Colorado Fans Will Love Josiah Sanders' Offseason Leadership

Colorado Buffaloes guard Josiah Sanders has been emerging as a leader during offseason workouts.

Feb 11, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Josiah Sanders (5) reacts in the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Now that coach Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes have filled all 15 roster slots for the 2026 season, the team is beginning to take shape in offseason practice. In that process, a new leader has emerged among the group.

On Monday, the Buffaloes posted a video on X, in which Director of Strength and Conditioning Steve Englehart can be seen picking guard Josiah Sanders to lead a drill among the group. He singled him out as a leader for a reason, and the passion that the sophomore displayed in the role should be encouraging to Buffs fans.

Josiah Sanders’s offseason workout leadership

Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Josiah Sanders (5) celebrates defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In the video, Sanders is selected to lead the team in a controlled pushup drill. While his job was relatively simple, Englehart praised what he saw from him.

“Why do I call out one person and put him [where Josiah was]?” Englehart asked. “To lead. You don’t have to be the strongest in the room to lead, you just have to try and you’ve got to go hard.”

🗣️ pick 'em up #GoBuffs | #ColoradoBuilt pic.twitter.com/0kHPkBfBhq

— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) June 8, 2026

The fact that Sanders was put in that role likely means that he had been best exemplifying those traits throughout the workout leading up to the pushup drill. 

It was a good choice, as Sanders’s teammates quickly began rallying around him in the drill. They began counting loudly in unison with him, calling out to fellow teammates at the end of the line to keep the team in sync. This was meant to train a mentality that the Buffaloes want to exhibit in the coming season.

“If somebody is weak, what do we do? If they can’t do it, what do we do?” Englehart asked. “We pick them up. The last name [on the back of your jersey] is going to be different, but the [name on the front of your jerseys] is the same. It’s Colorado.”

Englehart also had Sanders break down the huddle to conclude the workout.

The Colorado Buffaloes’ current leadership outlook

Feb 25, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Barrington Hargress (24) controls the ball in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

If the theme established in that workout can carry over into the 2026 season, it would be a major relief for Boyle and the Buffaloes. As it stands, Colorado has just three upperclassmen on its 2026 roster and one redshirt sophomore. Only two of those players are returners from 2025 and only Barrington Hargress saw playing time.

This paints Colorado as a team with few leaders, as Colorado’s other two upperclassmen will be adjusting to their new scenery just as much as the underclassmen. If Sanders could become a new leader for Boyle to rely on, it could help the Buffaloes establish an identity much earlier in the season.

How Josiah Sanders can take a step forward in 2026

Jan 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Josiah Sanders (5) shoots the ball over Utah Utes guard Don McHenry (3) in the second half at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sanders could also emerge as a leader by taking a step forward in his level of play. While he showed flashes as a freshman, there were considerable areas of his game that needed improvement. 

He was a capable rebounder and defender, hence why Boyle moved him to small forward a great number of times throughout the season. But his shot never came along in 2025, as he finished the season averaging just 4.4 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the field and a dismal 12.5 percent from beyond the arc.

If Sanders can become a more capable scorer, which Boyle has stated confidence in his ability to do, then he could become a leader not only in how he carries himself, but also as an all-around star for Colorado.

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