The Most Pivotal Colorado Buffaloes Position Group Not Being Talked About Enough

It's said that good things come in threes, and the Colorado Buffaloes heard that.

Their top priority this fall is to improve on defense, and if it happens, a newfangled trio of linebackers will be a key reason why. Coach Deion Sanders renovated his second level after a disastrous season, and he raised its ceiling as high as ever.

Colorado's Upgrades At Linebacker

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Liona Lefau (18) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Colorado added three inside linebackers during January's transfer portal window, all with plug-and-play potential: Liona Lefau, Gideon Lampron and Tyler Martinez. For their Division I careers over the last three seasons, they've combined for 550 tackles.

Each has a unique background, with Lefau hailing from the best situation, Lampron accomplishing the most and Martinez overcoming the most adversity. They'll join a fascinating freshman class at linebacker, also consisting of three names in Carson Crawford, Rodney Colton Jr. and Colby Johnson.

Lefau arrives after three solid years with the Texas Longhorns, starting 22 of his last 28 games. He was one of the portal's top ground patrollers, posting a 76.4 Pro Football Focus run defense grade in 2025.

Over 12 starts, Lefau racked up 69 tackles (three for loss), one sack and three pass breakups. He took one fumble recovery 52 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas. He stepped up in two of the Longhorns' biggest games last year against Ohio State and Texas A&M, reaching career highs with nine and 11 tackles, respectively.

Lampron has dominated everywhere he's gone and was one of the nation's most productive at his position last season with the Bowling Green Falcons. He was a Phil Steele All-American honorable mention and First-Team All-MAC selection, becoming the nation's only player with 100-plus tackles and over 15 of them being for loss.

MORE: NFL Legend Barry Sanders Speaks Candidly on Deion Sanders' Star Power

MORE: Why Julian Lewis Suddenly Matters More In The Big 12

MORE: Joseph Williams Drops Powerful Social Media Post Amid Colorado's Winter Workouts

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Bowling Green Falcons cornerback JoJo Johnson (10) tackles Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Noah Jennings (8) in the fourth quarter of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Bowling Green Falcons at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Sept. 6, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lampron was top 10 nationally with 17 tackles for loss in 2025, 0.5 more than every listed linebacker on Colorado's roster combined. His negative playmaking didn't waver against Power Four competition, as he registered six stops (two for loss) against the Big 12's Cincinnati, along with 12 tackles and a sack against Louisville.

As one of four captains on Bowling Green, Lampron should also excel in a leadership role that the Buffaloes desperately need. Last year's initial starters, Martavius French and Reginald Hughes, didn't last due to a lack of fortitude, both physically and vocally.

Lefau and Lampron are in pole position to start in defensive coordinator Robert Livingston's 4-2-5 system. Lefau should bring gap integrity and measured aggression between the tackles, while Lampron raises hell in opposing backfields.

Martinez started 2025 as decorated as either of them, hot off an All-Conference USA Second Team selection and with preseason media picks to reach first-team status.

Linebacker Tyler Martinez drops back in pass coverage as the Aggies opened their season on Saturday night against the Bryant Bulldogs at Aggie Memorial Stadium. | Jaime Guzman/Special the Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He'd thrived with the New Mexico State Aggies in 2024 with a team-high 96 tackles, one of which was a sack and another 1.5 going for loss. But four games into what was supposed to be his final year of eligibility, Martinez suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He was dazzling again to that point with 27 tackles, one forced fumble, an interception and three pass breakups.

But that wasn't the first time he'd fallen on hard times. Martinez didn't have a single Division I offer out of high school and chose the JuCo road less traveled, attending New Mexico Military Institute. And after finishing in the NJCAA's top five in tackles as a freshman, NMSU gave him the shot he'd fought for. He became a star and team captain in short order.

That three-man weave, along with the freshmen and an intriguing returner in Kylan Salter, should ratchet up linebacker impact in terms of personnel. It's considerably more cohesive than one year ago, as its top portal additions, French, Hughes and Shaun Myers, had inconsistent careers to that point.

Contrarily, all three of the Buffs' newcomers have stood out in every situation. Lefau was a vital piece of a team that made the College Football Playoff in 2024 and put up 60+ tackles in each of the past two seasons. Lampron shone at Dayton before his groundbreaking year at Bowling Green. Martinez meant everything to New Mexico State when healthy.

Chris Marve To Spark Change?

MSU defensive run game coordinator Chris Marve speaks to reporters at Media Day on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at the Leo Seal Complex. | Keith Warren, Keith Warren via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Colorado has a future seemingly loaded with tackling machines. A root cause of that improvement could come from the sidelines. Colorado hired a new linebackers coach for the fall in Chris Marve.

A veteran of the college game, Marve's last gig lasted from 2022-24 as Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator. He spent the prior half-decade developing linebackers around the southeast, at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Florida State.

Marve's tenure as a coordinator wasn't star-studded, but his history as a position coach is promising. He'll replace Andre Hart, who'd spent the previous three years as Colorado's linebackers coach but was demoted to an assistant role following 2025's struggles.