Colorado's Cornerback Depth Chart After Preston Hodge Signs Undrafted Free Agent Deal

Former Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Preston Hodge becomes the second cornerback drafted under Coach Deion Sanders at Colorado after signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to start his NFL career.

With the loss of Hodge to the NFL, the Buffaloes now have to figure out what the cornerback depth chart looks like heading into next season.

Colorado Buffaloes Cornerback Depth Chart Preston Hodge Drafted In 2026 NFL Draft Coach Deion Sanders Chris Marve Big 12 — Notre Dame corner back Cree Thomas during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three Spring Standout for Colorado

After a very entertaining spring, Colorado has several players at corner who showed they can make plays and could fight to become a part of a solid secondary rotation. The cornerbacks who made a significant impact this spring were Cree Thomas, Boo Carter, MoJo Williams.

Thomas started very fast this spring with multiple interceptions in the first few practices, and after that, it was very clear that he was going to be very competitive all spring to earn one of the rotational spots in the secondary.

After not playing much last season with Notre Dame, Thomas is ready for a breakout year and could emerge as one of Colorado’s best corners.

Carter also had a solid spring, which was highlighted by the amount of versatility that he demonstrated through the practices and the spring game. Carter, with his speed, can line up on the outside at corner, in the slot at nickel, and could even become a safety to limit big plays over the top.

After leaving Tennessee, Carter is hoping to build on the start of his college career and could provide tremendous versatility all season long for defensive coordinator Chris Marve.

Lastly, Williams, as a freshman, was able to consistently progress throughout the entire spring, which ultimately helped him to have a solid performance in the spring game as he hauled in the only interception to end the game, which made a statement on his spring performance.

Entering his first season at the college level, Williams could develop into a great young corner for the Buffaloes and be a reliable starter for years to come.

Additional Cornerback Options

In addition to Thomas, Carter, and Williams, Colorado has a few other corners who could also make an impact.

That includes James Madison transfer Justin Eaglin, Paul Omodia who transfers from Lamar, Appalachian State transfer Emory Floyd, Utah transfer Jason Stokes Jr., Oklahoma transfer Jaydan Hardy, returners RJ Johnson and Makari Vickers, and freshmen Preston Ashley and Braylon Edwards.

This cornerback room has great depth across the board, and there are a variety of players who could work themselves into the rotation throughout the season. At this level and with this many players, the rotation could change on a week-to-week basis based on who performs well in practice and on Saturdays during the fall.

Depth Chart Prior To Fall Camp

Heading into the fall, it seems that Thomas has the advantage to start at one of the corner positions, but the nickel and other corner positions are not as certain.

Carter appears to be leading the battle for nickel, but could play all across the defense with his versatility. As the second outside corner, Eaglin, Johnson, and Floyd all had solid springs and will be competing to earn that starting spot and to stay in the rotation.

This secondary has lots of great talent that has significant experience and production, which could lead to a successful season for the Buffaloes in 2026. Under the leadership of Sanders and Marve, the cornerback room could become one of the strongest units on the roster and potentially in the Big 12.

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