Why Brennan Marion's Background Should Excite Colorado Buffaloes Fans

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders hired former Sacramento State coach and record-setting Tulsa receiver Brennan Marion as Colorado's offensive coordinator. How can his explosive playing career and signature offensive scheme jump‑start a Buffaloes team averaged 20.9 points per game in 2025.

Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders yells at his team during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has made a habit of hiring coaches with strong playing careers, and his newest offensive coordinator brings to Boulder a history of blowing the top off defenses.

Brennan Marion, a former Tulsa wide receiver, is now tasked with fixing a Colorado Buffaloes offense that averaged just 20.9 points per game in 2025, ranking near the bottom of the FBS and second‑to‑last in the Big 12. 

Marion arrives from Sacramento State, where his "GoGo" offense helped the Hornets jump from 3‑9 in 2024 to 7‑5 this fall while averaging almost 34 points and 425 yards per game. For a Buffs program trying to rediscover the explosive identity it had with former Buffs stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter in 2024, the hire is a clear signal that Coach Prime wants big plays back on the offense.

Record-Setting Days At Tulsa

Sep 24, 2022; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane helmet against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Before Marion became known for his offensive system, he was one of the most efficient receivers college football has seen. In two seasons at Tulsa (2007–08), he caught 82 passes for 2,356 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 28.7 yards per reception over his career. In 2007 he led the nation in yards per catch at 31.9, breaking a 30‑year‑old NCAA single‑season record that still stands and earning Conference USA Newcomer of the Year honors.

Colorado OC Brennan Marion was a problem back in the day at Tulsa 🔥pic.twitter.com/JOJQ4TraaZ

— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) December 6, 2025

Marion’s 2007 season included 39 receptions for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 25 of those catches going for at least 25 yards and 17 of them covering 35 or more. He posted six 100‑yard games, highlighted by a 244‑yard performance against Rice that earned him national recognition and an ESPN helmet sticker at the time. Coaches and teammates nicknamed him “The Milkman” because he kept delivering long strikes when defenses knew what was coming.​

Those numbers matter in Boulder because they help explain how he sees the game. His "GoGo" scheme, developed during stops at Howard, William & Mary, Hawai‘i and UNLV, uses aggressive vertical shots downfield to recreate the same big plays he once put on as a player.

GoGo Colorado Offense

Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) scrambles in the first quarter against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes need that jolt badly. After losing Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to the NFL following the 2024 season, Colorado slipped from a top‑20 scoring offense to one that struggled to crack three touchdowns most weeks. The Buffaloes averaged 328.4 yards per game, finished in the bottom third of the Big 12 in total offense and endured a five‑game losing streak to close a 3‑9 campaign.

Former Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s pro‑style approach leaned heavily on drop‑back passing behind an offensive line that was still being rebuilt, and Colorado rarely generated consistent rushing production to take pressure off quarterbacks Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis.

Marion’s track record suggests a different emphasis. At Sacramento State this season, his team used multiple backs and option concepts to average nearly 200 rushing yards while still threatening defenses over the top. During his 2023 stint at UNLV, the Rebels set school marks by scoring 40 or more points six times and finished 22nd nationally in scoring at 34.4 points per game while ranking sixth in third‑down conversion rate and eighth in red‑zone efficiency.

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How Current Buffs Fit Marion’s Vision

Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) celebrates a touchdown reception in second quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The good news for Marion is that Colorado’s roster already has several pieces that match his scheme. Barring any transfer‑portal surprises, redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis will enter spring as the favorite to start after throwing for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in limited action in 2025. Lewis showed poise in the pocket and enough mobility to extend plays, traits that should fit the GoGo offense.

Up front, former five‑star tackle Jordan Seaton is expected to anchor an offensive line that showed incremental improvement late in the season and will have another year of development under its belt. On the outside, receiver Omarion Miller returns after leading the team with 808 receiving yards, giving Marion the kind of boundary target who can threaten defenses deep and win contested balls.

Running backs Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch, who combined for only 710 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2025, provide a solid starting point for the multi‑back looks that define Marion’s scheme.

What Comes Next with Marion

Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during the first quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

For Sanders, the decision to hire Marion is both recognition and a bet. The recognition is that Colorado’s offense needed a new direction after averaging just 20.9 points per game and ranking 107th nationally in scoring. The bet is that a former record‑setting receiver with an unconventional offense can translate success from the FCS and Group of Five levels to the Big 12.