The Reason Why This Season Is Crucial for Colorado in Year Four With Deion Sanders

So far, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have struggled to find sustained success as a pairing and are entering year four together, which could be the most important season yet.

Heading into the 2026 season, it appears that the pressure could be the highest it has ever been.

Colorado Buffaloes Crucial 2026 Season Coach Deion Sanders Big 12 Brennan Marion Chris Marve Transfer Portal Changes — Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Mounting Pressure

According to Ari Wasserman of On3, Colorado is facing a very pivotal season under Sanders, as the Buffaloes appeared at the No. 8 spot on the list of programs heading into key seasons in 2026.

In his time in Boulder, Sanders has not been able to create consistent success with just one winning season over his three years with the Buffaloes. The one season where Colorado was able to find success was very impressive, as the Buffaloes went 9-4 and became bowl eligible.

Other than that, Colorado went 4-8 in 2023 and 3-9 in 2025 as there were constant struggles to find success on offense and on defense.

One of the main reasons that the Buffaloes struggled during the 2025 season was the inconsistency at the quarterback position, where they played several different players, making it difficult to find a rhythm and stay on schedule.

Heading into his fourth year with the program, Coach Prime needs to figure out a way to find consistent success, which he could find with the major change he made on the offensive side of the ball.

New Offensive Philosophy

Without a doubt, one of the biggest changes the Buffaloes made this offseason was bringing in Brennan Marion to be the new offensive coordinator.

With his previous schools, Marion has experienced great success and could be a key for Colorado to change the culture and create a team that can be consistently near the top of the Big 12 standings.

Marion’s offensive philosophy is very unique as he focuses on getting the ball in space to his playmakers and allowing them to use their speed, athleticism, and other physical gifts to create explosive plays for the offense.

With the struggles that Colorado had, in addition to bringing in Marion, coach Sanders and the rest of the coaching staff were able to bring in a solid transfer portal class, which could be fully maximized in this offense.

Two of the bigger additions made by the Buffaloes were wide receivers Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore Jr., who could both find major roles with their speed and ability to make big plays.

With the new receivers Colorado added, redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis could be poised for a breakout season after gaining valuable experience in 2025.

Colorado also added solid players at the running back position with Richard Young and Damian Henderson II. The duo of Young and Henderson could be solid for Marion to help establish the physical rushing attack that the Buffaloes have lacked in recent years.

Overall, Colorado has done a solid job on the offensive side of the ball to give itself a chance to be much better on offense with the scheme and the players on the field.

Defensive Coordinator Chris Marve

The Buffaloes also made a change on defense with Chris Marve taking over as the defensive coordinator.

After previously serving as the defensive coordinator with Virginia Tech, Marve seems to have installed a similar defensive philosophy with an emphasis on violence, speed, physicality, and creativity across the board with coverages and fronts.

With the focus of his defense in mind, Marve has done his best to teach it to the new look defense for Colorado, which seems to have paid off with several flashes at three levels throughout the spring.

Players who have shown great potential during spring include defensive tackle Santana Hopper, defensive end Vili Taufatofua, linebacker Gideon Lampron, cornerback Cree Thomas, and safety Randon Fontenette, in addition to others.

The clear takeaway from these standouts is their ability to make plays that could change the course of games throughout the season. In 2025, Colorado did not have a ton of playmakers who could make those plays, which bodes well for what the Buffaloes hope to accomplish in 2026.

Colorado's Expectations in 2026

With the pressure seemingly mounting, Colorado’s performance during Big 12 conference play will be critical for how the season is evaluated.

On offense, there is pressure on Marion to help the Buffaloes consistently move the ball, but there is also major pressure on Lewis to perform well to help Colorado succeed now and also be the answer at quarterback for the future.

On defense, Marve has the task of generating stops and being a much-improved unit up front in stopping the run and creating pressure against opposing quarterbacks.

While there is pressure on the offense and defense, Coach Prime will have most on him to have great team success in a season that could go a long way in determining the future of the Colorado program.

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