The NFL Combine list is out, and the Big 12 will be well represented in Indianapolis-except for one glaring omission: Colorado. Not a single Buffalo made the cut.
No quarterback. No edge rusher.
No corner. Not even a punter or long snapper.
For a program that’s been preaching “NFL over NIL” under Deion Sanders, that absence is loud.
Coach Prime has made it clear since arriving in Boulder: the goal is the league. Everything else-endorsements, branding, even NIL money-is secondary.
The message has been consistent: develop, perform, and the rest will follow. But this year, with zero Colorado players invited to the Combine, that message hits a snag.
It’s not for lack of belief. Several Buffaloes have declared for the draft, including Arden Walker, Preston Hodge, Keaten Wade, Kaidon Salter, Sincere Brown, and Amari McNeill.
These are players who clearly see themselves as NFL-caliber talent. But the Combine is where that belief meets validation, and right now, that validation isn’t there.
Now, to be clear, getting snubbed by the Combine isn’t a death sentence for a draft hopeful. Pro days still matter.
Teams still dig into tape. And every year, players who weren’t invited to Indianapolis end up carving out spots on NFL rosters.
But there’s no denying the Combine’s value. It’s the most visible stage in the pre-draft process.
It’s where scouts, GMs, and coaches get their first in-person look at a player’s measurables, movement, and mentality. And visibility, especially for fringe prospects, can be everything.
Colorado isn’t the only Big 12 team left off the list-West Virginia and Oklahoma State were also shut out-but the spotlight burns brightest in Boulder. That’s what happens when your head coach is a Hall of Famer with a national profile and a program built on the promise of professional development.
So when a program brands itself around preparing players for the NFL, and then none of those players show up at the Combine, it raises questions. Not about the talent necessarily, but about the timeline.
Is the development curve slower than expected? Are the players not quite ready?
Or is this just a one-year blip in a longer-term rebuild?
Whatever the case, the next step is clear. If Colorado wants to live up to its mantra-if “NFL over NIL” is going to be more than just a slogan-they’ll need to start getting guys back to Indy. Because for all the social media buzz, all the brand building, and all the talk of transformation, the Combine is still one of the first real indicators that a program is producing next-level talent.
Maybe 2027 will be the year Colorado breaks through. But for now, the Buffaloes will be watching the Combine from home.