As Colorado heads into fall camp with a roster that looks very different, the returning players aren’t all starting from the same place. Some already know their roles. Others are still fighting to carve one out, and a handful are staring at a camp that could decide their future in Boulder.
That pressure is especially heavy for a group of five who arrive at camp with plenty left to settle.
Travis Hunter Williams is one of them. Once a five-star receiver by both Rivals and 247Sports, he has yet to come close to matching that billing.
Over three seasons split between Florida State and Colorado, he has totaled 348 yards and two touchdowns. Even with Colorado’s thin receiver room in 2025, he managed just 81 yards and no scores.
Now the competition is only getting tougher, and Williams will have to show a lot more in camp if he wants to win a starting job.
KJ Wiggins is in a similar spot, only his path has taken him from LSU to Colorado. Rivals rated him a five-star recruit when he entered college, but his time with the Tigers from 2022 to 2023 produced little.
His move to Boulder was supposed to offer a fresh start, yet the production still hasn’t followed. After an offseason position switch, he now gets one more shot to make his five-star label mean something.
If he can’t get it done on the interior of Colorado’s defensive line during fall camp, 2026 could be the end of the road.
Then there’s Alexander Goldberg, a player who has drawn attention since arriving because of his family background. On the field, though, the growth has been minimal.
In two seasons at Colorado, he has just one total tackle on defense. Camp will put him up against what Deion Sanders has called the best linebacker room he’s ever coached, so Goldberg has plenty to prove if he wants to break into that mix.
His loyalty to the program could help him, but he still has to earn the job.
Jordan Gooden enters camp with a different kind of urgency. Rated a four-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports, he’s only a redshirt freshman in 2026, but Colorado’s expected starting offensive line is already running low on eligibility.
That means the Buffaloes need him to be ready soon, and fall camp is the best place to show it. He may not see much game action this season, but with a strong freshman offensive line class coming in next year, he needs to lock down his spot now before those newcomers start pushing for it.
Finally, there’s Kaidon Lewis, who has done enough in limited action to avoid much skepticism so far. Still, he has to prove he can handle a full season as a starting quarterback.
His command of the offense and his leadership in Brennan Marion’s “Go-Go” system will be under the microscope in camp, especially with junior transfer Isaac Wilson challenging him for the job. Colorado has a difficult schedule ahead, and Lewis needs to show he’s the quarterback the Buffs should trust with it.
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Colorado Is Getting Real Buzz As Deions Rebuild Starts To Land
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The pieces are starting to look more interesting, too, with quarterback Julian Lewis and wide receiver Danny Scudero among the notable additions. Preseason projections still have Colorado sitting around the middle of the Big 12, but ESPNs inclusion suggests the Buffs are becoming a team worth watching as Sanders rebuild keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Transfer Linebacker Is Already Forcing Attention In Open Battle
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That kind of work matters in a room where several transfer linebackers are all competing for snaps and starting roles this season. For Colorado, the open battle is still unfolding, but Lamprons decision to dive into the playbook early gives him a chance to separate himself before the competition turns fully live. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Fixed A Lot This Offseason But One Weakness Still Lingers
Colorados offseason overhaul was hard to miss after a disappointing 2025 season, with the Buffaloes making meaningful upgrades across much of the roster before heading into 2026 fall camp. The biggest gains came at wide receiver, running back, cornerback, linebacker and safety, giving the staff far more reasons to feel better about the overall balance of the team than it had a year ago.
Even so, the rebuild did not touch every concern equally. Quarterback and tight end only saw modest improvement, which leaves a familiar question hanging over the offense as camp opens. The new pieces should raise the floor in several spots, but Colorado still has to prove the weakest area can keep pace with the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]