Colorado Buffaloes Missing From Analyst's Post-Spring College Football Top 25

As occurs every offseason under coach Deion Sanders, the Colorado Buffaloes are again dealing with low outside expectations.

Colorado is coming off its winningest season since 2016, but with quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter now in the NFL, most analysts aren't looking at the Buffs as a preseason top-25 team. Fortunately, being overlooked in polls and rankings isn't anything new for "Coach Prime."

Fox Sports analyst and former CU quarterback Joel Klatt dropped his post-spring college football top 25 on Monday, and the Buffs were expectedly absent. Colorado was ranked No. 25 in last season's final AP Top 25 after falling to the BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl.

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and place kicker Buck Buchanan (43) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Thoughts on @joelklatt’s Post-Spring Top 25? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/tUUwuHp7vi
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) May 5, 2025

With many key pieces returning from their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, the Penn State Nittany Lions led Klatt's post-spring ranking, followed by the Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks. Klatt's top four signifies his faith that the Big Ten will again be college football's top conference in 2025.

"They're returning their quarterback (Drew Allar), both running backs — (Nick) Singleton and (Kaytron) Allen — (and) four players on the offensive line," Klatt said of Penn State. "They brought in Jim Knowles as their defensive coordinator paired with Andy Kotelnicki as their offensive coordinator, who's in Year 2. I look at this and my only question was at wide receiver for (coach) James Franklin."

Five Big 12 teams made Klatt's top 25, including two that finished below Colorado in last season's final conference standings in the No. 16 Kansas State Wildcats and No. 24 Baylor Bears. BYU led the Big 12 at No. 14, trailed by the No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils and No. 17 Iowa State Cyclones. Similar to Penn State, returning players was a big factor in Klatt's appreciation for those five Big 12 teams.

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Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston (11) returns a punt for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

"BYU is gonna go in, at least now in May, as the team that I think is gonna be the best Big 12 team," Klatt said. "(Quarterback) Jake Retzlaff is really, really good. He's a gamer. I love his game. I think a lot of people are gonna put Arizona State in this spot, maybe even Iowa State in this spot. But man, Retzlaff, watch out for them."

About four months after being dismantled by Retzlaff's Cougars in the Alamo Bowl, Colorado shouldn't have any qualms over BYU leading the conference. The Buffs will host BYU in September before facing Arizona State, Kansas State and Iowa State later in the season.

Of course, Colorado blowing past outside expectations in 2025 will largely depend on Shedeur Sanders' heir. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and incoming freshman Julian "JuJu" Lewis are both in the running to earn the Buffs' starting quarterback job. Outside of quarterback, Colorado should be improved in the trenches, but running back and linebacker should be considered positions of uncertainty.