The Colorado Buffaloes are heading into fall camp with a roster that looks very different from the one Deion Sanders started rebuilding, and the shape of those position groups could go a long way toward defining what this team becomes.
Some rooms jump off the page. Others still come with plenty of baggage. Ahead of 2026 fall camp, here’s how Colorado’s offensive and defensive position groups stack up.
Linebacker looks like one of the clearest strengths on the roster. Colorado loaded up there through the transfer portal, bringing in Liona Lefau, Gideon ESPN Lampron, Tyler Martinez and Carson Crawford.
The group may still be getting acquainted with one another, but the talent level is obvious. In Chris Marve’s 4-2-5 scheme, there’s going to be a real battle for starting jobs, and that’s a good problem for Sanders to have.
Receiver is right there with it. The Buffaloes rebuilt much of that room through the portal as well, adding Danny Scudero, Kam Perry, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ernest Campbell to a group that already includes Joseph Williams, Quentin Gibson, Hykeem Williams and Quanell Farrakhan Jr.
Three of those newcomers led their previous teams in receiving yards last season, while Moore finished second for Texas. The speed in the room stands out, and it should fit neatly into Brennan Marion’s ‘Go-Go’ offense.
Safety also gives Colorado a lot to work with. Naeten Mitchell, Randon Fontenette and Jah Jah Boyd join a group that is top-heavy but crowded with players who have real starting experience.
All four of the listed players have started in some capacity, and three of them have started for more than half of a full season. Marve’s system won’t put everything on the safeties, but the talent there gives Colorado a chance to outperform outside expectations in 2026.
At quarterback, the Buffs return Lewis, their former five-star recruit according to ESPN. He finished the 2025 season strongly, and with a full year ahead of him, Colorado is expecting him to keep growing into the player Coach Prime wants him to be. Behind him, Wilson gives the team an experienced starter and some much-needed security at the most important spot on the field.
The offensive line has both promise and uncertainty. Colorado returns Larry Johnson III, Yahya Attia and Chauncey Gooden, giving the unit a foundation of players who can help stabilize the group.
The newcomers - Taj White, Bo Hughley, Sean Kinney, Jayvon McFadden and Andre Roye Jr. - bring upside, but most of them still need more experience, either in volume or at their current level. That makes the room tricky to project, though the ceiling is there if the new pieces hit.
Cornerback is another area where the Buffs are leaning heavily on newcomers. Boo Carter, Emory Floyd, Jaydan Hardy, Paul Omodia, Cree Thomas, Mojo Williams Jr. and Justin Eaglin are all in the mix, and Carter brings extra value because he’ll also work at safety, punt returner and kick returner.
Colorado doesn’t have much returning talent there, so the challenge is sorting out which of the new faces can actually step into starting roles. If that happens, the room has real potential.
Running back should fit Marion’s offense better than it fit Pat Shurmur’s, simply because the scheme leans on the run more. Still, Colorado doesn’t have much proven production to point to. Richard Young, Damian Henderson II and JaQuail Smith give the group some upside, but for now it remains one of the roster’s weaker spots until somebody proves otherwise.
The defensive line remains a major concern, especially on the edge and inside. Colorado brought in Toby Anene, Balansama Kamara, Lamont Lester Jr., Yamil Talib, Domata Peko Jr. and Immanuel Ezeogu to help at edge, along with Vili Taufatofua, Santana Hopper, Ezra Christensen*, Dylan Manuel, Sedrick Smith, Samu Taumanupepe and Tyler Moore in the interior.
The edge group includes several players coming from lower levels of college football, and they still have to show they can handle the Big 12. Salter also made a position switch to join the room, so he’s adjusting too.
If the group adapts quickly, it could become solid. If not, the questions will keep piling up.
Defensive tackle looks even thinner. There isn’t much experience in that room at Colorado or elsewhere, and the Buffaloes are counting on first-year defensive line coach Dante’ Carter to develop it quickly.
On paper, that’s a tall ask. Without a fast turnaround, the unit looks like one that could struggle in 2026.
Tight end may be the toughest sell of all. Colorado has not gotten much out of the position in the Coach Prime Era, and even though Marion wants to change that, the personnel doesn’t give him much to work with.
Atkins and Fisher Clements are the likeliest contributors, and both arrived from lower levels - Division II for Atkins and FCS for Clements. Beyond them, the room is mostly walk-ons and freshmen.
There’s a lot to prove there, and not much evidence yet to support big expectations.
- Christensen is currently attempting to regain eligibility in NCAA lawsuit
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Colorados third season in the Big 12 is shaping up to be another uphill climb, at least on paper. CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein slotted the Buffaloes 14th in his preseason conference rankings, a reminder of how far the program still has to go after leaving the Pac-12 and trying to find its footing in a league that rarely gives anyone much room to breathe. Tad Boyle enters his 17th season with a roster that looks different again, and the challenge is familiar: build enough continuity to stay competitive while the rest of the conference keeps raising the bar.
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For Sanders, the connection is personal as much as professional. He understands how rare it is for ex-players to carve out lasting space in media, which is why the uncertainty around Clark and Newton landed with him the way it did. Even in a news cycle packed with turnover, his response stood out as a reminder that loyalty still matters to him, especially when it involves people from the same football-to-broadcasting lane he once took himself. [Read more 🡒]