Carson Crawford arrived at Colorado with real buzz, but his first season in Boulder has not gone the way anyone expected.
The linebacker was the headliner of the Buffaloes’ 2026 recruiting class, drawing four-star labels from both 247Sports and Rivals and standing as the highest-rated player in that group. Coming into the year, the hope was obvious: Crawford would push for early snaps and grow into a major piece of the defense. Instead, his role has stayed small, and that could start to matter.
So far, Crawford has played in just two games - against Weber State and Baylor - and has recorded five tackles, including three solo stops. That’s a thin resume for a player recruited with this kind of reputation, especially when opportunities have opened up around him.
Colorado has had chances to lean on the freshman more than it has. Injuries have created openings in the linebacker group, but Crawford still hasn’t been the first answer. The Buffaloes have turned to Gage Goldberg and fellow freshman Rodney Colton Jr. for depth instead.
The clearest example came when green-dot middle linebacker Tyler Martinez suffered a potentially season-ending injury against Baylor. Colorado responded by starting Goldberg and mixing in Colton, leaving Crawford on the outside looking in.
That doesn’t mean his future in Boulder is written in ink. He is still only a freshman, and there is time for him to grow into a starter.
But college football today moves fast, and players do not wait around for long when playing time is scarce. If Crawford keeps seeing limited action despite the openings that have come up, the transfer portal could become a real possibility.
That uncertainty is tied, at least in part, to the broader situation around Deion Sanders’ job. With rumors swirling around the coach, it would not be a shock if Crawford started thinking hard about what comes next if things keep trending the way they have.
There is at least one factor that could help Colorado keep him in the fold: linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Chris Marve. He has worked most closely with Crawford, and he is likely to remain at CU no matter how the season ends. That connection could matter.
If the Buffaloes want to keep their high-upside linebacker from drifting toward the portal, they may need to be more intentional about carving out a role for him. That might be tough in a linebacker room that already includes Gideon ESPN Lampron, Liona Lefau, Goldberg and Colton, but there are other paths.
Colorado’s special teams have struggled in several areas this season, and that could be one place to plug Crawford in. A larger role there would give him a chance to show what he can do and maybe earn more defensive work down the line.
The staff could also get creative with his usage. If Colorado believes Crawford’s tools fit a hybrid safety look or even a tight end role, that might be enough to keep him engaged and on campus. For a team dealing with plenty of issues this season, the challenge now is simple: find the right way to use a talented young player before somebody else does.
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