The 2026 Colorado Buffaloes are shaping up to look a whole lot different than the 2025 version, and it’s not just because of the transfer haul Deion Sanders brought into Boulder. The staff itself has changed the feel of the roster, too, with new defensive coordinator Chris Marve and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion helping drive the reset.
That’s what makes camp such an interesting checkpoint. A handful of players already have shown flashes, but this group has the chance to take a real jump once the new systems get rolling.
At quarterback, former USC commit Julian Lewis carries more attention than ever after his high-profile flip to Colorado a year ago. Now he’s stepping into an offense built to suit him. Marion has already compared Lewis, from a developmental standpoint, to former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, and the new “Go-Go” offense is designed to get more out of Lewis’ arm on play action while giving him more one-on-one chances downfield.
Lewis isn’t the only one who could benefit from the new structure. Richard Young, the former Alabama five-star running back signing, fits the sidecar/two-back looks that Marion likes to use, and those formations should help the ground game. Young has already shown off his violent downhill style after responding to Marion’s fiery motivation, and that could be a preview of what Colorado hopes to see in the season opener against Georgia Tech.
Tight end also looks like a spot ready to grow. Under previous offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, that position was largely overlooked, and even before that, Sean Lewis leaned into a receiver-heavy approach under Sanders.
This year, though, Zach Atkins looks positioned to become an X-factor. Marion’s offense asks more of the tight end than just blocking, and Atkins can also flex out to receiver and create red-zone mismatches.
The passing game has another transfer worth watching in Texas wideout DeAndre Moore Jr., who profiles as the deep threat when Lewis uses the run game to pull defenders in. Still, the biggest tone-setter in the receiver room may be Scudero, the nation’s leader in receiving yards.
Colorado needs someone who can win in space and make the most of short and intermediate openings, and Scudero has done exactly that at San Jose State and Sacramento State. This offense should give him more room and more isolated matchups to work with.
Up front, Colorado brought in eight transfer linemen, including players with winning backgrounds from places like Ohio State and Georgia. Even so, incoming center Demetrius Hunter stands out as the key piece. He brings the kind of pass protection this offense needs, having allowed just two sacks in 25 starts, and he’s also the first player who can truly make the “Go-Go” system function after the snap by calling the schemes and anchoring the protection.
There’s also movement at linebacker. The Tulane transfer Hopper is in line for a bigger role while the eligibility case for New Mexico State transfer Ezra Christensen continues. Marve can move Hopper inside to put pressure on guards and centers with his quick first-step burst, and Hopper already showed what he can do against Northwestern on Sept. 19, when he posted one sack and two solo stops in Tulane’s 23-3 win.
Texas transfer Lefau is another defender who looks ready to step into a leadership role immediately. He arrives with 138 career tackles and 67 solo stops, and his SEC background should help him adjust quickly to the Big 12.
In the secondary, Sanders may have another under-the-radar portal hit in Mitchell. He comes from New Mexico State after career-best production across the board, including four forced fumbles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions last season. That kind of production points to a downhill, hard-hitting safety who can make life miserable for Big 12 receivers, and now he’ll do it under a former NFL assistant with a chance to keep growing fast in Boulder.
In Other News...
Julian Lewis Just Got A Reality Check Colorado Fans Will Debate
Julian Lewis is heading into a season where the spotlight in Boulder will be brighter than ever, and The Athletics latest quarterback rankings offered a reminder that the national view of him is still measured. Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. slotted Lewis No. 49 overall and put him in tier four among college quarterbacks, a placement that reflects both the promise he has shown and the work still ahead as he settles into a bigger role for Deion Sanders program.
Lewis enters this year after playing four games last season and now has the added challenge of following Shedeur Sanders while learning Brennan Marions offense. Colorado believes his accuracy, pocket awareness and football IQ can travel, and the arrival of new targets such as Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore should help, but the bigger question is how quickly he can turn traits into production against a tougher standard. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Still Has One Big Summer Question In The Frontcourt
Colorados summer work has been shaped by a frontcourt addition who still hasnt had much chance to show what he can do. David Gomez arrived as one of the more important offseason pickups for Tad Boyles team, but his time on the floor has been limited as he continues working back from the foot injury that cut short his season at Charlotte after only two games. For a roster trying to sort out its interior options, that leaves one of the key new pieces more of a projection than a known commodity.
Boyles uncertainty about Gomez is part of what makes the situation so interesting for the Buffaloes heading into the fall. Colorado needs answers inside, and Gomez was brought in to help provide them, but the staff is still waiting to see how he fits once he can get fully involved. The frontcourt picture is not the only thing taking shape around the program, either, with Colorado also lining up a Dec. 19 game against Purdue, the first meeting between the schools in 39 years. [Read more 🡒]