Colorado Buffaloes Potential Injury Inactives vs. Utah Utes

The Colorado Buffaloes are facing the No. 11 Utah Utes on Saturday after the team's bye week, but there are still some injuries that Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes will have to deal with while also looking to pull off the upset.

Colorado has multiple wide receivers and defensive backs listed on the team's latest availability report, but beating a physical team like Utah will require the Buffaloes to battle in the trenches. As a result, arguably the biggest injury question for Colorado before Saturday is the status of defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr.

Currently "Quesitonable" as of Thursday, Oct. 15, whether or not Lester Jr. can contribute against the Utes remains to be seen. His status will be monitored on the Buffs' next availability reports on Friday as well as two hours before kickoff on Saturday. In all likelihood, Lester Jr. is trending towards being a game time decision for the Utah game.

colorado buffaloes deion sanders injury inactives utah utes upset alert big 12 folsom field tyler martinez danny scudero — Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado wide receiver Danny Scudero speaks with reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado Buffaloes Availability Report

Out

Kam Perry, wide receiver
Danny Scudero, wide receiver
Braylon Edwards, defensive back
Preston Ashley, cornerback
Zach Atkins, tight end

Questionable

Lamont Lester Jr., defensive lineman

Probable

Fisher Clements, tight end
Dylan Manuel, defensive lineman

Additionally, Colorado linebacker Tyler Martinez and offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter will be inactive against Utah despite not being included on the Buffs' availability report. With more long-term injuries, programs do not have to continue listing a player as "Out," meaning that Hunter and Martinez are expected to be sidelined for the forseeable future.

Utah Utes Availability Report

As of Utah's availiability report released on Thursday evening, the Utes only have two players listed.

Out

JC Hart, cornerback
Preston Pitts, linebacker

Before Utah beat Kansas on Oct. 10, the Utes listed tight end Kana'i Lopes and offensive lineman Isaiah Garcia "Out" against the Jayhawks, but neither of them are included on the program's availability report before facing Colorado.

Lopes has yet to make his season debut after suffering an undisclosed injury before the start of the regular season, and Garcia missed two games with an injury. Reinforcements appear to be arriving for Utah, making Colorado's potential upset bid over the Utes more difficult than it already was.

Colorado Buffaloes vs. Utah Utes Betting Odds

According to betting odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, Utah is favored by 15.5 points over Colorado. While the Buffaloes defense has proven its ability to create stops and get off the field, the Colorado offense has struggled so far to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns.

The all-time series between Utah and Colorado is a tight one with the Utes leading 36-33-3, but Saturday's matchup could have long-term implications on the Buffaloes' program. After falling to Texas Tech 29-7, "Coach Prime" and company are 2-3 through the first five games of the season.

Can Colorado pull off the upset win over Utah? Or will the Buffaloes fall to 2-4 with a season starting to feel more and more similar to Colorado's 3-9 finish in 2025.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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