Five Players To Watch In Colorado Buffaloes' Must-Win Matchup With West Virginia

Outside of the intriguing freshman vs. freshman quarterback battle between Julian "JuJu" Lewis and Scotty Fox Jr., several other emerging names are expected to play key roles when the Colorado Buffaloes face the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders will rely on a few depth pieces to step up in his secondary, and West Virginia must overcome four running backs being listed as either out or doubtful. Still, Colorado and West Virginia's problems aren't exactly unique at this juncture of the college football season.

Below are five players to watch in Saturday's (10 a.m. MT, TNT and simulcast on HBO Max) matchup between Colorado and West Virginia.

Cornerback Ivan Yates

Players Watch Colorado Buffaloes Win Matchup West Virginia Ivan Yates Kareem Harden Quentin Gibson Fred Perry Diore Hubbard — Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Ivan Yates (29) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Furman transfer Ivan Yates will likely start at cornerback for Colorado opposite either DJ McKinney or Teon Parks. "Coach Prime" has relied more on Yates in recent weeks and has been rewarded with eight total tackles and two pass breakups in the Buffs' past three games.

Running Back Diore Hubbard

West Virginia running back Diore Hubbard is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry, but his 264 rushing yards and four touchdowns are both tops at his position. Expect Hubbard to find some success in short-yardage situations and in the red zone.

Offensive Lineman Kareem Harden

With tackles Jordan Seaton (questionable) and Larry Johnson III (doubtful) both injured, third-year Colorado offensive lineman Kareem Harden will likely receive his second straight start. The former junior college transfer started at right tackle last week with guard Xavier Hill sidelined and later moved to left tackle.

"Kareem is a jack of all trades," Colorado offensive line coach Andre Gurode said during fall camp. "He continues to work. He likes the challenges that we're throwing out there. Some days we'll go out there and tell him he is playing on the left side, even though he hasn't had any reps at it. He'll go in, and it doesn't matter what we ask him to do, he is ready to play. And we appreciate that a lot."

Wide Receiver Quentin Gibson

The future of Colorado's offense will be on full display this weekend with Lewis starting, and the Buffs would be wise to get fellow freshmen Quentin Gibson and Quanell Farrakhan Jr. involved at wide receiver. Gibson hasn't been used to his fullest on offense, but his chemistry with Lewis could result in a big game for the speedy rookie.

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Safety Fred Perry

Safety Fred Perry has been one of West Virginia's few bright spots on defense. Entering Saturday, he owns a team-high 63 total tackles along with two sacks, two passes defended and two forced fumbles. Against Houston last week, the senior Perry totaled a team-high 13 total tackles in the Mountaineers' 45-35 victory.

Needless to say, Lewis will have to keep an eye on Perry throughout his first career start.