One Breakout Candidate In Colorado's Offensive Line Room

After a season where the Colorado Buffaloes struggled to protect the quarterback and run the ball effectively, coach Deion Sanders knew that the offensive line needed some changes and better performance.

Throughout the spring, the offensive tackle group has delivered several solid performances, including transfers and players who returned from 2025. As the 2026 season begins to approach, there’s one offensive tackle who has the potential to break out.

Larry Johnson III

One player who could break out in the offensive line room is offensive tackle Larry Johnson III, who returned to Colorado after a decent showing in 2025. Johnson started eight of the nine games he played in, but unfortunately, he missed the final three games due to injury.

Johnson showed flashes of being a consistent pass protector and the ability to block well in the run game. Standing at 6-7 and 350 pounds, Johnson has a great frame that he could continue to add strength to, which should help him to be even better in 2026.

In his 2025 campaign with the Buffaloes, Johnson allowed one sack, one quarterback hit, and 14 quarterback hurries. While Colorado did struggle to protect their quarterbacks, Johnson was a solid presence at tackle and could be a player the Buffaloes can rely on heading into next season.

Before his 2025 season with Colorado, Johnson spent two seasons with Tennessee, where he appeared in 15 games and gained valuable experience in the SEC.

Combining his experience with the Buffaloes and the Volunteers, Johnson now has 24 games of experience at the Division 1 level, which could be something that he uses to find success next season in Boulder.

As Johnson heads into 2026, he has a tremendous opportunity to break out as a full-time starter for the Buffaloes with his experience, but after a significant number of additions at tackle, Johnson will have heavy competition to earn a starting job for next season.

Offensive Tackle Group

Throughout the offseason, Coach Prime and the rest of the Colorado staff made several additions along the offensive line, and specifically at offensive tackle. The additions were primarily made through the transfer portal, which included Bo Hughley from Georgia, Taj White from Rutgers, Leon Bell from Cal, and Jayven Richardson from Missouri.

These four players bring a high level of competition for Johnson, especially with the experience that each of these players brings from conferences like the SEC, Big Ten, and the ACC.

While Johnson will be competing with the new offensive line additions, he can also learn from each of them in a variety of areas to improve his own game. In many cases, competing for a starting position can become very intense, but if they each help each other to improve daily, this group could become one of the deepest on the entire roster.

Hughley, White, Bell, and Richardson all bring great size, with each of them having a frame of at least 6-5 and 295 pounds, which could help push Johnson with the understanding that every player in the room is not only very talented but also of a very similar size. No matter who wins the job, the Buffaloes will have solid size.

As this group heads into the fall, it will be very interesting to see how the depth chart shakes out and who becomes the starters at both tackle positions.

Why Larry Johnson Could Breakout

While Johnson does have the size and talent to break out, there are other reasons that he could find success next season. One reason is Johnson’s experience with the pace and physicality of the Big 12.

In the landscape of college football, each conference is different, and understanding how fast the pace is during the season is critical, which is why Johnson could have an advantage. Johnson also has the benefit of being used to the playing style of redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis after playing with him in practice and in a few games last season.

With his experience playing with Lewis, Johnson has a better understanding of how Lewis handles pressure and where he moves around throughout the play, which can help him to limit holding or blocking in the back penalties to keep the offense on track.

Heading into the 2026 season, Johnson is looking to once again earn his starting spot, and after a solid showing in 2025, in addition to the chemistry he has built with Lewis, there is a solid chance that Johnson could once again earn a starting spot and make a major impact for the Buffaloes next season.

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