Colorado came out of the Georgia Tech win with its starting 22 intact, but that kind of clean bill of health also opens the door for the next wave of offensive players to get a look against Weber State.
With the Buffaloes favored by 34.5 points, Deion Sanders and his staff have room to expand the rotation at Folsom Field. That makes this a prime chance for a few players who barely cracked the lineup in the opener to push for bigger jobs.
One name to watch is Jordan Attia. He logged 11 snaps against Georgia Tech, but a move into the center role doesn’t seem to be coming immediately.
The more realistic path is for interior offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden to get an early breather if Colorado builds a comfortable lead, which would open the door for Attia at guard. That matters for Brennan Marion’s run game, where fresh legs and steady blocking can keep things moving.
Attia also brings more than just depth. The London native has game experience after starting four times for the injury ravaged 2025 Buffaloes team, and he played in 10 games overall without allowing a sack when he was called on. If Sanders and the offensive line coaches decide to give him a shot, quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis should be glad to have him in the mix.
Running back Dre'lon Miller is another player who looks set up for more opportunities. The Alabama transfer was largely bottled up in his debut, finishing with three carries for 10 yards. That was a quiet start for a player who arrived with the kind of pedigree that made him one of the last blue-chip recruits under Nick Saban at Alabama.
Colorado leaned on Micah Welch and Damian Henderson II to grind down Georgia Tech, with JaQuail Smith also giving the offense an important burst of outside speed. Even so, the Buffaloes are still going to need another physical runner who can handle power work, and Miller fits that need. If this game gets stretched out late, Sept. 12 could be the perfect time for him to show why Colorado brought him in.
Then there’s Sincere Campbell, who has apparently been turning heads in practice. Colorado insider Jack Carlough of 247Sports said Campbell has "looked good" in the lead-up to the home opener against the Wildcats.
His snap count will depend on how much better the passing game looks than it did against Georgia Tech. Lewis had a rough time getting the aerial attack going and looked antsy early, though he settled down late and finished the final drive with Charlie Williams’ 20-yard go-ahead touchdown catch.
Campbell gives Marion a vertical threat in the "Go-Go" offense, and that kind of speed can help lighten the load on Texas transfer DeAndre Moore. If Colorado wants to reward practice performance and stretch the field a bit more, Campbell has a real path to playing time.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Signals Colorado Special Teams Changes After Week 1 Problems
Colorados Week 1 loss to Georgia Tech left Deion Sanders with one clear area of concern, and it wasnt hard to spot. The Buffaloes had issues on special teams throughout the opener, and Sanders said the problems were tied more to personnel choices than to the system itself. He suggested the staff has already started making changes, with an eye toward tightening up kickoff coverage and settling some of the kicking responsibilities.
The kicking picture still looks unsettled, though, and that is where the biggest uncertainty remains for Colorado heading into the next stretch. Sanders pointed to protection issues on field goals and extra points as part of the broader special teams mess, which means the Buffaloes are still sorting out more than just who handles the ball. For a team trying to clean up the details after an uneven opener, those adjustments could be just as important as anything happening on offense or defense. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Is Turning Its Home Opener Into A Recruiting Showcase
Colorados home opener is shaping up to be more than just a chance to settle into the season at Folsom Field. The Buffaloes had sold nearly 43,000 tickets as of Sept. 8, and the crowd will include a sizable recruiting contingent, with more than 70 in-state high school prospects expected on hand, including players from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes.
For a staff that has made long-term recruiting a priority, that kind of turnout turns a game day into a working event. It gives Colorado coaches a chance to watch young prospects up close, start relationships early and keep building ties across the state while the program looks to turn home dates into something bigger than just another Saturday in Boulder. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Is Pushing Colorado Into A Bigger College Sports Fight
Deion Sanders has never been shy about stepping into the biggest conversations in college football, and now he is lending his voice to a broader fight over how the sport operates. The Colorado coach has publicly backed the Protect College Sports Act, a bill from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz that is aimed at issues surrounding the transfer portal and NIL rules, bringing another national spotlight moment to a program that already seems to live at the center of the sport's most heated debates.
Sanders also appeared in a commercial promoting the legislation, framing it as something that could help student-athletes and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban joined him in support of the bill, a notable pairing given how often the two have occupied different corners of the college football conversation. Whether the measure gains traction is still an open question, but Sanders has made clear he intends for Colorado to have a voice in that discussion. [Read more 🡒]