Colorado and Georgia Tech are heading into Thursday’s season opener with a lot more in common than just a Week 1 spotlight. Both teams want to run the ball, both lean on their quarterbacks in the ground game, and both are built to make defenses sort through a steady stream of looks.
That overlap is what gives this matchup its edge. Colorado has rebuilt its backfield around a scheme that mirrors Georgia Tech’s style, and the Buffaloes believe that will shape the way the game is played from the first snap.
The Buffs’ setup is built around 21 personnel, with both running backs aligned to one side of the quarterback. That alignment opens the door to the triple-option and puts the quarterback in the middle of the decision-making, reading the defense and choosing the best handoff based on what he sees. Colorado’s offense is designed to rotate backs with different strengths, and that mix has already started to take shape in camp.
At the top of that rotation is Damian Henderson II, the 6-2, 205-pound Sacramento State transfer who gives Colorado a true bruiser in the backfield. Henderson was the Hornets’ second-leading rusher a year ago, and the Buffaloes say he has made real progress during fall camp.
Colorado also has two backs who can do damage in more than one way. Micah Welch returns after leading the team in rushing last season with 384 yards, and Alabama transfer Richard Young brings another hybrid skill set to the mix. On top of that, DeKalon Taylor and JaQuail Smith give the Buffs speed options that can matter in both option looks and passing situations.
Georgia Tech may not spread the workload quite as wide, but the Yellow Jackets could wind up being even more committed to the run. Last season, they were one of the most run-heavy teams in the country, piling up 2,567 yards on the ground in 2025 with help from their top two backs and quarterback Haynes King.
The headliners in that backfield are expected to be Michigan transfer Justice Haynes and returning standout Malachi Hosley. Haynes started at Alabama, where he ran for 616 yards and nine touchdowns across two seasons, then took another step in 2025 at Michigan with 857 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Wolverines’ second-leading rusher. At 210 pounds, he brings a similar hybrid profile to Welch and Young, but with enough size to lean more directly into power running.
Hosley gave Georgia Tech a dangerous changeup last season. He finished with 697 yards and seven touchdowns as the No. 2 option behind Jamal Haynes, and his burst gave the Yellow Jackets a clean contrast to the power element in the backfield. Before arriving in Atlanta, Hosley had already posted a 1,000-yard season for the Pennsylvania Quakers of the Ivy League in the FCS.
Georgia Tech still appears to have the edge in proven production, especially with additional backs J.P. Powell and Chad Alexander also having been meaningful contributors in the past. Colorado, though, brings the broader range of options and a run-friendly structure that fits what it wants to do.
The Buffaloes’ defense is leaning on familiarity to help it handle the challenge. Colorado has spent daily practice reps against the ‘Go-Go’ offense, and linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron said that experience has value.
“It’s definitely beneficial,” said Colorado linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron in his Thursday presser. “Because going against an option offense tests every single rule of your defense. You get so many exotic looks, so they definitely have us prepared for anything that we could see.”
For Lampron, the matchup is more than just another early-season test.
“It’s definitely personal,” Lampron said. “It’s just saying they’re tougher than us, and that’s just something we’re going to have to see when we get out there. I’m so excited for our guys to get this challenge and I know we’ve been working so hard this entire year, so I’m just excited to go out there.”
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For a defense that needed help holding up inside, Manuels early camp showing matters because it suggests Colorado may have found someone who can help steady that part of the front before the season starts. The Buffaloes still have games to play before anyone can know how it will translate, but having a lineman emerge this quickly gives the coaching staff at least one reason to feel better about the run defense heading into the fall. [Read more 🡒]