Five Reasons To Be Excited For Colorado Buffaloes Football

With the 2026 season getting closer, the Colorado Buffaloes have hopes to improve on the 3-9 record from last season. It seems the roster could be greatly improved, giving Colorado coach Deion Sanders a great chance to turn things around, so here are five reasons to be excited for the Buffaloes football heading into 2026.

Colorado Buffaloes Five Reasons To Be Excited For 2026 Football Season Coach Deion Sanders Big 12 Coach Brennan Marion — Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Quarterback Continuity

While most of the Big 12 has the challenge of bringing a new quarterback into their system, Colorado does not have that issue with redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis. The 2025 season was a tough season for the Buffaloes, but Lewis was able to get in-game experience, which could be very valuable for his performance in 2026.

In his 2025 campaign, Lewis totaled 589 passing yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 122.0, and on his throws, Lewis went 52-94 with a completion percentage of 55.3.

With the experience Lewis got last season and a new system that should help to maximize his talent, Colorado fans should be very excited about what Lewis could accomplish behind the helm for the Buffaloes next season.

Brennan Marion’s Previous Success

Heading into the 2026 season, Colorado has brought in offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, who has experienced success as a coach almost everywhere he has gone.

Last season, Marion helped Sacramento State to become one of the better offenses in the Big Sky Conference, led by the rushing attack with a league-leading 2,370 rush yards. In addition to his time at Sacramento State, Marion also made stops at Pitt and Texas, where he also experienced success as an innovative offensive mind.

At Pitt, Marion helped wide receiver Jordan Addison become the best receiver in the country as he brought home the Biletnikoff in 2021. With the Longhorns, Marion helped to develop another receiver in Xavier Worthy, who is now a solid receiver in the NFL.

Marion has a tremendous ability to find success wherever he goes by using the skill sets he has to his advantage. Colorado has plenty of playmakers, and with Marion’s offense, there is no telling how explosive the Buffaloes offense could be in 2026.

Improved Coaching Staff

Over the past few seasons, the coaching staff for the Buffaloes has lacked success and experience, which seems to be a reason why Coach Prime made several changes across the board.

The most notable changes are Marion as the offensive coordinator, with a lot of success as the offensive playcaller, and stepping in for Robert Livingston as the defensive coordinator after Livingston's sudden departure. Marve has previous experience at Virginia as the defensive coordinator, where he had some success creating game plans to limit opposing offenses.

Additionally, Colorado added Josh Niblett as the tight ends coach, bringing significant head coach experience from the high school level to the college level, which has brought a different mentality to the Buffaloes. In the secondary, Vonn Bell has also joined the coaching staff with his vast experience as a safety in the NFL in Boulder.

As a whole, Sanders wanted to find successful coaches, but also those who have experience at the NFL level to bring a different perspective and raise the standard from where it has been for Colorado.

Revamped Offensive Line

In recent years, the offensive line has been a clear weakness for the Buffaloes, and as a result, Coach Prime decided to attack that position in the transfer portal specifically to find experienced players from some of the more elite conferences in college football, such as the Big 12, ACC, Mountain West, Big Ten, and the SEC.

At the tackle position, Colorado recruited Bo Hughley (Georgia), Taj White (Rutgers), Jayven Richardson (Missouri), and Leon Bell (Cal), who all have an opportunity to compete for a starting spot. On the interior, the Buffaloes also recruited guards Jose Soto (San Jose State) and Jayvon McFadden (Ohio State). To shore up the middle of the line, Sanders also brought in centers Demetrius Hunter (Houston) and Sean Kinney (Lafayette).

It is very difficult to find consistent success without a great offensive line and because of that Sanders recruited up front looking for experience and players who have seen success the highest levels of college football.

With the 2026 season looming, these additions along the offensive line give optimism that Colorado can find a dominant run game and protect the quarterback the best they have during Coach Prime’s time in Boulder.

Experienced Linebacker Core

During the 2025 season, the Buffaloes struggled significantly to stop opposing teams' rushing attacks as they allowed 222.5 rush yards per game, which ranked 135th in the nation. Stopping the run is one of the more important elements of championship teams, and next season the Buffaloes have a much better chance to do that with the improvement at linebacker.

Linebackers are one of the more important pieces in a defense as they help get the front aligned and communicate assignments all over the defense and as a result having expereince at that position is almost essential. This is why Sanders and the staff recruited players like Liona Lefau, Gideon Lampron, and Tyler Martinez to strengthen the second level of the defense.

Lefau, Lampron, and Martinez all have experience making plays all across the field and their production in 2025 indiates that as such. In 2025, the trio combined for 215 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Experience and production are undeniable, and with each of them showcasing their ability last season, putting them together should be able to significantly improve the Buffaloes’ defense as a whole. This level of talent at the second level of Colorado’s defense is something that should give Buffaloes fans a lot of hope and excitement for 2026.

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