Biggest Freshman To Watch in Colorado's Spring Game

The Colorado Buffaloes Spring Game is on Saturday, and with lots of anticipation, there are several players to watch.

One of the more intriguing factors is which freshmen could stand out on Saturday, so here is the biggest freshman to watch in the Spring Game on Saturday.

Cornerback Preston Ashley

Freshman cornerback Preston Ashley has emerged as one of the more interesting freshmen to watch this spring and could carve out a major role for himself on defense, depending on his performance in the spring game.

As a young player, Ashley has started to grow as a vocal leader to continue to develop the culture at Colorado. Ashley’s high school career demonstrates that he can stand out and become a contributor in the Colorado secondary.

In his high school career at Brandon High School, Ashley recorded 203 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, 14 pass breakups, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.

Ashley’s production speaks for itself. He is someone who can contribute in the pass game with a great knack to make plays on the ball, but also is a willing tackler to limit explosive plays against opposing rush attacks.

Standing at 5-11 and 185 pounds, Ashley has a good frame to be able to hold up physically in coverage against bigger receivers and help Colorado improve their rush defense, which was one of the worst in the nation last year, allowing 222.5 rush yards per game.

Colorado has a new defensive coordinator in Chris Marve, and having a player like Ashley could be exactly what Marve wants. With his size, Ashley could line up in the slot at nickel corner or could be a good corner on the outside in Marve's defense. Regardless of where he lines up on Saturday, Ashley will have to perform so he can make the case for having a major role in this defense next season.

Colorado's Secondary Depth

For Ashley to find a role for himself in the defense, he will have heavy competition after the Buffaloes brought in several transfers at the cornerback position.

The key additions are Cree Thomas from Notre Dame, Boo Carter who transferred from Tennessee, Justin Eaglin transferring from James Madison, and Paul Omodia from Lamar. RJ Johnson, as one of the few returning players from Colorado’s 2025 roster, will also provide great competition for reps.

In a setting like the spring game, there are different ways that Ashley could make a major impact to catch some attention from coach Deion Sanders and the staff.

The easiest way is to make splash plays like interceptions and big hits all day long. Another way is for Ashley to always be in the right spot in coverage and blanket the receivers consistently, in addition to doing his job in the run game.

Either way allows Ashley an opportunity to get significant reps for the 2026 season. For Colorado to have a solid secondary, the priority has to be finding the players who can be the most consistent in coverage and have the ability to make those big plays.

Coach Sanders has talked about wanting his corners to make plays and not worry about getting burned. Being aggressive and driven to make plays is one of the most valuable traits in a corner, and from his success in the NFL, Coach Prime is trying to bring that approach to Colorado.

The live setting is the best way to find out who is truly ready for the spotlight and the pressure when the fall comes around.

So pay attention to Ashley in all aspects of the game, and if he performs to his peak, there is a great chance he could find a significant role in the secondary and could even fight for a starting job.

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