Robert Livingston Addresses Colorado Corner DJ McKinney's Shaky Start To Season

BOULDER — Like many of his Colorado Buffaloes teammates, DJ McKinney has struggled to find consistency during his second season in Boulder. There have been moments of greatness, but the junior cornerback would be the first to admit that he hasn't performed to his standards through seven games.

After practice on Tuesday, Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston was asked about McKinney's slow start to the year.

"With DJ, the highs have been high, the lows have been low, and that's playing corner," Livingston said. "We joke about it all the time — It's judgment day on every snap. If you're a 3-technique and you're out of your gap, nobody in the stands knows, social media doesn't kill you. Your coaches are just yelling at you. But if you're a corner, and, heaven forbid, you give up an out-route for seven yards, everybody's coming at your throat. That's a gift and a curse."

Robert Livingston Addresses Colorado Corner DJ McKinney Shaky Start Season Buffaloes Defensive Coordinator Big 12 Football CU — Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback DJ McKinney (8) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The former Oklahoma State transfer has struggled at times covering opponents' top receivers, a role he was thrust into when Travis Hunter left for the NFL. Entering CU's first bye week, McKinney owns 28 total tackles, four pass breakups and one interception.

Opposite McKinney, Colorado's carousel of No. 2 cornerbacks have struggled even more, with Makari Vickers, Teon Parks and Ivan Yates all seeing action.

Robert Livingston Confident In DJ McKinney's Future

Livingston believes McKinney has the proper mindset to turn his season around.

"DJ's got thick skin, and I'm excited to see what he's done," Livingston said. "There's been some lows. Everybody saw that he gave up a touchdown. But there's been some really good things, too. I thought he played very well versus TCU."

It's also important to remember that McKinney became a full-time starter just last year. Although he found some success with three interceptions last year, McKinney is still developing.

"I'm excited to see his maturation. He's still a young player," Livingston said. "You're talking about a guy that has started for a year and a half. His future is very, very bright. I will never give up on DJ, so I'm excited to see what he does."

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Deion Sanders' Message To Colorado's Cornerbacks

Earlier this season, Colorado coach Deion Sanders made clear that his cornerbacks, including McKinney, must perform better for Colorado to begin winning more games.

"It starts at the beginning," Sanders said. "You got to have focus. We talked about focusing and finishing before the game, and we talked about it at halftime. Pretty much, we told them what it's gonna be... We pretty much dictated what was gonna happen if we didn't change the way we went about our job. We got to do a much better job on the back end. We do."