Colorado’s injury picture keeps getting worse, and the Buffaloes head into their Week 8 matchup with Oklahoma State carrying another long list of questions.
What Colorado hoped might be a cleaner week after the bye never really materialized. The Buffs were still short-handed against Utah, and the injury report for this week only added more names to the mix.
The biggest new concerns are running back Micah Welch and offensive lineman Jayven Richardson. Both were hurt in the Utah game, and neither is trending in a reassuring direction. Coach Deion Sanders addressed Welch on Tuesday and made clear the situation is still murky.
“He's hurting. He didn't practice today.
I have no idea [if it’s long-term],” Sanders said. “He's hurting right now.
I think he may have broken it. I don't know if he broke it.
Yeah. I know that happened, but I don't know the severity of it.”
Colorado is also still dealing with the continued uncertainty around Perry and Danny Scudero. Scudero’s situation stands out most, especially after he was at the Utah game in a boot and on crutches. Sanders stopped short of giving a firm update on Perry, but his comments on Scudero made it sound like the staff is prioritizing the bigger picture.
“We want what's best for Danny. We don't want to push Danny out there, and he does something and sets himself back,” Sanders said.
“We care about the whole person, not just the person for this season. You're talking about a great kid that everyone on the team and staff admires, and we want to see him successful beyond Colorado.
So we're doing what's best for him, and Danny keeps a smile on his face. He's passionate about getting back out there, and he's doing everything he can to progress that.”
There is at least one encouraging note in the latest report: Sam Gadie is now listed, which suggests he is moving toward a possible return. The JUCO transfer still hasn’t played this season, but his appearance on the report means Colorado will start evaluating him on a week-to-week basis.
Lamont Lester’s status is another one to watch closely. He looked ready to go before the Utah game, suiting up and going through pregame warmups without any obvious issues.
But once the game started, he logged only a handful of snaps and barely factored in. Sanders wasn’t thrilled with that outcome on Tuesday.
“We don't want that because that's not helping him or helping us. Like, if you're gonna dress out, you got to play, or just don't dress,” Sanders said.
“I'd rather him get the proper treatment so he can get back and be who he is. The kid is phenomenal.
He can really play this game of football, but you don't want half of Lamont. You want the whole.
So hopefully, he’ll take his time. And I know he practiced a little bit today, but I don't want a little bit.”
As for the players listed as probable, none were dealing with injuries a week ago. That points to minor knocks either from the Utah game or from the first part of practice this week. The expectation is that those players should be available Saturday, and that most of them should disappear from the injury report by Thursday or Friday.
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For the Buffaloes, the biggest question is whether Isaac Wilson can keep the offense moving against a defense that should make every possession feel heavier. Colorados recent performance against Utah showed some promise through the air, but this trip brings a different kind of pressure, with both teams needing a response and the margin for error getting thin. If Colorado wants to stay in the conversation, this is the sort of road game it has to make competitive early and keep alive deep into the second half. [Read more 🡒]