2025 Outlook: University of Colorado

This is potentially the start of a new series on the website. The way I want this to work is that every week, I will look at a different team (duh), and will take a look at some of the major pieces, depth pieces, how deep they are, amongst other things that the team potentially has going for them next season. I am going to hop from conference to conference to try and hit teams people would be interested in (I will only do a few from SEC and Big 10), I think that may be the best way to keep everyone engaged and talking about something they are interested in, while being able to cover a lot of major teams that have something that sticks out!

I’ve had three pro sports teams leave my hometown, including one that advertised that they would stay in the city and built a motto off of it. It should seem a bit obvious why I lean toward college sports a bit more, but I also think there is something to be said about the pageantry and the passion that is always shown for college sports. It doesn’t matter if you liked sports or not before you went to a game when you were a student, that is YOUR school playing. Those are your colors on the floor and TV; it’s your fight song blaring from the band every minute, it’s 15-65,000 of your peers, alumni, and legends, all with a common goal of trying to help give your team some energy to help them win. In the offseason, like it is right now, every fanbase has one thing: hope. It’s time to look at just how much hope people should have in their team.

What They Lost

To be frank, Colorado lost a lot from the 2024 team. Looking beyond the obvious of two more than likely top-five picks in Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, they lost three receivers in Will Sheppard, Lajohntay Wester, and Jimmy Horn Jr., who could be some of the steals of this receiver class. Colorado’s core is often overlooked because of the connection between Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, but it could be seen as one of the most productive cores in the country (Ohio State would have a really solid argument). With the Buffs having to throw for most of their offensive snaps last year, with their running game only generating 2.6 yards per carry throughout the 2024 season, Wester and Sheppard were two key pieces to the Buff’s 9-3 record in 2024. Horn was, too, but he was injured for a decent part of the season, shining more light on what Wester and Sheppard did. On the offensive line, they did lose a couple of pieces, including Phillip Houston, Justin Mayers, and Hank Zilinskas, but they also picked up a decent amount on the line (more on that to come)

On the defensive side of the ball, they are losing a massive playmaker in Travis Hunter. A lockdown CornerBack that will go in the top 3 of the NFL Draft in April, but they lost a couple of other big pieces as well. Chidozie Nwankwo, Levonta Bentley, and Nikai Hill-Green, all be gone in 2025, whether it be to the transfer portal or NFL draft. They also lost most of their depth at Linebacker with Trevor Woods, and Brendan Gant both either being out of eligibility or redshirting in Woods’ case and deciding to test his luck elsewhere. This defense still does have a lot of pieces to be able to succeed though, and it could still be the strong suit of the Colorado team in 2025.

Offense and Defense breakdowns (What they Gained)

A lot on all fronts, in a way, to put it simply. First and foremost, I think they gained the knowledge that Coach Prime, at least at the moment, is content in Boulder and is not looking to go anywhere, even the NFL. With the Dallas Cowboys hiring Brian Schottenheimer as the tenth head coach in their franchise history, a lot of the “Deion Sanders is going to the NFL” chatter died with the hire. Former NFL and Colorado Offensive and Defensive lineman Matt McChesney, who also interviewed with Colorado this offseason to become a Co-Offensive Line Coach, said on his show, “Am I concerned about this one? Yeah, dog. This is the one where I could go, “Yeah, I could see him doing that.” in regards to Deion Sanders and the Cowboys job. McChesney then went on to talk about how, during his interview with Deion Sanders for the offensive line coach opening, he felt as if Coach Sander’s entire focus was on Colorado, even amidst the rumors. To me, this signals that Coach Sanders is locked in, at least for now. With some of the new additions he has brought to the team in terms of freshman recruiting, I think it is a signal that he is expecting to be in Boulder for the foreseeable future. That will not stop the media from talking about Deion in a bigger college football market. His name will be thrown around every time an SEC job opens up, and if Mike Norvell does not work out at Florida State, I expect the Seminoles to come to Deion’s team, begging him to sign with them, and admitting they were wrong about the Norvell hire in the first place. I think the knowledge that Deion is Locked in with this program, at least for the foreseeable future, and at least to the end of this current contract, is going to be a major positive for both Colorado recruiting, and the narrative of the program going forward.

On the Offensive side of the ball, there is a real quarterback battle for the first time in a long while. While also adding major pieces at wideout and tight ends like Quinten Gibson, Adrian Wilson, Zack Atkins, and Quannell Farkhen Jr, they added an experienced and a freshman quarterback that people are not talking enough about. While everyone knows about Julian Lewis and the potential that he has come into Boulder, Kaidon Salter has almost been a quiet signing for Colorado this portal period (not quiet, but not talked about enough, if that makes sense). Salter has a career 5,848 passing yards with a career 56-12 Touchdown-to-interception ratio while also tacking on 2,017 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns as well. Salter is a bona fide duel-threat quarterback at the NCAA level, leading Liberty to a nice eight-win season and a Bahama’s Bowl appearance (Salter did not play in the Bowl Game). I say this all to say I expect Kaidon to be in the backfield (not under center; Colorado runs everything out of Shotgun, at least they did last year) in week one against the YellowJackets.

Lewis, bringing his historic Georgia High School career to a close, comes into the program as a “Prince who was Promise” in a sense. When Colorado fans heard the news of Deion Sanders getting hired, signings like Julian Lewis were why they got excited. Lewis, before reclassifying to the 2024 class, was the number two quarterback in the 2025 class and a top-five athlete overall in the class. Lewis started all four years for Carrollton High School in Georgia, playing 6A ball, the highest level of football in the State. Over his four years there, he threw for just over 11,000 yards while throwing for 144 touchdowns and only 21 interceptions in his four years. His 144 touchdowns land him fifth all-time in Georgia High School history, behind names like Trevor Lawrence at second and Deshaun Watson at fourth. The city of Boulder as a whole put on an essential campaign to be able to flip Lewis from his commitment to USC, to whom he had been committed for over a year. While students and alumni loved Shedeur for coming in and making an immediate impact, they had the opportunity to wrap their arms around a quarterback completely, and watch a seventeen-year-old kid, who had a historic career in one of the toughest divisions in High School football, come into their program, grow, and potentially lead them to a playoff birth. Lewis is Colorado’s quarterback of the future, and he knows it.

Coach Sanders wasn’t just recruiting a quarterback, though. He added all the Wide Receivers he lost either through the transfer portal or through big recruits from the High School level as well. I listed a few names earlier, but I wanted to go into one I named and then one I didn’t name. The first one I think has the opportunity to be a major contributor right away is Quinten Gibson. The Wide Receiver out of North Crowley High School in the Dallas area, like Lewis, ended up making history in his fashion in his career. Gibson, who was named MaxPreps High School Player of the Year, totaled 36 touchdowns in his Senior season, breaking the Dallas area High School Record for Touchdowns in a single season. His speed and his ability to put a move on a defender to create space make him a difficult matchup for any defender, and Colorado is expecting to come in and use him right away. The one downside I will mention is that he is small, standing at only five foot ten inches as a receiver. Assuming he puts on a little bit of muscle this offseason with new Strength and Conditioning Coach Andreu Swasey, he has the potential to make an immediate impact on this team. The other name I didn’t mention that I wanted to bring up was the AAC freshman of the year last year, and it is transfer Joseph Williams. He averaged 19.6 yards per reception and had twenty catches for 588 yards and five touchdowns his freshman season. When I look at Williams, I see a physical route-running wide receiver who has very impressive control of his body for a freshman. Williams can make catches in traffic and is hard to bring down, putting him in what could be a Will Sheppard-type roll for the foreseeable future. A big six foot two 195 pounds, and only gonna gain muscle this offseason, Williams is the exact yin to Gibson’s yang, if that makes sense. A secondary can either deal with the big physical receiver or the small shifty speedster, and both are deadly.

This isn’t even talking about the depth they have at receiver, either. They still have the Miller brothers, who almost have receivers 1 and 2 locked (depending on how they want to use Drelon). Kam Mikell will be back for this team, Adrian Gibson was a highly recruited receiver, Zack Atkins was one of the most sought-after tight ends of the early portal season, and on top of that, the offensive line is rebuilt again. They did lose pieces, as mentioned earlier, but Jordan Seaton and Cash Cleveland are both Freshman All-Americans who are returning, Chauncey Gooden has been eye-opening since joining the team, and Zylon Crisler is a 2nd team all-Big 10 selection for Illinois, who decided to make his way on over to Boulder. Colorado also added several more Offensive-Line pieces to make the unit as a whole, a potential weapon for the team. With a real offensive line, the Running back Trio is Isiah Augaustave, Dallan Hayden, and Micah Welch should have some real room to run, and it also opens up the potential for Salter, if he is the starter, to run as well, and keep defenses off balance and guessing about what this offense is going to do. With all the weapons around Salter and potentially a strong offensive line, he can have a career year and have the potential to lead Colorado back to where they want to be. This offense has huge potential to be explosive again, whether they want to trust their athletes outside the numbers, or they want to try and run the ball and be a running team. The key is the offensive line and whether they click or not. If they do, this offense won’t skip a beat.

On the defensive side of the ball, there is a lot to be excited about as well. Colton Hood, Preston Hodge, and DJ Mckiney are all returning in the secondary for Colorado. Preston and DJ were two of the top Cornerbacks in the country last year until Preston got hurt, and Colton proved to be one of the more valuable backups in the Big 12 when Travis Hunter got injured. They also added Oklahoma transfer Makari Vickers to bolster the secondary depth. I would assume (as of this moment) that Colorado’s starting Free Safety would be Freshman Antonio Branch Jr. The four-star recruit is expected to be able to make an impact immediately, and with Free Safety being a bit of a question mark, I see this as the safest choice. While Colorado did lose both of their starting Linebackers, the Buffs did add Mantrez Walker as a freshman recruit, and then maybe of a more immediate impact, Reginald Hughes and Martavius French, both are coming off monster seasons for Jacksonville State and UTSA. Colorado could also look to Jaylen Wester, who, when called upon by Coach Prime and the Buffs, made plays consistently for their defense. Wester will get his playing time throughout the year, but my best guess is that French and Hughes will be starting week one.

Colorado also added a top-five defensive lineman in the transfer portal in Jeheim Oatis. Oatis spent the last three seasons with Nick Saban and Kaelan Deboar in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama. He is going to bring a winning attitude and culture to a defense that is going to be looking for a leader all season. Oatis, French, and Hughes are expected to come in and anchor the middle of the defense. The second defensive tackle spot is a bit of a question mark, but not for the reason you think. Colorado could start Gavriel Lightfoot, a highly recruited transfer from Fresno State who totaled 66 tackles throughout his career with four hurries and a sack. Colorado could also lean into their youth and try and get Christian Hudson, and Alexander McPhearson reps at defensive tackle. Colorado sees Hudson as a younger version of Chidozie Nwankwo, a young and strong bully for guards and centers everywhere. McPherson is just as scary, leading an elite IMG Academy defense in sacks from the defensive tackle position, he was committed to Oklahoma State before flipping to Colorado on Thanksgiving day.

On the edge, they have an abundance of riches. Multiple names come to mind, all either had an impact on this defense last year, or you saw glimpses of where they could be going. Two people that come to mind specifically are Arden Key, who was a menace playing last year in the games that he did, and Taje Mccoy, who will be a factor on third down for the buffs. The buffs also have a promising young Edge Rusher in London Merrit, who I am guessing Coach Sapp and Prime both want to see on the field as soon as possible, especially in an area of need. I think in terms of the other Edge across from Key, Samuel Okunlola will be the day-one starter. As a sophomore he had eighteen total tackles, and three sacks, proving that he was ready to make the impact we were all hoping for. This edge unit is deep for the buffs, and I believe will generate a lot of pressure, and make quarterbacks uncomfortable if they want to stay in the pocket. If quarterbacks do want to move up in the pocket, they are going to run into Oatis, Hudson, Mcphearson, or Lightfoot, all of whom will be able to make a tackle right there. Quarterbacks are going to need to find a hole against this defense and find a tight spot to throw in into if they want to move the ball against this defense.

Schedule Breakdown:

Colorado’s first three games have been announced. They are:

August 30th vs Georgia Tech

September 6th vs Delaware

September 20th vs Wyoming

The rest of their schedule is their conference schedule, which has no set dates yet. However, their schedule breaks down like this:

Home Games:

Arizona

Arizona State

BYU

Iowa State

Road Games

Houston

Kansas State

TCU

West Virginia

Utah

When looking at their non-conference games, at worst, I see 2-1, but I am predicting 3-0. I think Wyoming and Delaware are games on the schedule to help them boost their record, and I think Georgia Tech is the game that will be very tough. The Yellowjackets are a veteran team that is returning a lot of their big pieces from last year (they did lose their top receiver, but this is not a Georgia Tech Outlook) and will have a lot of continuity on both sides of the ball. If Colorado does start slow they have two games at home that they will be favorites in, where they should be able to get back on track before heading into conference play.

Conference play is a different animal this year. You have a lot of the big dogs in the Big 12, and it will be a gauntlet of a conference play season. There is one major silver lining for Colorado (which could be tough in the future), their toughest games are all at Folsom Field. The Big 12 champion Arizona State Sun Devils, their opponents who dominated them in the Alamo Bowl BYU Cougars, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl Champion Iowa State Cyclones are all coming to Folsom field this year. While Colorado has historically played a lot of close games at home under Coach Prime, having those games at home as compared to on the road is a major bonus. On top of that, your toughest game on the road in Kansas State, a team that Colorado played very tough last year and had a shot to win late in the game. Going to Manhattan will be a tough game, another tough road game I have my eyes on is going to Morgantown and playing West Virginia. They had a quiet 6-6 season last year, but Mountaineer fans are loud and proud every Saturday, and with Coach Prime coming to Morgantown for the first time, that Saturday will be no exception. The last road game I am looking at is against Utah. Colorado may have dominated them last year, but the Rumble in the Rockies will always be a fight of a game, and I expect Utah to be ready to play when Colorado comes to visit, no matter what their record is at the time.

Prediction, and what to expect

In these scenarios, I am going to be optimistic. Colorado had another solid recruiting class and recruited mainly impact players on both sides of the ball. Their schedule is very favorable, and you can see the direction Coach Prime is trying to go with this team. I see Colorado winning eight games in 2025, in the worst-case scenario, I see them going 7-5. If they win eight games, that is saying they only win one of their games against Georgia Tech, BYU, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Arizona State, their toughest games of the year. However, I think that they don’t only win one of those games, I think they win a few of them. I think they beat Georgia Tech (earlier, I predicted 3-0 to start the season, and I am standing by that), I think they beat Iowa State, and I think they beat Arizona State. Kansas State and BYU are question marks to me. I firmly believe those two games are going to either make or break Colorado’s season. BYU is returning most of their eleven-win team, and Kansas State is by far the toughest game on the road for Colorado, who is also returning a decent amount of pieces, as well as had a good recruiting and transfer class. If Colorado can win one of those two games, they will give themselves a massive opportunity to set themselves up for a Big 12 title run. If they win both, I think you can all but guarantee that Colorado will be in the Big 12 title game, barring anything crazy against anyone else. I would consider Iowa State and Arizona State as tougher games, but I think that Iowa State and Arizona State, especially the Sun Devils, lost too many pieces to be able to compete with the number of athletes Colorado has on the field. I think Iowa State is dependent on running the ball while Rocco Becht is quarterback for the Cyclones, and I think the improved defensive line and linebacker core will be ready for that game. I am never going to predict a perfect season because I think that sets an expectation that is almost impossible to reach, but if everyone meshes together and everything goes right, I see Colorado having an opportunity to win 10-11 games next year.

Floor: 7-5

Ceiling: 11-1