Naeten Mitchell hasn’t played a snap for Colorado yet, but he already sees a different kind of Buffaloes team taking shape.
The safety, speaking with Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera at Big 12 Football Media Days, said the biggest change from last year to 2026 isn’t just talent. It’s the people.
Mitchell said Colorado’s offseason work in the transfer portal and at the high school level brought in players with the right mindset, and he believes that matters as much as anything else.
“We brought a lot of guys in with chips on their shoulders, and great character,” Mitchell said. “A big thing that we focus on is building a brotherhood, a real bond.
I know that last year there were ebbs and flows, but I think we’re putting a lot of detail on being able to have chemistry and a real bond together. You can lean on the guy next to you and know, ‘next play, I’ve got you,’ or anything like that.”
That kind of language is a sharp contrast to what surrounded Colorado in 2025, when leadership and chemistry were major issues. The Buffs entered that season with a heavy wave of experienced additions expected to set the tone, but that never really came together. Coach Deion Sanders also missed almost all of the offseason workouts and training camp because of health concerns, leaving the program behind from the start.
The result, as many Colorado fans saw it, was a team that never found its footing while other Big 12 programs kept building on already established identities.
Now the Buffs are trying to reset, and Mitchell is part of the secondary that could help drive that turnaround. Colorado returns walk-on-turned-starting safety Ben Finneseth for another season after his year ended with an injury against West Virginia. Finneseth was one of the team’s clearest leaders in 2025, has been vocal about the program heading into 2026, and has even said he wants to coach after his playing career ends in Boulder.
Colorado also added two upperclassmen transfers with SEC backgrounds in Boo Carter and Randon Fontenette. Both arrive with production on their résumés and reputations as players who can help set the tone in the back end.
With that mix of veterans and depth, Mitchell believes the secondary can do more than just hold up on Saturdays. He sees a group that can connect, lead, and give defensive coordinator Chris Marve’s scheme a real spark.
In Other News...
Why Colorado Fans Are Starting To Doubt The Doubters
National pundits have spent the offseason trimming Colorados ceiling for 2026, with some already penciling in a losing record and no real playoff path. Inside the program, though, there is still a different kind of optimism around Deion Sanders roster, built on transfer additions, a fresh wave of recruiting talent and the arrival of offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, whose track record has made him an intriguing fit for a team trying to find more balance.
Colorados schedule is still going to ask plenty of questions, and the Buffaloes have also reshaped parts of the recruiting staff with more proven college recruiters in the mix. The bigger question now is whether that combination is enough to make the outside skepticism look premature, especially with fans pointing to the talent coming in and Sanders again sounding confident about where the program is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Is Remaking Colorados Staff Faster Than Fans Expected
Deion Sanders is continuing to reshape Colorados staff with the kind of speed that has become part of the programs identity. The latest additions are former NFL players Pierson Prioleau and Xavier Adibi, both hired as defensive quality control analysts, giving the Buffaloes two more experienced voices on that side of the ball.
The move also deepens the connection to new defensive coordinator Chris Marve, since both Prioleau and Adibi worked with him at Virginia Tech. Colorado still has Vonn Bell in place as a quality control analyst and safeties coach, and the staff picture has changed quickly enough that the next round of moves could be just as notable as the last. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Commit Just Sent A Message Against Elite Talent
Jaiden Kelly-Murray keeps giving Colorado reasons to feel good about its 2027 wide receiver haul. The four-star prospect took part in the Under Armour Next S7VNS camp and came away with more than just reps, earning notice as one of the events top performers while showing the kind of burst and route-running that can translate quickly at the next level.
Recruiting reporter TJ Randall pointed to Kelly-Murrays chemistry with quarterback Colton Nussmeier, along with his ability to separate and finish plays in traffic, as the kind of showing that stands out against elite competition. For Colorado, it is another reminder that Kelly-Murray could fit neatly into Brennan Marions offense as a slot option and return specialist, even if the full picture of just how dangerous he can be is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]