Colorado’s offseason makeover has left Deion Sanders with a roster full of unresolved jobs as fall camp gets closer, and the Buffaloes are still sorting out who will actually take the field when the season begins. After a 3-9 finish, the pressure is on to fix the areas that dragged them down last year, and plenty of those answers are still out there for grabs.
On the offensive line, the most obvious fight is at the edges. Georgia transfer Bo Hughley and Rutgers transfer Taj White are the early names to watch, but nothing is settled.
Phillip Houston and Larry Johnson III are still in the mix, which should keep that competition alive well into camp. Colorado added multiple experienced linemen, but the group still has to become something more than a collection of new faces.
The need is obvious: the Buffs finished at 38.4 percent on third down, good for 84th nationally, and too many drives died because the line couldn’t hold up.
The quarterback room has a favorite, but not a coronation. Redshirt freshman Julian Lewis is expected to start, yet Colorado is not treating the position like a closed case.
Utah transfer Isaac Wilson is there to push him, and the staff wants that battle to continue into camp. Lewis has the talent and the spotlight that comes with being the face of the offense, but he still has to prove he can carry a starting job in a new system.
Wilson gives the Buffs a real alternative, which makes this one of the most closely watched competitions on the team.
Running back could turn into the most flexible race on the roster because Brennan Marion’s new Go-Go offense is built to use multiple backs. Micah Welch and DeKalon Taylor are back and trying to hold off Alabama transfer Richard Young along with Sacramento State transfers Damian Henderson and JaQuail Smith.
All five bring enough to matter this season, so this room could end up producing several contributors instead of one clear lead back. Fit will decide a lot here.
Colorado averaged just 3.5 yards per rushing attempt and 5.00 yards per play overall, so the backs who can protect the quarterback and stay steady through contact should separate themselves.
The nickel spot might be even busier. Tennessee transfer Boo Carter and true freshman Preston Ashley are getting the most attention, but junior college additions Donavon Stephens and Drew Molinari are still very much involved.
Colorado needs that defender to do a little of everything - cover, tackle and help hide pressure - so whoever wins it could simplify the rest of the secondary. If nobody pulls away, camp could turn into a long sorting process.
Inside linebacker is another spot without a clean answer. Four-star freshman Carson Crawford brings upside, but he is walking into a crowded room rather than a clear path.
Liona Lefau, Tyler Martinez and Gideon Lampron all bring different strengths, and the staff has to figure out who can handle the biggest assignments against Big 12 run games. Marve’s defense will depend heavily on this group, especially from a communication and run-defense standpoint.
The front seven still has work to do too. Colorado’s defensive line and edge positions remain unsettled, with Quency Wiggins, Santana Hopper and Lamont Lester Jr. among the players competing for larger roles.
The staff is still looking for someone who can consistently create pressure, because the Buffs simply weren’t disruptive enough last season. That lack of havoc made everything behind the line harder, and if the front doesn’t win more often, the same problems could surface again.
Colorado has the talent to look better in 2026, but the roster won’t sort itself out. These battles are going to shape the team quickly, and the Buffs can’t afford to spend too long waiting for answers.
In Other News...
Colorado Fall Camp Opens With A Coaching Change Fans Cant Ignore
Colorados fall camp opened with a staffing wrinkle that did not go unnoticed, as the Buffaloes official coaching directory no longer lists receivers coach Jason Phillips and he was not part of the teams fall camp introductions. For a program trying to settle into its next phase, any change on the staff page tends to draw a little extra scrutiny, especially when it involves a position group as central to the offense as the receivers.
Rashad Davis, who had previously worked as an inside receivers coach, appeared to be handling Phillipss role as camp got underway. The Buffaloes have not officially confirmed what happened or offered an explanation, leaving the move to speak for itself while fans and observers try to read between the lines about how the offensive staff is being shaped. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Enters Fall Camp With Colorado Facing Early Pressure
Fall camp opened with the Buffaloes shifting preseason work to Colorado Springs, where 104 players reported as Deion Sanders and his staff started putting the roster through its first real tests of the season. Sanders has made the coaching staff and roster philosophy a central part of how this program is being built, and the start of camp is always the first checkpoint for whether that approach is translating from talk to practice.
Colorado also enters camp with an unexpected personnel note, as the program announced Jason Phillips is no longer with the team so he can attend to a family matter. It adds another layer to a week that is already about evaluation and urgency, because every early absence changes how the depth chart is shaped and how much flexibility the staff has as it sorts out the pieces before the real pressure starts. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados New OC Just Raised The Stakes For This Offense
Colorados offseason reset brought a clear message on offense, with the program turning to Brennan Marion to run the attack after its 2025 season. Marion arrives from Sacramento State, where he served as head coach, and he is expected to install his up-tempo go-go system while Chris Marve takes over as defensive coordinator. For a Buffaloes team trying to sharpen its identity, the staff changes point to a more aggressive look on both sides of the ball.
The timing makes the quarterback situation especially worth watching, because redshirt freshman Julian Lewis is projected to open the year as the starter against Georgia Tech. That is a lot to ask of a young passer in a new system, but it also gives Colorado a chance to find out quickly how fast Marions offense can take hold. The real intrigue is whether the scheme and the QB can mesh quickly enough to make the Buffaloes dangerous right away. [Read more 🡒]