Colorado’s injury report finally brought one real jolt of good news on Tuesday, and it came from a name most people had already written off for the year.
Linebacker Tyler Martinez, who had been expected to miss the rest of the season with a foot injury, showed up as questionable for the Buffaloes’ Week 11 game against No. 14 Houston. For a Colorado team that has spent much of the season juggling injuries, that’s a notable shift.
Martinez hasn’t played since the Week 4 matchup with Baylor, but his return now looks at least possible. He had been trending in the right direction recently, including a sighting against Arizona State without a boot for the first time since the injury.
Less than a week later, he may be back in uniform. If he does get the green light, he’d slide back into the linebacker mix with Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau.
The report was less encouraging elsewhere. Colorado was still waiting on Mitchell, whose absence was obvious in the Week 10 loss to Arizona State. Ben Finneseth has handled much of the fill-in work at safety, and the Buffs have even had to use cornerback RJ Johnson there because of the depth issues.
The outlook also remains shaky for Welch and Scudero. Both are still in a tough spot, and with only two games left after this week’s matchup, their window to return is getting tight. That also clarifies what Deion Sanders meant when he said one of Scudero, Welch, and Martinez would be back soon - it wasn’t the offensive pair.
Colorado did get a small boost with Braylon Edwards. This is the first time he’s been listed as anything better than out since Oct. 17, and while he hasn’t made much of an impact in the secondary this season, he could be an option at safety if Mitchell remains unavailable.
Another name to watch is Taufatofua, who opened the week as doubtful for the third straight time. Colorado has kept hoping for a turnaround, but the first injury report each week has quickly cooled that optimism. Unless he beats the odds, it looks like another rehab week for the hybrid lineman.
Elliot Arnold is also still on the report after the injury he suffered on the roughing-the-kicker play committed by Arizona State in the fourth quarter. Sanders said he’d be fine after the game, and the fact that Arnold is listed as questionable suggests the issue is not considered serious with three games left.
In Other News...
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For the Cougars, currently ranked No. 14, that kind of expansion could turn a distant dream into a realistic path. Houston is outside the 12-team bracket right now, but the larger format would likely put the Cougars in position to qualify, and the new setup also removes the old requirement of winning a conference championship just to get in. For a fan base looking for a clearer route to the playoff, that is a meaningful change even if the full payoff is still a few seasons away. [Read more 🡒]
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Sampsons praise for Davis centered on both his skills and his leadership qualities, the kind of combination that tends to matter in Houstons system. It is still early in the process, but landing a guard this far out gives the Cougars an intriguing name to monitor as the class develops and the program continues shaping its future roster. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Strengthened Kelvin Sampsons Future Backcourt Again
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What stands out with Delancy is that this is not just about rankings. The Houston staff and others around the game have praised both his ability and his character, which matters in a program that has built its identity on toughness, discipline and continuity. With this latest commitment, the Cougars have added another piece to a future backcourt that already looks like it could stay deep and dangerous for years to come. [Read more 🡒]