Editor’s note: Fifth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2026.
After recording losing seasons in five of six years from 2017 to 2022, Colorado needed to shake up its program in a big way.
The Buffaloes made NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders their new head coach in 2023 after a 1-11 season in 2022, and Sanders instantly began turning the program around.
Colorado improved to 4-8 in its first year after Sanders completely remade the team through the transfer portal, and in Year 2 of the “Coach Prime” era, the Buffaloes notched nine wins — their best season since 2016.
Two-way sensation Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy and quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2024. Colorado was one of the most-watched teams in the country that year and the Buffaloes sold out their stadium. Interest in Colorado skyrocketed, and the university rewarded Sanders that offseason with a contract extension that made him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.
After losing their two productive players — and a lot more — Colorado went through a transition season in 2025, resulting in a 3-9 campaign. The Buffaloes had one of the worst offenses in the country last year, averaging just 330.5 yards and 20.9 points per game. Their defense was even worse, allowing 425.7 yards and 30.5 points per game.
The Buffaloes hit rock bottom in an embarrassing 53-7 loss at Utah. Colorado trailed 43-0 at halftime and only produced 140 yards of offense the entire game.
As Sanders enters his fourth year at Colorado, there’s urgency to prove that he can get Colorado back to being a winning program.
Once again, there was a dramatic overhaul via the transfer portal — 43 in and 64 out — as Sanders tries to right the ship.
Colorado landed some talent — On3 ranked the 2026 class as the 26th best, while 247Sports ranked it the 23rd best — including Texas receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., Tennessee safety Boo Carter and Texas linebacker Liona Lefau.
The big question is at quarterback after a shaky year from Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis. Salter took the majority of snaps and threw for 1,414 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions on a 62.3% completion rate. Five-star freshman Julian Lewis played in just four games and started only two, but threw for 589 yards and four touchdowns with no picks on a 55.3% completion rate in his first season at quarterback.
Lewis will likely be Colorado’s QB1, but he’ll at least face a fall camp battle against former Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson, who gets a change of scenery in Boulder.
Colorado brought in Brennan Marion and his “Go-Go” offense at Sacramento State, giving the Buffaloes an up-and-coming offensive mind.
The pairing of Marion and Lewis could elevate Colorado’s offense.
“He’s grown tremendously. I don’t think he has a choice with Brennan,” Sanders said of Lewis. “I don’t think he has a choice. I’m not the only one pushing him. Teammates are pushing him. He’s pushing himself.
“I think he’s grown tremendously and he’s going to have to consistently grow because we have some men on the team that has an expectation of not only winning, we have some receivers that have an expectation on continuing to do what they’ve done before they got here.
“They don’t want to digress and we need someone to meet them at the crossroad. So he has to come on and he has to do it. And I think he can. I believe he can.”
Colorado bolstered its running back room with the addition of Alabama transfer Richard Young and Sacramento State transfer Damian Henderson.
The wide receiver room was upgraded with the additions of Moore Jr., Danny Scudero and Kam Perry.
The offensive line needed to be revamped, and Sanders did just that, bringing in four transfers, including Cal’s Leon Bell and Houston’s Demetrius Hunter, both of whom are starters.
There’s nowhere to go but up, but Colorado’s offense should be improved under Marion, as long as Lewis can take a step forward.
On defense, it’s essentially a complete rebuild.
There are no projected returning starters for the Buffaloes this year, perhaps a good thing based on the results of last season.
Colorado brought in Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Chris Marve, who has just three years of DC experience but showed promise in Blacksburg.
The defensive lift will likely be bigger than the offensive lift. With 11 new starters, it could be tough to gel, and with a schedule like Colorado’s, the Buffaloes will need to be able to hit the ground running.
Phil Steele ranks the Buffaloes’ 2026 slate as the 12th-hardest in the nation. Colorado opens up at Georgia Tech, and after playing Weber State at home, heads back on the road to play Northwestern.
Then the Buffaloes begin a Big 12 gauntlet that starts with Baylor, Texas Tech and Utah.
Defensively, Colorado could be improved from last year, but it’ll likely take more than a year to get where it needs to be.
Texas linebacker Lefau is a big name, and so is Tennessee nickel Boo Carter, but the rest of Colorado’s projected defense is full of Group of Five and FCS players that will need to prove themselves at the Power Four level.
“A lot of them played at a lower level. Football is football. Because when you get into pros, are we conversating about the level?” said Sanders. “Are we conversating about now this guy’s an NFL football player regardless of where he came from? It’s no talk about that. The only time we talk about that foolishness is in college. For sure. We don’t talk about it in the next level.”
Sanders needs to get the Buffaloes bowl eligible again, but it could come down to how well the defense plays. Sportsbooks aren’t hopeful, setting Colorado’s win total at 4.5, tied for the lowest in the Big 12.
2026 Colorado Buffaloes at a glance
2025 record: 3-9 (1-8 Big 12)
Utah ties
- Isaac Wilson, former Utah quarterback
- Jason Stokes Jr., former Utah cornerback
- Kaneal Sweetwyne, Skyridge High quarterback
- Luke Whiting, Olympus High long snapper
2026 schedule
- Sept. 3 — at Georgia Tech
- Sept. 12 — vs. Weber State
- Sept. 19 — at Northwestern
- Sept. 26 — at Baylor
- Oct. 3 — vs. Texas Tech
- Oct. 17 — vs. Utah
- Oct. 24 — at Oklahoma State
- Oct. 31 — vs. Kansas State
- Nov. 7 — at Arizona State
- Nov. 13 — vs. Houston
- Nov. 21 — at Cincinnati
- Nov. 28 — vs. UCF