Colorado’s fall camp has had a different feel from the start, and that was by design.
Instead of settling in for the whole month in Boulder, Deion Sanders sent the Buffaloes to Colorado Springs to open camp, with practices mostly at Fountain-Fort Carson High School and the Air Force Academy. The team stayed together in the dorms at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, giving a roster loaded with new faces a chance to live and work in the same space.
That setup has already left an impression on linebacker Gideon “ESPN” Lampron, the transfer from Bowling Green who gave fans a glimpse into the dorm experience in a video shared by the Buffs’ social media team.
“It’s a dorm,” Lampron said. “You know, no one really wants to be in here, but you get to do it together, and you get to approach every day with your brothers and get another opportunity to get better every single day,” he added.
Lampron’s point was echoed by fellow transfer linebacker Liona Lefau from Texas, who said the constant togetherness has been a big part of the experience.
“I love this,” Lefau said. “I love just being around the guys, building a bond, getting to know each other better, just hanging out with the guys 24/7.”
For Colorado, that kind of immersion matters. The Buffs are trying to blend a new staff with a roster that has gone through major turnover again, and the time away from Boulder has given players a chance to build chemistry that won’t come from practice reps alone. They have been installing schemes and competing for jobs, but they have also been learning how to function as one group.
Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo said the idea made perfect sense to him. While appearing on the TMR Live YouTube show with Uncle Neely and BiggDogg Chico, Lovo said the road-trip style approach is familiar ground for him.
“This is what I’m used to. In my past career in football, we’ve taken the show on the road for a couple of weeks during training camp,” Lovo explained.
“So, it’s really great. I’m really happy and pleased that Coach Prime wanted to do this, and I think it’s going to pay big-time dividends for us this year.”
Lovo’s role in helping make the Colorado Springs trip happen also speaks to the alignment he’s building with Sanders as the program tries to become one of college football’s premier brands. Sometimes that means doing things differently, and Colorado clearly chose a different lane this summer.
Lampron thinks the break from Boulder helps with that, too. The city may be a great place to live, but he said it can also pull players away from the task in front of them.
“Boulder is a fun town, so there’s a lot of distractions there,” Lampron said. “Leaving allows you to recenter yourself and focus on what the main thing is, which is doing everything you can to help this football team win games.”
That focus will matter if Colorado wants to chase a Big 12 title this season. Lampron and Lefau, who combined for 188 tackles last season, give the Buffs two experienced linebackers to anchor the front seven as the roster takes shape.
Even so, Lampron made it clear that the whole team has to buy in if Colorado is going to reach its goals.
“Everyone’s here to be great; we just need to choose it and live every day by that, and I think we’ll accomplish our goals if we all do.”
Colorado will get its first real answer soon enough. The Buffs open the season on Thursday, Sept. 3, against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and early signs from camp suggest the change of scenery may already be doing some work.
In Other News...
Julian Lewis Is Giving Colorado Fans Real Reason To Believe
Colorados offense is heading into a new era in 2026, and the attention is already starting to land on Julian Lewis. ESPNs Adam Rittenberg recently put the Buffaloes quarterback on a list of Big 12 passers to watch, a notable nod for a former five-star recruit entering his second collegiate season. Lewis is being mentioned in the same conversation as some of the sports most closely watched young quarterbacks, which says plenty about the expectations forming around him.
The timing matters for Colorado, too, because the Buffs are also adjusting to a new offensive coordinator in Brennan Marion. For a program looking to take a meaningful step forward, Lewis has become one of the clearest reasons for optimism, the kind of player who can shape how high this offense can climb if the new system clicks. The buzz is early, but it is real, and it is only going to grow once the offseason gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Colorado Recruiting Shift Is Starting To Look Very Different
Colorados 2027 recruiting class is beginning to show a different kind of blueprint under Deion Sanders, with more than 20 high school commitments already on board. For a program that has leaned heavily on the transfer portal in recent seasons, the current class suggests a more deliberate push to build from the ground up, with the staff putting a new premium on getting young talent in the door early.
One of the clearest signs of that shift has been the work done on the offensive line, where Gunnar White has become a steady presence on the trail and a central figure in the class so far. His emphasis on recruiting and developing high school players fits the larger direction around the program, as Colorado tries to create more long-term stability and lessen its dependence on quick fixes. [Read more 🡒]