Colorado Football Preview 2024
With all the excitement and media buzz around Colorado’s 2023 4-8 football season, one important detail has been overlooked.
Deion Sanders’ first year showed promise.
Well, sort of. Finishing last in the Pac-12 wasn’t exactly a highlight. But hey, did we have fun?”
Sure, things have changed with Coach Prime. There’s been controversy, hurt feelings, lots of player changes, surprising decisions, and plenty of losses. But imagine if last season was Coach Chad’s first year instead.
In 2022, Colorado struggled, winning just 1 game. Imagine telling Buffs fans that Coach Chad, Coach Mark, or Coach Neal would boost them by 3 wins in a total rebuild season, playing a fun style. That’d be seen as a major step forward.
It won’t be easy to make another three-win improvement.
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Moving to the Big 12 might mean a slightly lighter schedule, but the real challenge is staying patient—it won’t be a breeze.
In today’s player-swapping era, striving for top talent makes sense. However, under Sanders, Colorado’s focus on surface improvements lacks a solid foundation.
Colorado only won one game two years ago because they didn’t have a strong foundation to start with. The transfer portal is better for adding final touches, not for completely revamping a team.
This season, the focus shifts to showing that taking faster routes can work. Without a new recruiting class to groom, the emphasis is on hiring players for immediate impact. It might just be the new norm for running college football teams, intensifying the pressure under a bright spotlight of high hopes and distractions.
This season will either take everything from 2023 to the next level or turn into a chaotic reality show that crashes and burns.
Either way, it’ll be entertaining.
Colorado Football Preview 2024: Offense
– The offense will get a tad bit more conventional with Pat Shurmur as the OC.
Last year, it’s easy to forget that Sean Lewis, now head coach at San Diego State, was the coordinator for the first part of the season. The offense shined, gaining over 400 yards in five of the first seven games and topping 500 yards in three of those. But when facing tough Pac-12 teams like Oregon, UCLA, and Oregon State, Colorado’s offense struggled to find its rhythm. Patience might not be their strong suit, though, when dealing with formidable defenses like those.
– Defenses spent most of last year using Shedeur Sanders for tackling practice.
He didn’t get enough recognition for his toughness, especially with the pounding he took behind an offensive line that ranked second-worst nationally in sacks allowed.
Now, we’re looking at a nearly revamped line, mostly filled with transfers and top recruit Jordan Seaton. There’s talent and depth thanks to the transfer portal, but they need to come together quickly to improve the run game, which only hit 100 yards twice last season.
Top rusher Dylan Edwards is off to Kansas State, and Anthony Hankerson is now with Oregon State. But keep an eye on Dallan Hayden, the Ohio State transfer who’s poised to take on a big role.
– Shedeur Sanders has No. 1 overall draft pick talent.
He had an impressive season, throwing for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions despite his team’s struggling offensive line.
Star player Travis Hunter will once again play on offense and defense, and Jimmy Horn returns after being a reliable target. Will Sheppard joins from Vanderbilt to bolster their receiving corps, while Sam Hart, formerly of Ohio State, steps in at tight end.
Colorado Football Preview 2024: Defense
– The defense had a rough year.
The team struggled last season, ranking near the bottom in defensive performance across the country. They allowed a high average of 453 yards per game and were one of the worst in scoring defense, giving up an average of 34.8 points per game. To improve, they’re bringing in new players to strengthen their defensive line. Players like Dayon Hayes and Samuel Okunlola will boost their pass rush, while Chidozie Nwankwo is expected to anchor the middle.
– A few holdovers will be the key to the linebacking corps.
Lavonta Bentley is a key player in the middle, making lots of tackles. He was second on the team with 68 stops. Trevor Woods is versatile, playing as a strong safety or quick linebacker, finishing third with 56 tackles.
– Deion Sanders is the head coach. The defensive backs will be talented.
However, in the last stretch of games, they struggled to intercept passes, managing only one in their final seven games. The defense as a whole allowed quarterbacks to complete 65% of their passes and conceded 28 touchdowns.
But there are bright spots. Travis Hunter stands out as one of the top cornerbacks in the country. Shilo Sanders led the team in tackles playing safety, and Samuel Okunlola, newly arrived from Oklahoma State, is poised to make big plays. Keep an eye on Preston Hodge, a transfer from Liberty, who’s expected to make an impact all over the field.
Key To The Colorado Football Season
Keep Shedeur from getting blasted.
If the offensive line doesn’t improve significantly, things could go downhill fast. There’s real worry about a completely new lineup and a freshman at left tackle. But if Shedeur Sanders gets protection and time to throw, watch out—he’ll be nearly unstoppable.
Colorado Key Player
Jordan Seaton, OT Fr.
He’s a top prospect for the offensive line, skilled in both tackle and guard positions. At 6-5 and 285 pounds, he’s likely starting at left tackle from the beginning. His potential is clear, but let’s emphasize again: he might be tasked with protecting the best 2025 NFL Draft prospect from taking hits. If he doesn’t fit, the Buffaloes may need to reshuffle their lineup.
Colorado Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Will Sheppard, WR Sr.
Other transfers are important, but imagine adding Vanderbilt’s top target to a receiving group with Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn. He’s a fast, big-play receiver who caught 150 passes and scored 21 times in the last three seasons for the Commodores.
Top Transfer Out: Van Wells, C Jr.
It would’ve been better if the offensive line had more unity, especially with their experienced center from last year, who got injured near the end. He was one of Colorado’s stronger linemen but now plays for Oregon State.
Colorado Key Game
North Dakota State, Aug. 31
Watch out, it’s North Dakota State. They have a knack for stepping up in big games, like their recent run to the FCS semifinals. After Colorado’s tough season and offseason drama, losing the opener at home could lead to a tense atmosphere in Boulder. Plus, they have road games in three of the next four weeks – not an ideal start.
Best Colorado Football Players
- Shedeur Sanders, QB Sr.
- Travis Hunter, CB/WR Jr.
- Shilo Sanders, CB Sr.
- LaJohntay Wester, WR Sr.
- Will Sheppard, WR Sr.
- Mark Vassett, P Sr.
- LaVonta Bentley, LB Sr.
- Samuel Okunlola, LB Soph.
- Jordan Seaton, OT Fr.
- Dayon Hayes, DE Sr.
Colorado 2023 Fun Stats
– The opponents ran for 2,117 yards against Colorado, while Colorado gained 827 yards.
– Colorado scored 49 points in the 3rd quarter and 116 in the 4th.
– Opponents sacked Colorado 56 times for 492 yards, while Colorado sacked opponents 27 times for 141 yards.
Colorado Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season
Good luck figuring this out next year under Coach Prime.
Predicting Colorado’s future is tough after so many players left and new ones joined last year. Too many uncertainties to judge their potential.
Will the offensive line improve? Will the defense perform better? What if the season starts badly?
The starting lineup looks strong with good transfers and superstars. But can they work well together in every aspect of the game?
Just like last year, some games will see the offense excel. There’s no Oregon, but they’ll play at Arizona. TCU is replaced by North Dakota State, which isn’t necessarily easier, and stronger Nebraska and Colorado State teams are away games.
The Buffaloes are likely to win four games and could surprise with a fifth. Achieving a sixth victory may come down to their final match against Oklahoma State.
Set The Colorado Win Total At … 5.5
Likely Wins: Cincinnati
50/50 Games: at Arizona, Baylor, at Colorado State, at Kansas, Kansas State, at Nebraska, North Dakota State, Oklahoma State, at Texas Tech, at UCF
Likely Losses: Utah
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