The Colorado Buffaloes’ passing game looked stuck in neutral for most of Week 1, and that quiet night only sharpened the questions around one player who still hasn’t found a foothold: Quanell Farrakhan Jr.
Against Georgia Tech, Colorado had just 65 passing yards until the final drive, when Julian Lewis finally sparked the offense with 59 yards and a touchdown. Only four Buffaloes wideouts caught a pass, and Farrakhan was not one of them. That left his role - or lack of one - back in the spotlight.
Farrakhan came to Boulder with plenty of buzz. 247Sports rated him a four-star recruit, and Colorado was hoping a former blue-chip target could help lift a receiving room that has already been thin on production.
Instead, his college career has barely gotten off the ground. Last season, the Buffaloes finished fourth-to-last in the Big 12 in receiving yards, and Farrakhan managed just one catch for 17 yards and no touchdowns.
He did see action on punt returns, but even there, he never locked down a dependable spot.
Colorado brought him back for the 2026 season, yet the offseason didn’t exactly produce a breakout. Former receivers coach Jason Phillips made it clear in his March 24 press conference that Farrakhan still had work to do.
“[I’ve seen] the same Quanell,” said Phillips in his March 24 presser. “He’s got to continue to work on his game and get better; he has to take coaching, apply the coaching and apply the technical stuff we’re teaching here and become the player we expect him to be.”
That message feels even louder after Week 1, when Farrakhan didn’t make an impact on offense or special teams against the Yellow Jackets.
If that pattern continues, Colorado could be staring at transfer questions down the road. The Buffaloes clearly still have interest in finding a way to use him, though, and special teams looks like the most obvious place to start. Farrakhan has been inconsistent there, but he has shown flashes, including a season-long 19-yard return.
That matters because Colorado’s special teams unit also had its issues in Week 1. If the Buffaloes can get Farrakhan back into that mix, it could give him a path toward a bigger role and add another option to a unit that needs a cleaner showing.
Week 2 offers a chance to test that idea. Colorado faces Weber State, an FCS opponent that has gone 4-8 over the past two seasons in the Big Sky and already has a loss this year to Southern Utah. That kind of matchup should give the Buffaloes room to work through personnel choices, and Farrakhan could be part of that evaluation on special teams and maybe even in the offense.
Coach Deion Sanders said the Week 1 special teams issues were more about who was on the field than anything drawn up on the board.
"I'm not concerned about those issues. The reason: because that's an easy fix with personnel," Sanders said.
"Some things are schematic. That wasn't schematic.
That was personnel. We fixed it with personnel already.
Hopefully, you see the results this weekend."
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Signals Colorado Special Teams Changes After Week 1 Problems
Colorados Week 1 win over Georgia Tech came with a heavy special-teams imprint, from Daniel Gerlach drilling the go-ahead extra point to Boo Carter getting a blocked field goal that helped swing the game. Even in a victory, though, the Buffaloes left plenty to sort through in the kicking game, and Deion Sanders spent part of his weekly press availability revisiting why those units looked uneven despite the timely plays.
Sanders framed the issues as largely personnel-driven and said the staff has already adjusted in response, with an eye on both the kicking roles and the coverage groups. He also pointed to the need for cleaner practice work and better protection on kicks, a reminder that for Colorado, the margins on special teams are still very much a work in progress even after a game that had enough big moments to hide some of the cracks. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Defense Faces Early Test After Ugly Opener
Georgia Techs defense did not get the start it wanted in the opener, and the problems were easy to spot. The Jackets were pushed around on the ground, gave up nearly 200 rushing yards, and came away without the kind of game-changing plays that can cover up a shaky night. Against a Tennessee offense that can punish hesitation and mistakes, that puts even more attention on the players expected to steady things, including Daiquan White and Kelvin Hill.
Their individual performances only added to the concern, with both drawing poor grades after the opener, and White especially struggling in coverage and tackling. The bigger question now is whether the front can play with enough consistency to keep Tennessee from controlling the line of scrimmage and forcing Georgia Tech into a long night of chasing the play. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Techs Upset Hopes Ride On One Offensive Problem
Georgia Tech heads into Saturdays matchup with No. 18 Tennessee carrying more than just the usual underdog label. The Yellow Jackets have enough encouraging pieces on offense to make this interesting, with Justice Haynes, Malachi Hosley and quarterback Alberto Mendoza all showing flashes that suggest the attack can move the ball well enough to stay in range.
The problem is turning those drives into the kind of scoring plays that can keep pace with a ranked opponent. Mendoza has shown he can improvise and work the intermediate part of the field, and the next step may be finding more reliable answers near the goal line, whether that comes from cleaner execution or a bigger role for tight ends like Kevin Roche Jr. if Georgia Tech wants to create a few mismatches and break through where it has fallen short. [Read more 🡒]