Colorado’s preseason numbers are ugly enough to make people jump to conclusions, but that’s exactly the trap Buffaloes fans should avoid before the first snap.
Deion Sanders heads into 2026 with a 4.5 win total at DraftKings and an ESPN SP+ ranking of No. 66.
Colorado’s overall rating landed at 0.7, with the offense at No. 66, the defense at No. 60 and special teams all the way down at No. 116.
Among Big 12 teams, the Buffaloes checked in at No. 14.
Those projections are a snapshot of where Colorado stands after a 3-9 season, not a final verdict on what this team can become once the games start. The Buffaloes have new coordinators in Brennan Marion and Chris Marve, a roster packed with transfers and younger returners, and a lot of moving parts that won’t be fully sorted out until the season gets going.
And the schedule wastes no time testing all of it. Colorado opens Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech, then comes home to face Weber State on Sept. 12 before road trips to Northwestern on Sept. 19 and Baylor on Sept.
- That first month alone puts the Buffs on the road three times in four games.
The opener is already carrying extra noise because Georgia Tech beat Colorado 27-20 in last year’s opener at Folsom Field. The Yellow Jackets leaned on the run that day, and they’re now a seven-point favorite for the rematch at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain turned up the volume even more this week when he said Georgia Tech would overwhelm Colorado up front.
“Georgia Tech will run the football 50 times in that game,” Mac Lain said on the “Gramlich and Mac Lain” podcast. “They are going to pummel those boys at Colorado that look, honestly, like a JV team. They are about to get murdered in Atlanta.”
Colorado defensive tackle Dylan Manuel answered with a social media response full of laughing emojis and a nod to how many days remained until kickoff.
Still, one game won’t define the season. Colorado is dealing with the usual growing pains that come with installing two new systems, and the staff has plenty to sort through before September settles in.
Marion is taking over the offense with the Go-Go system, while Marve steps in as defensive coordinator. Sanders also brought in more than 40 transfers, continuing the roster overhaul that has defined his tenure.
At quarterback, Julian Lewis is set for his first full season as the projected starter. The former five-star recruit appeared in four games as a freshman and passed for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Now he’s working with a rebuilt receiver room, a new offensive line and more experience behind him.
That offensive line remains one of the biggest question marks on the roster. Colorado lost all five starters from last season and added a batch of transfers to fight for those jobs, including Georgia transfer Bo Hughley, Cal transfer Leon Bell, Rutgers transfer Taj White, Houston transfer Demetrius Hunter and Ohio State transfer Jayvon McFadden.
The defense also got a portal-heavy makeover. Linebackers Gideon Lampron, Tyler Martinez and Liona Lefau joined the group, while the secondary added more depth with players like Boo Carter, Jah Jah Boyd and Jason Stokes Jr. Several experienced defensive backs are back as well.
SP+ tries to account for returning production, recruiting, transfer movement and program history, and Colorado’s rating reflects a team that finished last season with three wins and brings back only 55 percent of its production. The Buffaloes were also placed ahead of Iowa State and West Virginia in the Big 12, though most of the league sits ahead of them entering the year.
That’s the real point of the preseason rankings: they highlight the issues Colorado has to solve. Protect Lewis.
Run the ball more efficiently. Hold up better against the run.
Find a special teams unit that doesn’t lag behind the rest of the roster, especially after SP+ ranked that phase No. 116 nationally.
The warning signs are real. So is the uncertainty.
But a low preseason ranking, or even a rough night in Atlanta, won’t settle what the 2026 Buffaloes are going to be. This team is still under construction around a new quarterback, new coordinators and a transfer-heavy roster.
The early answers start in September. The full picture will take longer.
In Other News...
Colorados Kicking Battle Just Got More Complicated Than Expected
Colorados kicking competition looked like a straightforward summer battle not long ago, with Elliot Arnold and JUCO recruit Cadel Ayala among the players trying to win the job. Josh McCormick was also in the mix before leaving the program to pursue track and field, and his exit narrowed the focus as the Buffaloes sorted through a position that can swing games in a hurry.
Alejandro Mata and Buck Buchanan could now reenter the picture, though, after a recent court ruling raised the possibility of their return. That potential wrinkle adds another layer to a race that already had enough uncertainty, and it leaves Colorado weighing not just who has the strongest leg, but who might actually be available when the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Is Already Counting On One New Colorado Leader
Deion Sanders is already pointing to one of Colorados newest arrivals as a player who can help steady the program from the jump. Incoming transfer linebacker Gideon Lampron drew praise from Sanders for both his leadership and what he has shown on the field, a notable early endorsement for a player who arrived after stops at Dayton and Bowling Green.
Lampron joins a roster that is already adjusting to major staff changes, with Brennan Marion taking over as offensive coordinator and Chris Marve moving up to defensive coordinator for the upcoming season. For a team still sorting out its next identity, that kind of leadership from a transfer linebacker could matter quickly, especially as Colorado tries to blend new voices on the sideline with new faces on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Big 12 Push Just Put New Pressure On Buffs Revenue
Colorados move into the Big 12 has sharpened the focus on what happens off the field just as much as on it, and athletic director Fernando Lovo said the Buff Club has responded with a record fundraising year. The program brought in $37.7 million in donations and commitments for 2025-26, topping its previous high and giving the department another sign that its donor base is keeping pace with the schools bigger ambitions.
At the same time, Colorado keeps looking for additional ways to expand its revenue stream, and a new partnership with AT&T as the official wireless and wireline sponsor of Buffs athletics is part of that push. Lovo also said the department is still exploring sponsorship patches on football jerseys and naming rights for Folsom Field and the CU Events Center, the kind of deals that could become increasingly important as the Buffs try to match their new conference stage with the money required to stay competitive. [Read more 🡒]