and quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis both weighed in on Russells skill set and why the staff landed where it did, leaving the Tide with a fresh sense of direction and just enough intrigue about how quickly the new starter can make the job look comfortable. [Read more 🡒]