A viral graphic has turned the Colorado Buffaloes’ roster size into a social media punchline, with College Sports Only pointing out that the team has 11 players listed at 5-foot-9 or smaller.
The post zeroed in on several skill players who look small by modern college football standards, then cranked up the joke factor by pairing the roster list with an Oompa Loompa meme in Colorado uniforms. One of the names drawing the most attention was defensive back Kole Mathis, who is listed at 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds. Ernest Campbell is listed at 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds.
That was enough to send fans into a frenzy. One reply read, “How tf is he in his 3rd year weighing 140 lmaoooo.” Another added, “The injury report is going to be 20 names long by week 4.”
Not everyone was laughing at the same angle. Some pushed back and said the post ignored bigger receivers and running backs on the roster.
One user wrote, “Did you just scroll past the 6 ft plus receivers and the 6 ft plus running backs to prove a point?? You did post a dude who finished second in the belitnikoff last year tho so I guess he did ok.”
Another comment tied the discussion to where some of these players came from, saying, “Yeah most of them are from Texas or Georgia so im sure they’re very fast but their still the size of middle schoolers.”
There’s also production to point to. Danny Scudero, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, ranked among the national receiving leaders last season.
The bigger picture is the same one Colorado has been leaning into under Deion Sanders: speed and skill over bulk. Many of the smaller players on the roster come from strong high school programs in Texas and Georgia, and the online reaction has mixed real concern with full-on meme energy.
For now, the viral graphic has done its job. It put Colorado’s size - and the debate around it - right in the spotlight.
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For a program trying to move on from a 3-9 finish in 2025, those details matter because the Buffaloes know they need more than talent to climb back. Colorado has added key transfers and has started to build around a roster that wants better results, even if outside expectations remain modest with preseason odds around 4.5 wins. The real question now is whether the cleaner habits Taylor has seen in camp can turn into something more meaningful once the games start. [Read more 🡒]