5 storylines to watch as Deion Sanders’ CU Buffs begin fall camp

Things are about to get real.

Colorado's fall training camp starts Monday ahead of Deion Sanders’ second season in Boulder.

"We don’t have tomorrow, we don’t have the next day or next year. We have now,” Coach Prime said in Sunday’s team meeting as the program returned to campus ahead of the first practice of the season.

“You’ve been preparing, you’ve been working. We’ve got a whole other month to get down and we want it every day, right now. That’s the expectation. Don’t save it.”

Every season with Sanders comes with certain expectations, but this one carries more weight. It’s the final year for the likes of quarterback Shedeur Sanders, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, safety Shilo Sanders and other key contributors on the roster.

There is urgency heading into the 2024 season.

CU was picked to finish 11th in the preseason Big 12 media poll. But the Buffs believe they have the talent and depth to make a run in the new-look conference.

“This is gonna be a great year,” Sanders said. “I know it, I’ve seen it. God whispered it to me. Now, all we gotta do is manifest it and make it happen. I believe.”

Here are five storylines to watch over the next few weeks:

Which five emerge as the starting offensive line?

Unsurprisingly, it’s a brand-new offensive line this fall — outside of a few holdovers.

The majority of the 10 newcomers arrived in the spring, allowing time to gain chemistry with Shedeur Sanders. There was a clear five-man unit that separated itself during 15 spring practices.

Freshman phenom Jordan Seaton led the way at left tackle, but he and right tackle Khalil Benson have more competition after a handful of former top recruits made their way to Boulder from other big programs: Payton Kirkland (Texas) and Zack Owens (Clemson).

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see any one of those five players — or veterans Wyatt Hummel (Villanova transfer) and Phillip Houston (Florida International transfer) — start on the edge of the offensive line.

On the interior, the guard spots were occupied by Tyler Brown, a former Jackson State transfer who sat out last season after an eligibility waiver was denied, and UTEP transfer Justin Mayers, who quickly became close with Sheduer after arriving in Boulder. Those two could face competition from Houston transfer Tyler Johnson, who worked mostly with the second-team offense in the spring.

At center is one of the few remaining holdovers from the group of linemen that saw the field last season. Cherry Creek’s Hank Zilinskas is the favorite to start in the middle after impressing as a true freshman last fall. He and UConn transfer Yakiri Walker will battle it out at that spot.

Which transfer pass rusher stands out?

The Buffs needed to beef up on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

After losing the majority of last year’s production to either the NFL draft or the transfer portal, Coach Prime added experienced talent proven to be capable of getting to the quarterback.

Arizona State transfer B.J. Green was a big addition and is a preseason All-Big 12 player.

CU also got a pair of transfers from Pittsburgh in Dayon Hayes and Samuel Okunlola. One of them is likely to start alongside Green, but there’s also some former SEC players in Keaten Wade (Kentucky) and Quency Wiggins (LSU) that could work their way into a big role.

CU must be more productive at getting sacks and tackles for loss in the backfield this season to be a more effective defense than in 2023.

Who becomes Shedeur Sanders’ top target?

Shedeur Sanders plays an active role in bringing wide receiver talent to Boulder.

He personally recruited Florida Atlantic transfer LaJohntay Wester after being impressed by his film. Those two showed chemistry in the spring game in April, and there’s a chance the speedy Wester leads the team in receiving yards.

But there’s a few other names to remember as the Buffs will likely spread the ball around.

The first is Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard, who arrived in Boulder this summer and is a former all-SEC receiver with the talent to be the team’s top weapon on the outside. There’s also rising sophomore Omarion Miller, who flashed with nearly 200 yards against USC last fall.

Then, there’s Hunter, who showed his gifts as a pass catcher, in addition to his off-the-charts coverage skills on defense.

There’s no reason to believe Hunter will see fewer snaps than he did in 2023, so there’s a good chance he’s the team’s top receiver in 2024.

Will someone else seize a starting spot at linebacker?

The likely starting duo at linebacker is LaVonta Bentley and Trevor Woods, who’s made the full-time move from safety and has already earned some high praise from his head coach .

But the Buffs also beefed up the depth behind those two with a pair of players with starting experience in Charlotte transfer Nikhai Hill-Green, who started his career at Michigan, and FAU transfer Jaylen Wester, brother of wide receiver LaJohntay.

Any combination wouldn’t be surprising to see for the first defensive snaps against North Dakota State in Week 1. All four, plus former Florida State transfer Brendan Gant, who missed most of last season due to injury, will likely see the field at some point this fall.

Where will Travis Hunter play on defense?

And does it matter?

It does. The Buffs last year struggled to find a capable cornerback opposite Hunter. CU may have found two players this offseason who can do that in Oklahoma State transfer DJ McKinney and Liberty transfer Preston Hodge.

McKinney is almost exclusively a boundary corner, while Hodge can play both on the outside and in the slot, allowing Hunter to play wherever he’s needed on a week-to-week basis.

If the spring is an indication, that may just be on the inside, where he didn’t play at all in 2023. It will match Hunter against some of the best and quickest receivers on the schedule and with more talent around him in the secondary this season, teams may be more willing to throw in Hunter’s direction than before.