Colorado’s new offensive coordinator is already making his presence felt, and the clip that spread online on July 1 gave fans a pretty clear picture of the tone Brennan Marion wants from his running backs.
In the huddle, Marion didn’t sugarcoat it. He told his 2026 backs to “get violent” and then locked in on Alabama transfer Richard Young.
“I'm talking to you!” Marion was overheard saying.
“They threw you around! Let's get tough!”
Young answered right away. He dropped his left shoulder, ripped off a long touchdown run in a scrimmage, and gave Colorado a glimpse of what Marion is trying to build.
Deion Sanders clearly loved it too, shouting, “That's who I want! That's who we want!”
after Young finished the run.
That moment fits the bigger reason Marion is in Boulder in the first place. Colorado finished next-to-last among Big 12 teams in rushing yards per game, and Sanders needed someone with a track record of turning around ground games. Marion brought that résumé with him.
The numbers from his stops speak loudly. At Sacramento State, the Hornets went from 4.5 rushing yards per carry and 12 touchdowns in 2024 to 262.6 and 39 touchdowns after Marion took over as head coach.
At UNLV, the Rebels had managed just 4.2 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns even with Aidan Robbins topping 1,000 yards. Marion’s 2024 offense at UNLV jumped to 3,409 yards, averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 29 times, after the 2023 unit had totaled 2,429 yards, averaged 4.6 yards per carry and scored 39 touchdowns.
Sanders wasn’t only looking for help with Julian Lewis and the wide receiver group. He needed a coordinator who had shown he could reshape a backfield, and Marion became one of the most important hires of the offseason.
Young is expected to take a big step this fall, and the “Go-Go” offense with more two-running back looks is built for him. Colorado believes that setup can give him the kind of runway Alabama had in mind before he transferred.
But Young may not be the only back who pops.
JaQuail Smith already knows Marion’s system from his short stint at Sacramento State. The Florida speedster led the Hornets with 6.7 yards per carry and gives the offense the burst it needs to stretch things out.
Damian Henderson, another former Hornet, brings the power element. He can spell Young and returner Micah Welch, and he also adds a sharp second gear once he gets moving.
That viral huddle wasn’t just a good clip. It was a warning shot. Colorado’s backfield looks set to play with a different edge, and the Big 12 has been put on notice.
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Colorados Toughest Stretch Could Define Coach Primes Rebound Year
October already looks like the month that will tell the story of Colorados 2026 season. The Buffaloes have a brutal run of Big 12 games coming up, with Texas Tech, Utah, Oklahoma State and Kansas State all waiting in the same stretch, and a bye week offering only a brief pause in the middle of it. For a program trying to reset after a major offseason overhaul, that kind of slate is going to test how quickly the new pieces can come together.
The challenge is made even steeper by the company Colorado is keeping at the top of the league. Texas Tech enters as the defending Big 12 champion and the clear favorite, while Utah and Kansas State also sit near the top of the odds board, which leaves the Buffs facing a month where they are likely to be underdogs in every game. With 43 transfers and new coordinators Chris Marve and Brennan Marion in place, October may end up being less about style points and more about whether Coach Primes rebuilt roster can hold up when the schedule gets unforgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Faces A Defining Colorado Test In 2026
Colorados reset for 2026 is already taking shape around a new staff and a roster that looks far different from the one that stumbled to a 3-9 finish in 2025. Brennan Marion is in as offensive coordinator and Chris Marve takes over the defense, while Julian Lewis is expected to be the starting quarterback for a team that has leaned hard into transfers and recruits to rebuild quickly.
The bigger question now is whether that mix can translate into actual stability, especially on a defense that was overrun against the run a year ago. Marve inherits a unit that needs a major turnaround, and Colorados front will be watched closely as newcomers settle in and the Buffs try to figure out what kind of identity they want to carry into the season. [Read more 🡒]