Colorado’s injury report finally brought one real jolt of good news on Tuesday, and it came from a name most people had already written off for the year.
Linebacker Tyler Martinez, who had been expected to miss the rest of the season with a foot injury, showed up as questionable for the Buffaloes’ Week 11 game against No. 14 Houston. For a Colorado team that has spent much of the season juggling injuries, that’s a notable shift.
Martinez hasn’t played since the Week 4 matchup with Baylor, but his return now looks at least possible. He had been trending in the right direction recently, including a sighting against Arizona State without a boot for the first time since the injury.
Less than a week later, he may be back in uniform. If he does get the green light, he’d slide back into the linebacker mix with Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau.
The report was less encouraging elsewhere. Colorado was still waiting on Mitchell, whose absence was obvious in the Week 10 loss to Arizona State. Ben Finneseth has handled much of the fill-in work at safety, and the Buffs have even had to use cornerback RJ Johnson there because of the depth issues.
The outlook also remains shaky for Welch and Scudero. Both are still in a tough spot, and with only two games left after this week’s matchup, their window to return is getting tight. That also clarifies what Deion Sanders meant when he said one of Scudero, Welch, and Martinez would be back soon - it wasn’t the offensive pair.
Colorado did get a small boost with Braylon Edwards. This is the first time he’s been listed as anything better than out since Oct. 17, and while he hasn’t made much of an impact in the secondary this season, he could be an option at safety if Mitchell remains unavailable.
Another name to watch is Taufatofua, who opened the week as doubtful for the third straight time. Colorado has kept hoping for a turnaround, but the first injury report each week has quickly cooled that optimism. Unless he beats the odds, it looks like another rehab week for the hybrid lineman.
Elliot Arnold is also still on the report after the injury he suffered on the roughing-the-kicker play committed by Arizona State in the fourth quarter. Sanders said he’d be fine after the game, and the fact that Arnold is listed as questionable suggests the issue is not considered serious with three games left.
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Arizona State Just Helped Expose A Colorado Crisis Deion Can't Ignore
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Deion Sanders now has to navigate not just the pressure of needing a flawless finish, but also the broader questions hanging over the roster and the direction of the program. Colorado has talent, yet the losses have piled up, recruiting has taken hits and the on-field production has not matched the hype, leaving the Buffaloes facing a stretch where every game feels like a referendum on the season and on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]