Colorado is heading into fall camp with a defense that looks almost nothing like the one Buffs fans saw before. The 2026 unit is being built from the transfer portal, and several new faces are in line to grab starting jobs once August work gets rolling.
At linebacker, Martavius French Hopper looks like the safest bet to be an every-down presence. He was a major part of Tulane’s defense in 2025 during the Green Wave’s run to a conference title and the College Football Playoff, finishing with 29 total tackles, 17 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks in his lone season in New Orleans.
Next to him, the Buffs are counting on Jeremiah Lampron, who arrives with production from both the FCS and MAC levels. Lampron exploded in 2025 for Bowling Green, piling up 119 tackles, 65 solo tackles, a pass breakup, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Together, Hopper and Lampron give Colorado one of its strongest-looking position groups.
The edge rush spots are also in flux, but Colorado has two transfers who have already shown they can get after the quarterback. Arden Lester and Anene both dominated at the FCS level last season, finishing with nine and seven sacks, respectively. That’s more than any player on Colorado’s 2025 roster, and while both face a steep jump to the FBS, Power Four and Big 12 levels, they appear to have the best shot of handling it.
Inside, Colorado’s defensive line picture includes a familiar name in Wiggins, who is moving to the interior. His lack of proven production is a concern, and that’s part of why he may not settle into an every-down role right away. Still, the staff knows him well, and the expectation is that he’ll grow into a more confident player as the season goes on.
The secondary has plenty of competition, but cornerback may be one of the deepest spots on the roster. Carter made the switch to cornerback during spring ball and has stood out since arriving in Boulder, though he’ll also be used at safety.
That means Colorado will need others ready to hold down the corner spots when he’s elsewhere. Johnson and Eaglin are the names that stand out most as starting candidates.
Eaglin played a key role for James Madison’s defense during the Dukes’ Sun Belt championship season and College Football Playoff run, while Johnson opened last season at CU on a strong note before an injury ended his year.
Safety looks more defined. Fontenette brings a proven résumé from Vanderbilt and TCU, and he was an especially strong SEC starter over the last two seasons.
His biggest headline play came in 2024, when he grabbed the pick-six in Vanderbilt’s upset of then-No. 1 Alabama.
Mitchell is the other likely starter, and he comes in after anchoring New Mexico State’s defense in 2025 with a team-high 93 tackles. With that kind of early-career production, he appears set up to fit well in Chris Marve’s system once he takes over the job in 2026.
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