Five Colorado Buffaloes Under the Most Pressure Heading Into Next Season

Following a disappointing season from the Colorado Buffaloes, Colorado Coach Deion Sanders knew he had to make some changes. Following a roster turnover, Sanders is relying on new players and returning players to perform.

As a result, there are new faces all across the roster, and the depth chart is very likely to look different during the 2026 season. With new faces and high expectations, there are several players under high pressure to perform next season.

Here are the five Colorado players who are under the most pressure to perform in 2026.

Julian Lewis

Redshirt sophomore Julian Lewis seems to be entering his first full year as the starting quarterback. As a result, he is under a lot of pressure to perform; otherwise, Colorado could be in for another long season while figuring out a starting quarterback. Lewis had limited experience during the 2025 season, but there seemed that there was reason for optimism in his limited reps.

In the games Lewis played, he recorded 589 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He has a great opportunity to show that he can extend those performances for an entire season and potentially lead the Buffaloes to compete for a Big 12 title.

Lewis also has the pressure of learning a new offense during the spring, as well as having a very capable backup in the quarterback room in Utah transfer Isaac Wilson.

If Lewis wants to keep his starting spot, he not only has to execute the offense well but also outplay Wilson. This is no easy task, and it will be interesting to see how Lewis responds to this pressure.

Larry Johnson III

Offensive tackle Larry Johnson is one of the few returning Buffaloes from the 2025 season. He had a solid performance in 2025, but he did struggle with injuries that held him out of the last few games.

Last season, Johnson showed flashes as he allowed just one sack, one quarterback hit, and 14 hurries. While the offensive line as a unit struggled, Johnson showed that he has the opportunity to contribute to a unit that should be much improved in 2026.

However, Colorado did bring in several solid tackles from the transfer portal, including Taj White, Bo Hughley, and Leon Bell. So the pressure is on Johnson to retain his starting spot against several solid players who could also easily start. The competition to start a tackle is fierce, and if Johnson wants to earn a starting spot, he will have to earn it through spring practice and through fall camp.

Gideon Lampron

Linebacker Gideon Lampron also has some pressure on them to continue to build on his performance from last season, where he had great production at Bowling Green.

In the 2025 season, Lamron totaled 119 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one pass breakup, and two forced fumbles.

His play-making abilities are a major reason Colorado brought him in. However, with Colorado’s run defense being near the bottom ranking 135th in the nation as they allowed 222.5 rush yards per game, Lampron must perform as close to the 2025 form if possible. Otherwise, he could lose his spot as the linebacker competition is very competitive with other linebackers like Liona Lefau and Tyler Martinez.

Justin Eaglin

Defensive back Justin Eaglin has a lot of experience at the Division I level, which is why he is projected to be a starter. However, with that experience comes a lot of pressure. For the most part, the secondary, especially in the cornerback room, is very young, which could cause problems for the Buffaloes.

During this 2025 campaign with James Madison, Eaglin had 35 tackles, 13 pass breakups, five interceptions, and blocked one kick. The pressure is on Eaglin to not only perform as he did at James Madison in 2025 but also become a mentor for the corners to help develop them and ensure that Colorado’s past defense can continue its upward trajectory, as in 2025 it was ranked 41st in the nation.

Santana Hopper

Defensive tackle Santana Hopper comes to Colorado, looking to help improve a struggling defensive line. The Buffaloes were not only one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation, but also struggled getting after the quarterback as they racked up only 13 sacks the entire season, which ranked 129th in the country.

Hopper spent his 2025 season at Tulane, where he racked up 31 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.

Hopper has the opportunity to contribute as a disruptor against opposing quarterbacks, as well as help to stop the run and give the Colorado secondary a chance to make plays. The pressure is mounting for Hopper as the expectations are sky high based on what he accomplished in 2025 and how much of an upgrade he seems to be on what Colorado had in 2025.

Hopper must be able to perform as he did in 2025. Colorado’s rush defense and ability to get after the quarterback may continue to struggle from the interior, and the Buffaloes may have another tough year on the defensive side of the ball.

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