The Reasons Why Colorado's Revamped Roster Will Turn Heads

Following a season where the Colorado Buffaloes and Coach Deion Sanders did not experience the success they had hoped for, there were a significant number of changes made.

The biggest change made was the way that Colorado recruited through the transfer portal, which took more of an emphasis on experience and production rather than traits this time around to create the reality that they want in 2026.

Colorado Buffaloes Significant Roster Changes Could Be Good Transfer Portal Coach Deion Sanders Big 12 2026 Season — Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Returning Production

With the landscape of college football constantly changing, one of the more interesting trends to look at is which approach each team takes in the transfer portal.

In an effort to see which direction each team went, CBS Sports released the returning snap percentages for each team’s offense and defense.

For Colorado, they return 21 percent of their snaps from the 2025 season, which ranks 127th out of 138 qualified teams. That statistic alone shows the approach the Buffaloes took this offseason, revamping the entire roster.

Colorado Buffaloes Offensive Additions

On offense, Colorado returns 34 percent of its snaps from the 2025 season, which has them ranked 86th in the country.

In their 2025 campaign, the Buffaloes struggled to find consistency on offense, mainly due to the fact that they rotated several quarterbacks throughout the season.

However, after the spring, the projected starter looks to be redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who was able to get some snaps last season and could be in a position to succeed with what looks to be a much better offensive unit. If Lewis does struggle to start this season, Colorado also brought in quarterbacks Isaac Wilson and Kaneal Sweetwyne, who could provide solid depth.

At the running back position, Colorado returned DeKalon Taylor and Michael Welch, but still opted to bring in transfers Damian Henderson II, Jaquail Smith, and Richard Young to compete for reps.

At wide receiver, Colorado returns less than half of its core, with Joseph Williams and Hykeem Williams being the most notable returners. The new additions include Danny Scudero, DeAndre Moore Jr., Kam Perry, and Ernest Campbell, which could help the wide receiver room to be one of the deepest positions on the Buffaloes roster.

The tight end position holds the most continuity on the team as it returns 98 percent of its snaps from a season ago. The returners include Zach Atkins, Brady Kopetz, Charlie Williams, Corbin Laisure, and Zayne DeSouza, while the room welcomes Fisher Clements as the lone transfer edition.

One of the more intriguing position groups to watch could be Colorado’s offensive line, as it returns just 22 percent of its snaps from last season. With the struggles, Colorado had no choice but to add significant talent.

Some of the major additions included tackles Bo Hughley and Taj White, guards Jose Soto and Jayvon McFadden, and center Demetrius Hunter.

Colorado's Defensive Transfer Pickups

The defense for Colorado made even more changes as it returns just eight percent of its snaps from a year ago, ranking 134th in the country.

Up front on the defensive line, Colorado only returned six percent of its snaps from last season.

The biggest additions for the defensive line as of now appear to be defensive tackles Santana Hopper, Ezra Christensen, Dylan Manuel, Tyler Moore, and Sedrick Smith, in addition to defensive ends Vili Taufatofua, Immanuel Ezeogu, Toby Anene, Balansama Kamara, and Lamont Lester Jr. With these additions, this group could be one of the more productive units in the Big 12.

At linebacker, Colorado made massive changes as they brought back less than one percent of their snaps at the second level, which led to three key additions at linebacker: Liona Lefau, Gideon Lampron, and Tyler Martinez, who all have the chance to make a significant impact next season.

In the secondary, there were also significant changes as they brought back just 14 percent of the snaps from a season ago.

Starting with a cornerback position, Colorado brought in Cree Thomas, Boo Carter, Justin Eaglin, Paul Omodia, and Jason Stokes Jr., who could all work out to be solid players in the secondary and have great success against opposing passing attacks.

At the safety position, the buffaloes were also able to add a lot of solid talent in Randon Fontenette, Naeten Mitchell, Jah Jah Boyd, and Jaydan Hardy as players who can be reliable in coverage and provide great support against the run.

Why Change Is Good For Colorado

While many people may say that a change of this magnitude is detrimental to team success, the season that Colorado had a season ago suggests that something needed to be done.

To be successful, adjusting to what other programs are doing is essential, and that is the approach that coach Sanders opted to take this off-season. In addition to the roster turnover, Coach Prime also brought in Brennan Marion to be the new offensive coordinator and elevated Chris Marve to be the new defensive coordinator, which required different personnel on both sides of the ball.

Based on the additions that Colorado made, one of the biggest takeaways is the emphasis on the trenches upfront, especially on offense. To win at the top end of college football, it has almost become a requirement to have dominant linemen on both sides, as evidenced by the success the Big Ten has had.

Colorado also added skill players across the board on both sides of the ball who have shown the ability to be productive and could be just as important.

Having the courage to make these changes shows that Coach Prime and the coaching staff understand the importance of improving and are willing to make whatever changes are necessary to create success for Colorado.

Adding a significant amount of experience and production does not guarantee success for the Buffaloes, but many of these additions had solid spring performances and could be a reason why Colorado is a much better team in the Big 12 during 2026 and beyond.

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