The breakup of Colorado’s “dynamic duo” didn’t come with much drama inside the building, even if it changed the shape of the Buffs’ receivers room.
When Jason Phillips stepped away from the coaching staff just before the preseason, Rashad Davis was already prepared to move into the lead role with Colorado’s wide receivers. Davis and Phillips had spent two seasons working together in Boulder, and Davis said the bond ran deep.
“One thing about me and J-Phil, we have a really good relationship,” Davis said. “We actually called ourselves the dynamic duo. Because every time we’re together, great things happen.”
Davis has been part of Deion Sanders’ staff since Sanders’ first season in Boulder in 2023, and he had already taken on a more hands-on role after arriving as a graduate assistant that year. Phillips’ retirement last month pushed Davis into the top spot, but he said the transition had been building for a while.
“When it happened, I was prepared for it,” Davis said. “This is something I’ve been preparing for for a long time.
I was overwhelmed with emotion, but knew I had to get right to work. This is the highest I’ve ever been in my career, but this is the lowest that you’ll ever see me.
Every time I step in this building, I go by a motto that I use every day - I’d rather see you at the top than from the top. And that’s just where I’m at right now.”
Now Davis takes over a receiver group that has real talent, but may not get as many chances as it has in the past with Julian Lewis leading Brennan Marion’s run-heavy Go-Go offense. Marion said Thursday that Lewis is expected to start when Colorado opens the 2026 season at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN.
The room also hasn’t been at full strength through the spring and preseason because of injuries, though the expectation is that the group will be close to, or fully, healthy by the time the Buffs get to Atlanta.
There’s no shortage of names to watch. Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. arrives after finishing second on the Longhorns last season with 38 catches for 532 yards and four touchdowns. Danny Scudero brings another high-end résumé after earning second team Associated Press All-American honors at San Jose State last year with 88 receptions for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns.
If the injuries linger, Colorado still appears equipped to absorb the hit. Kam Perry broke out last season at Miami (Ohio), catching 43 passes for 976 yards, a 22.7-yard average per reception, and six touchdowns.
Hykeem Williams still offers the kind of upside that once made him a five-star recruit at Florida State. Ernest Campbell followed Marion to Boulder after leading Sacramento State in receiving last year.
Quentin Gibson has shown big-play ability in the return game, and Joseph Williams is back after ranking second on the Buffs last season with 37 catches, 489 yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Joseph Williams said the group has already built a shared standard.
“I feel like we’ve all bought into one mind, one mission,” Joseph Williams said. “Any time we see someone slacking off, falling behind, we’re going to hold him accountable.
Because we all got one goal in mind. We all want to get to that Big 12 championship and then make a run in the playoffs.
So we all go to hold each other accountable if we want to do that.
“It’s just different. You walk into the building, everybody’s dappin’ each other up, everybody’s smiling. It’s just great energy around here right now.”
In Other News...
Colorado Is Betting Big On A Louder Folsom Field Edge
Colorado is leaning further into the idea that Folsom Field should feel like more than just a stadium on fall Saturdays. The University of Colorado Athletics announced a new batch of in-game fan experiences, including live music from local bands, a new in-game host in Gianna Girardi and upgraded video board displays, all aimed at making the home atmosphere louder and more layered for Buffaloes fans.
The changes also reach beyond the seating bowl, with a pregame street party called Ralphies Road set to bring food trucks, a giant TV, a DJ and interactive games into the mix. Colorado opens its 2026 season at Georgia Tech before coming back to Boulder, where the program will find out how much these additions can help turn Folsom Field into the kind of edge the Buffaloes want every week. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Suddenly Faces Two Painful Roster Questions After Eligibility Blow
Colorados roster picture took an unexpected hit when transfer defensive lineman Ezra Christensen was denied a preliminary injunction that would have cleared him for the 2026 season, effectively ending his college football career. The ruling leaves another hole in a unit that Colorado has had to keep adjusting, and it adds a personal layer too, with former teammate Tyler Martinez publicly showing support and reacting to the news alongside him.
Deion Sanders also addressed the situation, but the broader concern now stretches beyond one player and into the teams overall depth chart planning. With Christensen out of the equation, Colorado has to keep sorting through other roster issues as well, including potential competition among its kickers, a reminder that even one legal setback can ripple through several parts of a team at once. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Restored Receiver Group Faces One Big Opener Concern
Kam Perry and Danny Scudero are back on the field for Colorado, working in a non-contact capacity as the Buffaloes continue to prepare for the 2026 season opener. Their return is a welcome development for a receiver room that has already dealt with injuries to key pieces, and it gives Deion Sanders offense a chance to regain some much-needed depth before the games start counting.
The timing also matters because Colorado is turning to new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, whose system should benefit from having more options available on the perimeter. Sanders had already said both receivers would be back in time for the opener, and while their presence at practice is encouraging, the bigger question now is how quickly they can be fully integrated once the full-speed work begins. [Read more 🡒]