Colorado could use Lamont Lester Jr. back at full strength, and Deion Sanders made that clear Tuesday.
Sanders said he wants the defensive lineman to be a “full go” when the Buffaloes head to Oklahoma State on Saturday. Lester barely got back onto the field in Colorado’s 27-24 loss to Utah, logging three snaps after sitting out the previous game against Texas Tech with an injury.
That small dose of action was still a reminder of what Colorado gets when Lester is right. The Monmouth transfer burst onto the scene in the season opener, helping power a 14-13 win at Georgia Tech with three sacks for 22 yards in losses and 3.5 tackles for loss.
He was on the field for only 12 passing snaps, but every sack wiped out a drive and ended in a punt. That performance earned him co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept.
Through four sacks this season, Lester has given defensive coordinator Chris Marve a proven edge rusher to lean on as Colorado searches for its first conference win. The Buffaloes enter Saturday’s trip to Stillwater at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in Big 12 play, and the challenge waiting there is a serious one.
Oklahoma State’s offense has been one of the nation’s most productive through the air, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker averaging 323.3 passing yards per game - second nationally - and throwing for at least 300 yards in five straight games. The Cowboys also rank 10th nationally in fewest sacks allowed.
If Lester is ready, he gives Colorado another way to chase Mestemaker alongside Toby Anene and Santana Hopper.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Lester arrived in Boulder after a strong season at Monmouth, where he posted 9.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in 2025. That earned him first-team All-CAA honors and the conference’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. A Jersey City, New Jersey, native, he played at Don Bosco Prep before his two seasons at Monmouth.
Saturday’s sold-out homecoming game kicks off at 5 p.m. MT on FS1 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
In Other News...
Colorado Opens With One Big Question Around Its New-Look Roster
Colorados men's basketball team spent Big 12 Media Day talking through a roster that looks very different from a year ago, with head coach Tad Boyle joined by Josiah Sanders and Barrington Hargress to help sketch out the early shape of the 2026-27 group. Boyle spent much of the day on the blend of new faces and returning pieces, while Sanders and Hargress offered a players view of how leadership and chemistry are developing before the season gets going.
What stands out for Colorado is how much of the conversation still centers on identity, not just talent. Freshman guard Alex Dickeson, graduate forward Justin Neely and sophomore forward Goc Malual are among the names giving this roster a new look, but the bigger question is how quickly that mix settles into something cohesive under Boyle. Sanders and Hargress both sounded focused on the day-to-day work, which is usually the first clue whether a team with this many moving parts is going to come together in time. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Sent A Clear Message About This Season At Big 12 Media Day
Big 12 Media Day offered Colorado a chance to put its offseason message on the record, and JR Payne showed up with Zyanna Walker, Logyn Greer and Aniya Foy ready to do exactly that. The Buffs spent the day leaning into the kind of identity Payne has been building around the program, one centered on toughness and versatility, as the womens basketball team continues to shape expectations for the season ahead.
Colorados offseason also had a little more substance than the usual summer workout grind. The group talked through the teams trip to Portugal, a stretch that gave the Buffs extra time together before the real schedule begins, with an exhibition set for Oct. 27 and the regular season opening Nov. 4. For a team trying to define itself early, those are the kinds of details that can matter long after media day has ended. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Has A Defensive Strength Its Record Shouldn't Allow
Colorados defense has been one of the few things keeping the Buffaloes competitive through a rough start, and the production has been impossible to ignore even if the record says otherwise. Through six games, the unit has piled up enough disruption to lead the Big 12 in tackles for loss and sit among the nations best in that category, a striking contrast to a 2-4 team trying to find its footing.
The latest flashpoint came from Santana Hopper, whose pressure-filled performance helped underline just how much havoc Colorado can create up front. Deion Sanders has praised the effort, but he has also pointed to the same familiar concern: the defense has had a way of loosening up late in games, leaving the Buffs to wonder how much of this strength can truly show up in the final result. [Read more 🡒]