LAS VEGAS — Shilo Sanders couldn't help but crack a smile when he was asked about the personnel upgrades to Colorado football's defense.
The Buffaloes' leading tackler last season (70) was the only defensive back in the country with four or more forced fumbles, but an improved supporting cast should allow him to make even more impact plays this fall.
"Last year, I would have to play the mesh a lot," Sanders told the Coloradoan at Big 12 media days. "The mesh is taking some read steps while you watch the run to see if it's run or pass. I'd have to do a lot of that and I feel like I missed a lot of opportunities in the deep part of the field.
"If I don't have to do that, which I don't anymore, then more picks (interceptions). If I could get some forced fumbles and picks, that'd be crazy."
Colorado has added 40-plus transfers to its roster for the 2024 college football season and many of them are on the defensive side of the ball. A unit that allowed 34.8 points per game (second worst in Pac-12) last season will look much different this fall, even if familiar faces like Sanders are back in the mix.
Football is the ultimate team sport. Each of the 11 players on the field at a time play a role in the result of a given play.
It's why Sanders feels he'll be in position to create more turnovers in 2024, similar to how a quarterback feels more confident in his abilities with a stout offensive line and explosive receivers.
An improved defensive line — featuring Houston transfer Chidozie Nwankwo, Ohio transfer Rayyan Buell and others — will help a talented collection of edge rushers. That pass-rush group is led by Arizona State transfer B.J. Green, Pitt transfer Dayon Hayes and others and should create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Additions on the second level of the defense in the form of transfer linebackers Nikhai Hill-Green, Jaylen Wester and others should allow the secondary — which gave up 276.9 passing yards per game last season, third worst in Pac-12 — to play more instinctive.
Most importantly to Sanders, the arrival of transfer cornerbacks Preston Hodge, DJ McKinney and Colton Hood — who each thrive in man coverage — makes his job at safety much easier.
It's all tied together.
"Really, you don't have to worry about them (cornerbacks); you don't have to worry about nothing," Sanders said. "With all the new players we got, even the defensive linemen and linebackers, I can really play free now.
"I can take a proper drop, start at 15 yards, get back deep, go get the go-balls and be rangy."
It's what the best safeties in the NFL do on a weekly basis, and that's exactly what Sanders aspires to be.
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III is one of the sport's premier players at that position. He evolved into an All-Pro with the Cincinnati Bengals under the direction of new Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston.
"I want to be like Jessie Bates with how he plays the middle of the field and the way he uses his instincts," Sanders said. "Coach Livingston shows me a lot of him.
"If you want to go to the league and see how it is to be coached by NFL coaches, that's what we have."
Livingston is another reason why fans shouldn't expect to see the same defense that allowed 453.3 total yards per game last fall (second worst in Pac-12). He spent the last six seasons working exclusively with the Bengals' safeties and learning from one of the brightest defensive minds in the NFL: Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
That wealth of knowledge and experience will be invaluable for Sanders, Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and the entire Colorado secondary.
According to Sanders, it's the mental part of the game that separates good from great. It's the difference between having just one interception (like he did in 2023, which he returned 80 yards for a touchdown against Colorado State) and potentially having four.
"The biggest thing about football is mostly mental," Sanders said. "Really just locking in, studying everything and using my instincts. That's the difference between players, it's not really physical. Everybody runs between a 4.4 and a 4.7 (40-yard dash). There's barely any difference.
"Everything is different in your brain, the decisions you make."
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