CU 2026 Roster Preview – Pre-Transfer Portal

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CU 2026 Roster Preview – Pre-Transfer Portal

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Sometimes, no news is good news.

It’s been two weeks since Colorado played its final game of the 2025 season. Since then, the Buffs have added a small – but talented – freshman Recruiting Class of 2026, with the Class arriving on Signing Day with little drama. There were no defections from the commitment list, with the Buffs actually added two late signees in defensive back Braylon Edwards (a former SMU commit) and four-star wide receiver Xavier McDonald (who is following CU’s new offensive coordinator, Brennan Marion, from Sacramento State).

Otherwise, the roster really hasn’t seen much movement since the season ended … and that’s a good thing.

The Transfer Portal doesn’t officially open until January 2nd (running through January 16th). There won’t be a post-spring practice Portal this year, so the one and only opportunity for players to enter the Portal starts in a few weeks.

But that doesn’t mean that players haven’t been making their intentions known. 247 Sports has already identified – and rated – over 500 players who have already declared that they intend to enter the Portal in a few weeks.

The good news? Only four of those 500 are Buffs.

And … the four who have said they are leaving (LB Mantrez Walker; DB Terrance Love; DB Teon Parks; and DB Noah King), there were only four starts (Parks, subbing for an injured DJ McKinney late in the season).

While there is still plenty of time for the Buff Nation to chew on its collective nails between now and January 16th, the relative silence to date from the Champions Center, considering CU’s 3-9 campaign, is heartening.

We have talked at some length about the need for Coach Prime to establish a roster with a strong base, and not rely on wholesale changes in the locker room every off-season.

With over 30 scholarship players having used up their eligibility, and a Recruiting Class of 2026 having only 13 members, there will be, by necessity, significant additions from the Transfer Portal this off-season. It’s very likely that another 15-20 players will enter the Portal come January, which means that there will need to two to three dozen new faces on the practice fields this spring via the Portal – just to give Colorado a full locker room.

Still, it’s not too early to try and picture what CU’s roster might look like come September of 2026.

Now, this may come as a surprise … but the Buffs could have as many as eight returning starters on offense, and five on defense.

Below is the first of a series of CU Roster Previews which will be posted this off-season. There will be a “CU Roster Preview” updates posted after the Transfer Portal closes in mid-January, another after spring practices, and another at the opening of Fall Camp.

As we speak, Colorado only has around 60 scholarship players on its roster, and that’s including the Recruiting Class of 2026. Still, there is a base from which the CU coaching staff can build a competitive team for next fall.

Let’s take a look at what we’ve got, and take note of which positions are in most need of supplementation this off-season:

(Note: Bold indicates returning starter. For our purposes, returning starter represents players with at least four starts during the 2025 season).

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Quarterbacks:

• Junior Ryan Staub; Redshirt freshman Julian Lewis

Comment … There is no more player on the roster more important to the 2026 season that Julian Lewis. It would not only be a shock to the roster if Lewis were to leave, but it would strike a significant blow to the hope that Coach Prime can not only attract – but retain – top talent. Need for additions: High. This is not a knock on Lewis, who will hopefully be setting career passing records at CU, but no program can go into a season with only two scholarship quarterbacks. Signing another quarterback with starting experience – like a Kaidon Salter – is a necessity this off-season.

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Running Backs:

• Seniors Dallan Hayden and DeKalon Taylor; juniors Micah Welch and Drelon Miller; sophomore Kamron Mikell

Comment … New offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense features running backs. As the offensive coordinator at UNLV in 2024, the Rebels averaged over 250 rushing yards per game, the highest average at the school in 45 years. You would think that all of the above running backs would love to stay on and be a part of CU’s offense in 2026, but you never know. Need for additions: Medium. This is more of a meeting of the minds between Marion and his backfield. There is talent there, but is it the right talent for what Marion is looking for from his running backs? We’ll find out in the next month or so.

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Wide Receivers:

• Seniors Omarion Miller, Hykeem Williams, Terrell Timmons, Jr.; junior Joseph Williams; sophomores Quentin Gibson and Quanell X Farrakhan Jr.; freshmen Xavier McDonald and Christian Ward

Comment … There is plenty of talent in this room, with more on the way with the additions of freshmen Xavier McDonald and Christian Ward. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has to be happy with the hand he has been dealt here. Need for additions: Medium. Not so much to supplement what is currently on the roster, but to pick up replacements for a room which is likely to see some defections in January.

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Tight Ends:

• Seniors Zach Atkins, Sav’ell Smalls; red-shirt freshmen Corbin Laisure and Zayne DeSouza

Comment … Tight ends were not featured in Brennan Marion’s offense at Sacramento State, but they weren’t ignored, either. Jordan Williams was Sac State’s third leading receiver last season, but with only 11 catches for 170 yards and one touchdown. Need for additions: Low. Zach Atkins proved to be more than serviceable when called upon last season, and CU has two red-shirt freshmen in the wings ready for their opportunity. Again, this will be about fit for the new OC and his plans for the roster. There could be additions if there are defections, but this doesn’t appear to be a priority.

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Offensive Linemen: 

• Seniors Larry Johnson III, Andre Roye, Jr., Phillip Houston, Kareem Harden, Tyler Brown; junior Jordan Seaton; sophomores Yahya Attia and Walker Anderson; freshmen Chauncey Gordon, Carde Smith, Xavier Payne, Ben Gula, Josiah Manu

Comment … If retaining Julian Lewis is job 1.A for Coach Prime this off-season, then keeping Jordan Seaton would be job 1.B. From all appearances, both players are planning on staying, but I won’t sleep well until January 16th comes and goes and both Lewis and Seaton are still Buffs. The offensive line, unlike almost every other position group on the team last fall, performed better than expected. The line wasn’t dominant, but it wasn’t the problem, either. Need for additions: High. Of CUs 13 current roster offensive linemen, seven are underclassmen – and that’s even assuming Phillip Houston, Kareem Harden and Tyler Brown apply for and receive a medical redshirt seasons (and decide to stay). There is a good base of talent here, but an influx of talent with starting experience is a must for the coaching staff this off-season.

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Defensive Tackles:

• Seniors Tawfiq Thomas, Quency Wiggins, Jaheim Oatis, Gavriel Lightfoot, Mana Taimani, Tavian Coleman; sophomore Brandon Davis-Swain; freshman Christian Hudson

Comment … All that talent … at least on paper. So much transfer talent … that CU couldn’t keep on the field. For most of November, CU played with six of its nine scholarship defensive linemen on the Big 12 Injury List. It would be a surprise if all of the above players stayed on the team into the 2026 season. If the remaining Buffs could stay healthy, this unit could be a strength … but who wants to bet CU’s fortunes on that happening? Need for additions: High. If the 2025 season taught Coach Prime & Co. anything, is that depth along the defensive line was not adequate. You can’t have offensive lineman taking snaps on defense in November and expect to win games.

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Edge Rushers:

• Seniors Samuel Okunlola, Nikhil Webb-Walker; junior Domata Peko Jr.; sophomores London Merritt, Alexander McPherson

Comment … Another unit which looks good on paper, but needs to not only stay on the field, but perform up to expectations. London Merritt saw action this past season as a true freshman, and has a strong upside. Junior college transfer Domata Peko Jr. was the first commit from the Class of 2026, and will be coached by his father. Need for additions: High. Colorado could potentially go to battle in 2026 with just the players listed above. But … there’s no guarantee that they will all stay, or that they will stay healthy. CU finished 127th in the nation in sacks last fall, with 13 sacks in 12 games. There is certainly a need for improvement here, in both talent and depth.

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Linebackers:

• Freshmen Rodney Colton Jr., Carson Crawford, Colby Johnson

Comment … Yup. You read it right. CU’s linebacker corps for the 2026 currently consists of three true freshmen. Need for additions: Critical. Improvement from this unit is the sine qua non of the Colorado roster. The CU coaching staff whiffed on some potential transfers this past off-season, but won’t have that option this year. Many Buff fans – myself included – hoped that the talent in the defensive line and secondary could help mask CU’s deficiencies at linebacker, but that didn’t work out so well. If you have some spare time, scour the linebacker list in the Transfer Portal once it is fully operational … Coach Prime and his staff certainly will.

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Cornerbacks 

• Seniors DJ McKinney and Isaiah Hardge; juniors RJ Johnson and Makari Vickers; freshmen Preston Ashley and Maurice Williams

Comment … Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston spent much of the season looking for a second cornerback to match up with DJ McKinney, then spent the last month of the season working with a patchwork of options after McKinney was hurt. What had appeared to be a strong unit in August was a disappointment most of the season. Need for additions: High. You would think that having a Hall of Fame cornerback for a head coach would make Colorado DBU, but that hasn’t worked out particularly well to date. Travis Hunter aside, this unit has been more about projected talent than actual results.

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Safeties

• Seniors Carter Stoutmire, Ben Finneseth, John Slaughter; junior Tawfiq Byard; freshmen TJ Branch; Braylon Edwards; Alexander Ward

Comment … Tawfiq Byard was a pleasant surprise this past season, coming on to lead the team in tackles, with 85 (57 unassisted. There is plenty of starting experience on the back end of CU’s defense, but precious little depth. Need for additions: High. The additions of Alexander Ward and Braylon Edwards will help, but this unit will need more bodies – preferably with starting experience at the Power Four level – if CU is going to improve its bottom line.

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Special teams

• Senior Damon Greaves

Senior kicker Alejandro Mata has finished his run as Coach Prime’s favorite, going nine-of-11 in his final season (with wo blocks). Also gone is kickoff specialist Buck Buchanan. After having only 15 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2024, Coach Prime said he had that handled … and he did. Buchanan had 42 touchbacks on 53 kickoffs (CU opponents were only successful on half of their kickoffs in 2025). Damon Greaves was adequate at punter, averaging 43.7 yards per punt (with two blocks). Need for additions: High. CU is down to walk-ons at kicker, so finding a replacement is important, preferably one who also has the ability to kick the ball out of the endzone on kickoffs.

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Overall … We still have a month to go between now and January 16th. Once the Transfer Portal closes for this off-season, teams will be able to judge where they stand in terms of depth and talent. As it stands today, Colorado hasn’t lost significant talent other than through the already known attrition from graduation. While the 2026 roster is not fully formed, there is more of a base to work with than what Coach Prime has had the past two seasons. If that situation holds, it would be a big win for Coach Prime and his coaching staff.

If CU can get to January 16th with most of the above starters still with the team, the coaching staff could then focus on filling in the gaps – especially at linebacker – in the current roster.

As always, it’s going to be an interesting ride …

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This post, about the Postseason game, from the 2025 Season, is filed under Article.
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