Six Colorado Buffaloes Rising and Falling After Northwestern Loss

These six Colorado Buffaloes players left Evanston with work to do after a loss to the Northwestern Wildcats.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) walks off the field after defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Three games into the new season, and the Colorado Buffaloes' rotation has started to tell its own story. Some players are turning small chances into much bigger roles. Others are learning just how fast one quiet night can cool a strong stat.

The Buffaloes' Week 3 game against Northwestern moved several names in both directions, especially in the backfield. Here are three risers and three fallers after Week 3.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Jaquail Smith (23) reacts against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rising: Running Back JaQuail Smith

Smith made the most of his eight carries, rushing for 91 yards and breaking runs of 28 and 35 yards. He averaged 11.4 yards per carry and gave Colorado some of its best plays on the ground.

One week ago, against Weber State, Smith had only 19 yards on six carries. Colorado is still rotating several running backs at this point, so one solid game doesn't mean that he will be guaranteed a bigger role. But after his performance against Northwestern, the coaches have another reason to take more chances on him.

Rising: Defensive Back Randon Fontentte

Fontentte led Colorado with 13 tackles, including nine solo stops, and added half a tackle for loss. He also had eight tackles in the opening game at Georgia Tech and had an interception against Weber State.

A defensive back making 13 tackles usually means too many plays reached the second level. Still, Fontentte keeps finishing those plays. His stock is rising because his production has consistently shown up in a different manner each week since the season began.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Randon Fontenette (7) reacts after the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rising: Linebacker Tyler Martinez

Martinez finished with four tackles and recorded Colorado’s only sack, dropping Aidan Chiles for a nine-yard loss.

The Buffaloes have a lot of completions at the linebacker position, which makes impact plays so valuable. Martinez did not fill the box score, but he made one of the few plays that put Northwestern behind schedule. In a crowded room, that is how a player should earn another look.

Falling: Quarterback Julian Lewis

Lewis went from Big 12 Freshman of the Week to his first two-interception game in college. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown, and the two interceptions ended his streak of 150 passes without an interception.

Lewis did not avoid taking the responsibility afterward.

“It all starts with the quarterback, right?” Lewis said after the game, as quoted by Colorado Athletics. “It starts with me. I have to do better, just getting the ball to the open guys, just keeping everybody motivated to continue to drive.”

His stock falls for one week because the clean decisions that carried the first two games did not travel with him to Evanston. Fans will see what his response looks like in the next game.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr. (56) reacts against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Falling: Defensive Lineman Lamont Lester Jr.

Lester set a difficult standard for himself with three sacks at Georgia Tech and another against Weber State. Against Northwestern, he was kept out of the sack column.

He still had two tackles, though: one tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry, so this was not a disappearing act. His stock falls because the game did not match the pressure he created in the first two weeks. So, for a player who opened his season with four sacks in two games, quiet in relative terms in this case.

Falling: Running Back Micah Welch

Welch had the sharpest swing of anyone on this list. One week after running for 106 yards and scoring a 55-yard touchdown against Weber State, he then finished with 14 yards on seven carries against Northwestern. But he still lost a fumble in the first quarter of that game.

Sep 12, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Micah Welch (29) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Weber State Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The falling tag is not about just one mistake. It is about what happened around him. Smith turned eight carries into 91 yards on the same night, which makes every backfield touch more competitive.

Just seven days prior, Welch looked like the backfield’s clear riser. After the Northwestern game, Smith has made the rotation a lot more interesting.

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