Big 12 team preview: After more help from transfer portal, is Colorado ready for ‘prime time’?

Editor’s note: Seventh in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2024.

One of the biggest stories in all of college football was set in Boulder, Colorado, last season.

From the moment Colorado hired NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, his program was the talk of the college football world, starting with his complete roster overhaul. In all, 71 players transferred out of Boulder prior to the 2023 season, including kicker Cole Becker, who transferred to Utah and started for the Utes.

For a stretch at the start of the season, it seemed like the mass influx of transfers was going to work.

Colorado started 3-0, including thrilling wins against TCU and Colorado State, and ESPN’s “College GameDay” and Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” set up shop in Boulder.

“Do you believe now?” coach Sanders asked the media after the season-opening win over TCU.

After a 3-0 start, people were believing.

Then came a 42-6 drubbing at the hands of Oregon, followed by a seven-point loss to USC that came down to the wire and a 27-24 win over Arizona State.

At 4-2, the Buffaloes were vastly improved from the prior season’s 1-11 record, but the victory over the Sun Devils was the last game they’d win all year.

Colorado lost the next four — three of those were within a score and one a 12-point defeat — and then star quarterback Shedeur Sanders was injured in the second-to-last game of the year against Washington State. With Ryan Stuab at quarterback ,Colorado ended the season with a 6-point loss at Utah — the Utes had Luke Bottari under center — finishing the year at 4-8.

It’s been the same MO for Sanders heading into this season — though he added 13 high school commits in the 2024 class, it’s another year of wholesale changes through the transfer portal. Colorado brought in 42 transfers and lost 41, per 247Sports .

Colorado’s offense starts with quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who threw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions on 69.3% accuracy, finishing in the top 25 nationally despite missing the better part of two games. When you take into account that he put up those numbers behind one of the worst offensive lines in the country, which allowed 56 sacks, it makes his season even more impressive.

There’s a reason why he’s projected to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in the 2025 NFL draft — he can make just about every throw he needs to, limits mistakes and can process the defense well.

Priority No. 1 this offseason to help Sanders? Rebuilding the offensive line.

In addition to the sacks last year, Colorado couldn’t get much push up front, and the Buffaloes averaged just 68.9 rushing yards per game — the worst rushing output among all FBS teams.

There’s four new starters along the offensive line, headlined by freshman Jordan Seaton, the five-star prospect who’s rated the No. 1 offensive lineman in the 2024 class. He’s projected to start at left tackle, protecting Sanders’ blind side. Other additions include left guard Tyler Brown — who technically isn’t new, but was ineligible last season after transferring from Jackson State due to being a two-time transfer — UTEP right guard Justin Mayers, and Indiana right tackle Kahlil Benson. The only returning offensive lineman with experience at Colorado projected to start is center Hank Zilinskas, who started two games and played in 11.

If Colorado can gel along the offensive line, not an insignificant task, the offense could be much improved.

“When I see the offensive line and the way they train, way they work, the way they go about their job,” Sanders said when asked about what gives him confidence that this season will go better.

Pat Shurmur, who took over as offensive coordinator for the last four games, is back and has plenty of weapons at his disposal.

Two-way star Travis Hunter (57 receptions for 721 yards and five touchdowns) is back at wide receiver (and cornerback), plus Jimmy Horn Jr. (58 receptions for 567 yards and six scores) returns. Colorado added Vanderbilt’s Will Sheppard (47 receptions for 684 yards) and Florida Atlantic’s LaJohntay Wester (108 receptions for 1,168 yards) to make the Buffaloes’ wide receiver room one of the best in the Big 12, if not the country.

Losing running back Dylan Edwards (321 yards and a TD as a freshman) to conference foe Kansas State is a blow, but Sanders picked up Ohio State sophomore Dallan Hayden (118 yards and a TD) and freshman Micah Welch for the backfield.

Colorado’s defense has to make a big jump from last season’s 34.8 points per game showing (121 out of 130 FBS teams) for the Buffaloes to improve this season. The Buffaloes were 107th in rushing defense (176.4 yards per game) and 124th in passing defense (276.9 yards per game), and Sanders hit the transfer portal to try and make sure those numbers don’t happen again in 2024.

The Buffaloes have a new defensive coordinator, Robert Livingston, who spent 12 years on the Cincinnati Bengals staff, including eight as the safeties coach.

“I’m a pro. That’s nothing against the college coaches, because we have some phenomenal college coaches, especially in this conference, but I’m a pro. So I like the relationships and the thought process of a pro. And Coach Livingston was recommended to me by a few pros that I’m well familiar with and I trust, Mike Zimmer being one of them,” Sanders said of Livingston.

What does he have to work with?

Six projected returning starters, including defensive tackle Shane Cokes, linebackers Trevor Woods and LaVonta Bentley, cornerback Hunter and safeties Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig.

Cornerback Cormani McClain is a key loss on the defensive side, but Hunter and Oklahoma State cornerback DJ McKinney, along with Liberty transfer Preston Hodge at nickel, should fill in the gap.

A new-look defensive line is expected to start Pitt defensive end Dayton Hayes and Arizona State defensive end B.J. Green, plus Houston defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo.

“They raised him right at Arizona State. For him to come over now, it’s phenomenal. His work ethic, the way he approaches and attacks the game is phenomenal,” Sanders said of Green.

It all sounds great on paper, but can the Buffs gel as a team and take the next step as a program, returning to bowl eligibility — or something greater?

“I see the want and the fire and desire from our young men, and I can’t wait until you get the opportunity to see it as well. I’m very optimistic on what we have on our plate this year,” Sanders said.

The Big 12 preseason media poll has them at No. 11 out of 16 teams, but if everything clicks right, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a higher finish. On the flip side, if there’s depth issues like last year, the bottom could fall out again.

2023 record

• 4-8 (1-8 Pac-12)

2024 schedule

• Aug. 31: North Dakota State
• Sept. 7: at Nebraska
• Sept. 14: at Colorado State
• Sept. 21: Baylor
• Sept. 28: at UCF
• Oct. 5: Bye
• Oct. 12: Kansas State
• Oct. 19: at Arizona
• Oct. 26: Cincinnati
• Nov. 2: Bye
• Nov. 9: at Texas Tech
• Nov. 16: Utah
• Nov. 23: at Kansas
• Nov. 29: Oklahoma State