Colorado Buffaloes' New-Look Running Back Room Snubbed In Big 12 Ranking?

After back-to-back subpar years pounding the rock, the Colorado Buffaloes' running back room has everything to prove entering the 2025 college football season.

Colorado has had a somewhat underwhelming offseason in terms of talent acquisition at running back, with transfers DeKalon Taylor (Incarnate Word) and Simeon Price (Coastal Carolina) being the lone two additions. Those two join a trio of scholarship returners in Micah Welch, Dallan Hayden and former walk-on Charlier Offerdahl, who combined for 501 of the Buffs' 847 rushing yards last season.

During spring ball, Colorado unexpectedly lost 2024 leading rusher Isaiah Augustave to the transfer portal. A former Arkansas Razorback, Augustave had 394 rushing yards and four touchdowns last season before joining the South Carolina Gamecocks in June.

Oct 26, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Dallan Hayden (7) carries the ball in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

All things considered, Buffaloes Wire's Jack Freeman ranked Colorado's running back room as the fourth-worst in the Big 12 Conference ahead of this upcoming season. Freeman pointed to the loss of Augustave at the start of his reasoning.

Colorado lost their 2024 starter under dubious circumstances, leaving the Buffaloes with an uninspiring backfield heading into 2025. Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch will form a running back room by committee. Both backs showed positive flashes in the Buffaloes' spring game. The duo should be strong this season, backed by a much-improved offensive line; however, they are very unproven, and the team lacks depth behind them.
Jack Freeman

While Hayden did enjoy a respectable 553-yard season with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2022, Freeman was fair in ranking Colorado's running back room at No. 13 in the 16-team Big 12 Conference. Coach Deion Sanders and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur have yet to commit to the run game in Boulder — largely due to former quarterback Shedeur Sanders' presence — and it's yet to be seen if things will change in 2025.

The Baylor Bears topped Freeman's preseason ranking for good reason as 1,000-yard rusher Bryson Washington is trending toward another massive season. Led by Jahiem White, the West Virginia Mountaineers ranked No. 2, and the Cincinnati Bearcats landed No. 3.

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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

If Colorado does improve its rushing attack in 2025, new running backs coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk will see much of the credit.

"The guys that I trust will play," Faulk said during spring camp. "In today's game, to ask a tired player, that's unheard of. Back when we played, if I was tired, they may give me more carries because I am really good now. I am settled. We don't play that type of game anymore. We're trying to protect players. You got to have backs ready to play and they got to have carries. It is fairly easy to me. The guys that I trust based on how they practiced and what they do and how they test will play. That's it. And I am going to ask them to do certain things, and I want to know what they like doing."