Colorado’s offense has plenty of new intrigue heading into the season, but Zach Atkins is pushing to make sure the tight end spot becomes part of the conversation.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior made that clear Tuesday at Big 12 media day in Frisco, Texas, where the setting alone had him itching to get back on the field.
“Just being in this atmosphere makes me want to go hit the field right now and run some routes,” he said. “I’m really excited for camp and everything, and these next few weeks are going to be really critical for me to just to get my body really primed and ready to go for the season.”
Atkins is coming off his first year in Boulder, when he caught 20 passes for 149 yards. Now, in his second season with the Buffaloes, he’s looking for a bigger slice of the offense - and he’s not shy about the kind of role he believes he can handle.
“I don’t want to talk too much about myself, but there’s not a lot of tight ends that are as fast and with my speed and my hands, to be honest, in the country,” he said. “And that’s the way I feel, and I’m definitely going to go show it this year.”
Before transferring to CU, Atkins spent three seasons at Northwest Missouri State, where he totaled 30 catches for 360 yards and four touchdowns. That background, along with his first season in Boulder, has him feeling good about what’s ahead in Brennan Marion’s offense.
“I love it. It’s been unbelievable trying to learn (the offense),” he said.
“I’m still working on it. There’s still a lot of stuff going on with it, but coach Marion has been unbelievable in putting me in situations to be successful.
Sometimes I’ll line up out wide at X, sometimes I’ll be in the backfield. So, you guys are going to see a lot of different stuff from me this year.
Kind of the Swiss Army Knife in the offense. I’ll do everything.”
That kind of versatility matters even more because Colorado hasn’t leaned heavily on tight ends in recent years. Atkins, though, sees a group with room to grow, and he singled out several teammates he believes can help.
On Northern Colorado transfer Fisher Clements, Atkins said: “I’ve been really proud of his growth since he got here.”
He also pointed to junior walk-on Charlie Williams as someone who could make noise this fall.
“He hasn’t been healthy, but he’s back to healthy now and going to have a really big season,” Atkins said. “I really believe in him, and he’s come a long way.”
Former walk-on Brady Kopetz brings leadership and blocking, while redshirt freshmen Zayne DeSouza and Corbin Laisure continue to develop, along with true freshman Ben Gula.
Still, Atkins is the center of it all. Deion Sanders has already taken note of the toughness he brings.
“We have a tight end here that’s tough as I don’t know what,” Sanders said. “Last year, I can remember him getting a stinger against somebody and didn’t want to come off the field. We had to make him come off the durn field to recalibrate him and get him together to make sure he’s OK.”
Atkins wants to keep that same edge this season while building toward his long-term goal.
“(Going to the NFL) is obviously the end goal, but I’m only worried about week to week,” he said. “Just whatever it takes to win.
The more that we win, the more successful I’ll be. That’s my only worry is go 1-0 every week.”
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Just Raised The Stakes For Colorados New Staff
Deion Sanders spent Big 12 Media Days doing what he has done since arriving in Boulder, projecting confidence and making it clear he believes Colorados latest reset can work. The Buffaloes are again leaning on a new coaching structure, with Brennan Marion stepping in on offense and Chris Marve taking over the defense, while the roster continues to churn through the transfer portal and the outside expectations remain modest.
Marion arrives from Sacramento State after a long climb through the college ranks, and Marve was elevated after Robert Livingston left for the Denver Broncos. Sanders has been blunt about the challenge and equally blunt about his belief in the group around him, especially with a young quarterback room and a season opener that will immediately test how much progress the Buffaloes have actually made. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Commit Jaiden Kelly-Murray Just Sparked New Recruiting Buzz
Jaiden Kelly-Murray is already giving Colorado fans a reason to keep an eye on the 2027 class. The three-star wide receiver, who is committed to the Buffaloes, turned heads at a recent 7v7 camp with a strong catch on a throw from Georgia commit quarterback Colton Nussmeier, another prospect drawing plenty of attention on the recruiting circuit. Kelly-Murray has backed up the buzz with productive junior and sophomore seasons in high school, and he enters the cycle as the No. 43 receiver in his class.
For Colorado, every bit of momentum matters as Deion Sanders and his staff keep building toward the future while also bracing for what could be a difficult 2026 season. The Buffaloes 2027 group is already sitting at No. 38 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12, a step forward from where the program stood a year ago. If Kelly-Murray keeps popping in settings like this, it only adds to the sense that Colorados recruiting pitch is starting to resonate beyond just one class. [Read more 🡒]
DeAndre Moore Could Decide How Dangerous Colorados New Offense Becomes
Colorados new offense is starting to take shape under Brennan Marion, and the early signs point to a system built on play action, vertical shots and enough movement to keep defenses guessing. For all the attention on the scheme itself, the bigger question is which players can make it go, and Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. looks like one of the names most likely to matter right away.
Moores fit goes beyond simply being another receiver in the room. Colorado wants players who can stress the field and hold up in the dirty work too, and that combination gives him a chance to become a central piece as the Buffaloes sort out how the Go-Go attack will look with Julian Lewis at quarterback. Danny Scudero is part of that conversation as well, but Moore may be the one who helps determine just how dangerous this offense can become. [Read more 🡒]