One Colorado Buffaloes Player Who Needs a Bigger Role to Avoid Future Transfer Questions

The Colorado Buffaloes failed to feature this player in their opening contest, which could create future concerns.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders arrives before the game at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Buffaloes’ win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came down to the wire on Thursday. CU’s offense was stagnant for most of the game, and the Buffaloes may have left out a key contributor who could’ve affected that side of the ball.

Sacramento State Hornets receiver Ernest Campbell didn’t record a catch in the game and hardly saw the field in the Buffs’ season opener. While it’s still plenty early in the season, if Colorado can’t find ways to get him involved in the offense, it could face future transfer concerns.

How Ernest Campbell could help the Colorado Buffaloes

Refugio's Ernest Campbell gestures after his first-place finish in the 400-meter relay during the Class 2A UIL State track and field meet, Friday, May 3, 2024, at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Campbell is Colorado’s fastest receiver, and in a ‘Go-Go’ offense that requires up-tempo pacing and quick-breaking routes, he fits the mold perfectly. He can obviously beat defensive backs deep, and although he only weighs in at 145 pounds, he’s also able to find success in the box on slant routes and alike. If Colorado recognizes that an opposing team is relying heavily on man coverage, using him in that context could provide its offense a major boost.

Campbell also runs track in addition to his contributions on the football field, and his numbers there provide context to his speed. In his freshman season with the Texas A&M Aggies, Campbell recorded a 10.02-second 100-meter dash. 

That translates to a 4.18-second 40-yard dash, per MileSplit. This means that as a freshman in college, he would’ve been fast enough to break the NFL Combine’s 40-yard dash record, currently held by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy at 4.21 seconds.

Ernest Campbell’s proven production

Refugio's Ernest Campbell (7) runs with a ball during a high school football game against London at Hornet Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday, Sep. 2, 2022. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Whether or not Campbell can shoulder a bigger workload shouldn’t be a concern, either. He was the leading receiver for the Hornets in 2025, racking up 755 yards and eight touchdowns on 37 catches, good for an average of 20.4 yards per catch. 

That experience came with current Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion as the head coach, no less, so that success that Campbell saw came within the very offense he’s in at CU. 

He had standout performances against high-caliber competition as well. Against the Hornets’ lone FBS opponent of the 2025 season, the Nevada Wolfpack, Campbell hauled in three passes for an impressive 89 yards and a touchdown. Later in the season, he had the best game of his career against the Montana Grizzlies. He racked up a whopping 206 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions against a team that went to the FCS National Semifinals that same season.

How the Colorado Buffaloes can involve Ernest Campbell

Refugio s Ernest Campbell catches a touchdown pass on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, at Bobcat Stadium in Refugio, Texas. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

So, if Campbell’s talent isn’t the question, then what is? Likely, it is an issue of depth. It’s a good problem for Colorado to have, but it simply has too many talented receivers for all of them to play the roles they deserve. But with that said, Colorado’s receiving game was less than impressive against Georgia Tech, so why not shake things up?

Colorado could get Campbell involved in situational plays that require his skill set to start. Whether he’s a decoy route over the top, catching a screen pass to create run after the catch or the Buffs are truly looking to him as a deep threat, there are a variety of ways they could work him into the offensive game plan.

Additionally, Colorado rolled with a rotation of cornerback Boo Carter and wide receiver Quentin Gibson in the kick and punt return game, and neither of them found much success. While Colorado can still utilize both of them, mixing in Campbell as an experiment couldn’t hurt. His speed gives him the potential to break house calls, and getting the ball in his hands in that aspect could give him a way to contribute while giving Carter and Gibson a breather.

Colorado’s next game against the Weber State Wildcats is the perfect opportunity to experiment with Campbell in new roles, as the Buffs are expected to dominate their FCS opponent. If he does well in any of them, they could look to him more consistently moving forward.

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