Colorado’s Week 7 injury picture came out of the bye week looking a lot busier than the Buffaloes probably wanted.
The injury report still has a long list of names, and not every situation looks the same. Some players are trending toward returns against No.
11 Utah in Week 7, while others appear headed for a longer wait. After three straight losses, Colorado was hoping the bye would clean things up.
Instead, plenty of the rehab work is still ongoing.
One notable development is that Gooden is no longer listed on the official injury report. That matters because he played in Week 1, so his disappearance from the report is a strong sign that his season may be over. Other players are absent too, but those are the guys who haven’t played at all this season because of injury, so their status has been more or less settled on a weekly basis.
Martinez, though, is back on the report after being absent previously, and that’s at least an encouraging sign for Colorado. If the Buffaloes weren’t willing to keep issuing updates, his season might have been done. Instead, his name showing up again suggests CU still sees a path back.
The outlook is much murkier for Scudero. The former FBS receiving yards leader has not had the season anyone expected, and Deion Sanders sounded far less certain about his return than he did before the bye.
“He’s working his butt off to get back. Wants to come back with all his faith and all his might.
Slowly but surely, he's coming. I don't know if he's going to be ready by this week.
We pray that he does, but we don't know that at this point. Still early,” Sanders said.
Atkins is also still out, which continues to sting Colorado’s offense. The tight end has dealt with one injury after another this season, and the Buffaloes have not been able to count on his pass-catching ability for long stretches.
Perry’s season has already taken a sharp turn, and another injury only makes it tougher. He has just four catches for 21 yards and no touchdowns, a steep drop from his near-1,000-yard receiving year with the Miami University Redhawks in 2025. He had already missed time earlier this season, though it’s not clear whether this latest setback is tied to the same issue.
On the defensive side, Lester is the name Colorado wants back most. He has been one of the team’s most important players and leads the Buffaloes and the Big 12 with four sacks. He has been a strong presence next to Santana Hopper and Toby Anene in the front seven, and Sanders sounded optimistic about his chances of playing this week.
Colorado would also like to get Ezeogu and Manuel back so the defensive line can be whole again. Both are new additions to the injured list, which means the issue likely came either against then-No. 12 Texas Tech or during the bye week itself.
That matters because the Buffaloes had trouble generating much pressure on a mostly immobile Will Hammond in that game. Getting the full defensive line back would go a long way toward fixing that problem.
In Other News...
Colorado Gets A Huge Chance To Change Everything Against Utah
Colorado is staring at a difficult but defining chance at home, with No. 11 Utah coming in as the kind of opponent that can either expose the Buffaloes or help them reset the tone of their season. Colorado needs to snap a three-game losing streak, and the pressure is squarely on quarterback Isaac Wilson and wide receiver Joseph Williams to help the offense find some rhythm against one of the tougher teams on the schedule.
Utah brings an unbeaten record and the confidence that comes with it, powered by an attack built around running back Wayshawn Parker and quarterback Devon Dampier. The matchup gives Colorado a clear measuring stick: if the Buffaloes can slow an offense that has been rolling and find answers on their own side of the ball, the result could change the mood around the program in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets A Defining Home Test With Utah Coming To Boulder
Colorado comes out of its bye week facing a crisp, national-stage test at Folsom Field on Saturday night, when Utah visits Boulder for an 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff on ESPN. The Buffaloes sit at 2-3 and will get a rare chance to reset at home against a program that has spent the first part of the season looking every bit like a ranked contender.
For Colorado, the intrigue goes beyond the obvious mismatch on paper. This series has been a long-running one in the Pac-12 footprint, and Utah has owned the broader edge over the years, so the Buffs will be trying to use the bye to sharpen whatever needs fixing before a familiar opponent brings urgency and physicality to Boulder. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Tennis Built Real Regional Momentum On A Strong Friday
Colorados tennis group kept rolling through the second day of the 2026 ITA Mountain Regional Championships, turning Friday into a clean statement across the draw. The Buffaloes swept their doubles matches, with Heidi Crncan and Willow Gretsch pairing up for an 8-1 win and Pia Rebec and Louise Ternstroem following with an 8-3 result, giving Colorado a firm foothold before singles even got moving.
The momentum carried into the individual matches, where Ternstroem, Ema Bubalo and Crncan each picked up wins to move on to the Round of 32. For a program trying to build regional traction, a day like this matters because it shows depth as well as balance, and it leaves Colorado positioned with real momentum heading into the next round. [Read more 🡒]