Phillip Lindsay isn’t buying the Deion Sanders buzz the way he once did, but the former Colorado star does see one move that could change the shape of the Buffaloes’ offense: the hire of Brennan Marion.
Lindsay, the school’s former 1,000-yard rusher, told Kyle Odegard of The Action Network that Marion’s arrival as offensive coordinator has his attention. His biggest reason is simple - Colorado needs a real run game, and Lindsay thinks Marion can help build one.
"Brennan Marion is going to be a great pickup when it comes to that go-go offense," Lindsay began. "He’s going to finally try to get a run-game going."
Lindsay pointed to the way elite programs in places like Texas and Ohio State lean on the ground attack to wear teams down. In his view, Marion fits what Colorado has been missing.
"I love that they brought in Brennan Marion because I think it’s going to be a change of pace. I think they’re going to start running the ball a lot more," Lindsay said.
That’s a notable shift for a Colorado program that has spent the Sanders era living through the air. Shedeur Sanders set a pile of school passing records, and Travis Hunter - the school’s newest Heisman Trophy winner - emerged as his top receiving threat. But the run game never caught up.
The numbers tell that story clearly. In 2023, Colorado averaged just 68.9 rushing yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry.
In 2024, that dipped to 65.2 yards a game and 2.5 yards per carry. The 2025 season brought some improvement at 125.6 yards per game, but the Buffaloes still managed only 3.5 yards per carry and finished next-to-last in the Big 12 in rushing.
Marion arrives with a track record that gives Lindsay reason for optimism. At UNLV, his offenses averaged at least 172 rushing yards per game over two seasons as coordinator. At Sacramento State, the ground game ranked second among FCS teams at 262.6 yards per game.
Colorado’s first test of the new approach comes Sept. 3 against Georgia Tech, which brings in a defense that ranked 88th in 2025 and allowed 164.3 rushing yards per game. The Yellow Jackets are also installing Jason Semore as their new defensive coordinator, with a bigger emphasis on pass rush and turnovers.
Semore’s 2025 defense at Southern Miss gave up 174.8 rushing yards per game, and Lindsay figures Marion will be studying that film closely to map out the opener in Atlanta.
For Lindsay, the matchup is also a chance to see whether Colorado can finally fix a problem that has lingered for three seasons. And he believes Marion may be the coach who gets it done.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Opener Just Got More Intriguing After Colorado Reality Check
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Sanders has made it clear he expects more from this group, and the opener at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3 should give an early read on whether the new-look offense and defense are ready to move past the inconsistency. Julian Lewis is set to be the focal point at quarterback, with Brennan Marion and Chris Marve taking over as coordinators, but the ranking underscores how much Colorado still has to prove before anyone can assume the reset is complete. [Read more 🡒]
Barrington Hargress Just Gave Buffs Fans A Reason For Hope
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Josiah Sanders, Ian Inman and Jalin Holland were all part of that upbeat assessment, and the broader message was clear: Colorado believes its returning core has spent the offseason attacking the areas that held it back. For a team trying to turn hard work into real results, those internal gains matter, especially with Hargress among the veterans expected to help steer the offense when the new season arrives. [Read more 🡒]