How Colorado's System Prepared Tristan Marois for the CFL

The Colorado Buffaloes finally saw a player drafted in 2026, although it was in an unexpected manner.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders paces the field during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

During the 2026 CFL Draft, the Colorado Buffaloes sent a core special teams player to the Calgary Stampeders in the third round.

Tristan Marois, a kickoff and punt coverage specialist who doubles as an edge rusher, will return to his home country with his experience as a Buff having prepared him for the professional ranks.

Tristan Marois’s Colorado career

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders calls out in the second quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Marois arrived at Colorado alongside coach Deion Sanders as a part of his inaugural incoming transfer class.

Marois spent his first two collegiate seasons with the Robert Morris Colonials of the FCS. While there, he was a rotational edge rusher as a true freshman, but during his redshirt freshman season, he became a starter. That season, he registered 24 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and a safety.

Following that season of production, Marois transferred to Colorado as a walk-on, hoping to beat the odds and produce similarly at the next level. He became a meaningful contributor almost immediately, just not in the way he might have thought.

Rather than being a part of Colorado’s pass rush, he carved out a role as a core member of the kickoff and punt coverage teams. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Marois saw the field in 21 games as a member of those units.

He was one of Colorado’s unsung heroes during a rocky 2025 season.

“To be honest, it’s amazing,” said Marois in an October press conference. “Just the feeling of all the hard work you put in during the offseason and during practice paying off. Special teams is a small part of the game, but you can never take anything for granted, that’s for sure.”

Despite not being a highly-touted transfer when he arrived in Boulder, he’s been coachable in the special teams unit and never lost hope. That has allowed him to get valuable reps at the highest level of college football, and that experience is something he can now translate to the CFL.

How Tristan Marois’s skills from Colorado will translate to the CFL

Jun 7, 2025; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Calgary Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson on the sideline during the second half against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

As a Canadian National, Marois has always had a higher likelihood of playing there.

The CFL has a rule that requires teams to have a minimum of 21 Canadian Nationals on their rosters at all times, with at least seven of them being starters.

Being a Canadian National with Big 12 experience, Marois was an enticing prospect for the Stampeders. Although the NFL was always plan A, Marois is thrilled to take his talents up North.

Tristan Marois is joining the CFL 😤@TristanMarois x @CalStampeders#ProBuffs pic.twitter.com/GUr3FlYGBd

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) April 29, 2026

“Especially being a Canadian national, [playing in the CFL] is 100 percent in my plans,” said Marois following Colorado’s pro day. “Obviously, we all dream of playing in the NFL, but I would be more than happy playing in the CFL.”

Marois brings versatility to their roster and believes he has the capabilities to contribute in the pass rush as well as special teams. He hosted a workout for teams scouting him on March 28, in which he believes he put those skills on display.

“First of all, I’m going to make an impact immediately on special teams,” Marois said. “…I think I really showed out for GMs and head coaches [in my workout] that I can play on defense as well.”      

Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) waits for the snap during the first quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Marois will join former Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter in the CFL, although they will be on opposing teams. The pair will line up against each other for the first time on June 27, when the Stampeders take on Salter’s BC Lions for the first time.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news.