Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders Snubbed In Early Top-25 College Football Rankings?

With the conclusion of spring practices, all eyes are on the 2025 college football season. ESPN released an early version of a top-25 rankings, and the Colorado Buffaloes were left off. While the Buffaloes were listed under teams considered, were they snubbed from the Top 25?

The Buffaloes are coming off a 9-4 season, going 7-2 in Big 12 conference play. With only two conference losses, the Buffaloes were one of the top teams in the conference. Iowa State, BYU, and Arizona State were the only teams to finish above the Buffaloes due to their overall record. All four teams went 7-2 in the conference.

On the way to early rankings, several Big 12 schools were listed ahead of the Buffaloes. BYU is listed as No. 9, Iowa State is No. 11, Arizona State is No. 14, and Kansas State is No. 16.

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Colorado lost several offensive weapons, which could be a reason that the team is not listed. Notably, the quarterback position is a question mark heading into 2025. While the Buffaloes have Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and four-star recruit Julian Lewis on the roster, neither have proven themselves on Colorado’s offense yet, which leaves uncertainty surrounding a crucial position.

The offensive line is another issue, as it is where the Buffaloes were hit during the spring transfer portal opening. The Buffaloes have had nine offensive linemen transfer out of the program, including, Zechariah Owens, Jay Gardenhire, Cash Cleveland, Kahlil Benson, Hank Zilinskas, Ethan Boyd, Tyler Johnson, Yakiri Walker, and Payton Kirkland.

The Buffaloes do have a couple of incoming recruits who could take over the offensive line, including four-stars Chauncey Gooden and Carde Smith, and three-star offensive tackle Jay Gardenhire-Crooks.

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The Buffaloes also lost a couple of wide receivers to the NFL Draft including Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., and LaJohntay Wester. The Buffaloes do have several players ready to come in and compete to be the top receivers, including Dre’lon Miller and Omarion Miller.

Defensively, the Buffaloes have key players returning including cornerback DJ McKinney, who could be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Through the portal, they added crucial additions, including defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis. With the Colorado defense looking strong, the Buffaloes will stay competitive in each game in 2025.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders does not have a standard approach to recruiting. He has said in the past, that instead of recruiting as many players as possible, he looks for players who can step right in and play. Colorado’s class of 2025 is ranked No. 35 in the nation, but No. 2 in the Big 12. Of the 14 commits, it includes four-star wide receiver Adrian Wilson, who could help with the wide receiver rooms.

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Sanders recently signed a contract extension that locks him in for five more years, through the 2029 season. Sanders believes in this team and made sure they had the right mindset heading into spring practices.

“We are gonna have a great spring, we’re gonna have an awesome spring,” Sanders said. “We have a better team than we had last year. We’re gonna prove it this spring.”

“It’s a new day. We gonna establish a new day in a new way. If it ain’t, y'all gonna be gone. And you know I keep my word on that. So, let’s have a great week. We gonna start off right,” Sanders said.

While there may be uncertainty surrounding the 2025 Colorado Buffaloes, specifically on the offense, Sanders built a strong squad that could be a dark horse in 2025. The season for the Buffaloes begins Aug. 29 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

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