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Opposition Research – The Case Against CU 2025
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During the (mercifully short) Karl Dorrell era at CU, the preseason research by the national pundits and preseason magazines took little time or effort. Colorado was going to be in a battle in the Pac-12 … for the title as the worst team in the conference.
Since Coach Prime took over the CU program, though, The Rise has returned to Boulder. The preseason prognostications, however, have been slow to come around.
In 2023, Las Vegas had the CU over/under win total at 3.5. The Buffs started out hot, getting to four wins in the first half of the season, before injuries and a lack of talent in the trenches brought about a slide to a 4-8 final record.
In 2024, Las Vegas had the CU over/under win total at 5.5. The Buffs, after falling on their faces in Lincoln, steadied the ship, gaining bowl eligibility before the end of October, finishing with a 9-4 record and a No. 25 ranking in the final AP poll.
In 2025, Las Vegas has the CU over/under win total at 6.5.
You would think that, based upon CU’s track record of exceeding expectations under Coach Prime, that the pundits would expect a strong season from the Buffs.
Not so fast, my friend.
Last fall, the Big 12 finished with three teams ranked in the Top 25 – Arizona State; BYU; and Colorado. The Sun Devils and Cougars remain in most of the 2025 preseason polls, often joined by Texas Tech and Kansas State. Colorado, however, is nowhere to be found.
The reasons for omitting Colorado from the national discussion usually starts with the departure of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, but there are other rationales.
Which of those critiques are legitimate? Let’s break them down … and see which are most likely to hold the Buffs back this fall.
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The CU offense can’t function without Shedeur at quarterback
Shedeur Sanders set over 100 school records in his two years in Boulder, including the CU single season records for passing yards, completions, attempts, touchdowns, completion percentage and quarterback rating. The Johnny Unitas Award winner and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year finished his collegiate career as the NCAA all-time leader in completion percentage (70.1%).
Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty University, is expected to win the job over four-star freshman Julian Lewis. Salter brings experience and athleticism to the role, but transitioning to a new system and building chemistry with the receiving corps will be crucial for his success.
Salter could be a good Big 12 quarterback, but he ain’t Shedeur.
An overreaction? … No. Shedeur’s numbers aren’t repeatable, even though Shedeur isn’t apparently superhuman, lasting until the 144th pick of the NFL Draft. Coach Prime and his staff did an exceptional job in finding not one, but two, viable Power Four quarterbacks to replace Shedeur.
It’s not impossible for Colorado, or any team, to replace a star quarterback. But it’s not easy, and it’s a legitimate reason to have concerns four months before the 2025 season opens.
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CU won’t be able to replace its top three receivers, with all three drafted by NFL teams
CU had four wide receivers with over 400 yards in receptions last fall – Travis Hunter; LaJohntay Wester; Jimmy Horn; and Will Sheppard – and all four graduated. How good was CU’s receiving corps? As it turned out, Colorado was the only school to have three wide receivers taken in the most recent draft.
So, like losing Shedeur, the Buffs are up against it in trying to find a new corps of quality wide outs.
An overreaction? … Yes. It’s a testament to how much the CU roster has improved the last two seasons that the Buffs can lose three wide receivers to the NFL, and still have three four-star wide outs left on the roster ready to step in. Four-star recruits Drelon Miller, Omarion Miller and Kam Mikell all return, joined by two four-star freshmen, Quanell Farrakhan Jr. and Quentin Gibson. And that’s before we talk about any of the transfers. Drelon Miller finished his first campaign in Boulder with 32 receptions for 277 yards and three touchdowns, and may be the go-to receiver to start the season. But there are more than enough options here to feel comfortable that if the CU line can protect the new Buff quarterback, the wide receivers will be more than able to hold up their end of the bargain.
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The Buff rushing attack was last in the nation in 2024 … and hasn’t improved
Colorado finished the 2024 season with a total of 847 yards rushing – 65.2 yards per game. The Buffs were 133rd out of 133 yards rushing last fall, and were a good 11 yards/game behind the 132nd team, Kent State. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty had 2,601 yards rushing all by himself … three times CU’s team total.
The Buffs had only one rusher with over 200 yards rushing last fall, Isaiah Augustave, and Augustave has since left the team.
All that is left in the running back room are Dallan Hayden (196 yards rushing in 2024) and Micah Welch (161 yards), leaving the Buffs in dire straits heading into 2025.
Overreaction? … Not at all. Unless new running backs coach Marshall Faulk has some eligibility remaining, the CU rushing attack will – and realistically should be – picked to be the worst in the Big 12.
Now, it’s true that the sack yardage Shedeur absorbed contributed to CU’s low rushing stats, and it’s true that CU could still find a running back in the Transfer Portal, but, as things stand, CU’s rushing attack remains an area of concern.
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The offensive line couldn’t protect Shedeur, and couldn’t open running lanes – and nothing’s changed
The CU rushing attack (133rd in the nation) and sacks allowed (124th in the nation) have largely been laid at the feet of the Buff offensive line.
Without Shedeur’s magical ability to make something out of nothing, with no talent in the running back room, and with the continuous overhaul of the offensive line roster, should there be any reason to expect anything better in 2025?
An overreaction? … Actually, yes. There is some truth to the allegations … and some exaggeration. The Buffs were last in the nation in rushing, but part of that is attributable to Shedeur’s playing hero ball instead of throwing the ball away.
And, for the first time in the Coach Prime era, there is some continuity in the line. The 2023 starters were all replacements from the 2022 season, and the 2024 starters were all replacements from the 2023 season.
That won’t be the case in 2025, with as many as three starters returning, led by freshman All-American Jordan Seaton at left tackle. Phillip Houston (nine starts last season) and Tyler Brown (12 starts) also return, with the line supplemented by quality players like Mana Taimani and Zy Crisler, who was a 30-game starter at Illinois.
It’s fair to say that the CU offensive line has something to prove in 2025, but it’s an overreaction to say that this unit is a liability heading into the fall.
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CU had two good linebackers in 2024 … and have none in 2025
The Buffs had two strong starters at linebacker last fall, Nikhai Hill-Green and LaVonta Bentley. Both finished in the top five in tackles last season, with Hill-Green leading the team in tackles for loss.
What was just as important as the quality of play was the fact that both stayed healthy. Colorado had questionable depth at linebacker in 2024, but that liability wasn’t exposed as CU’s starters were able to play every game.
Now, with both Bentley and Hill-Green gone, the linebacker room is a mess.
Overreaction? … Not in the slightest. Since the end of last season, the CU coaching staff has signed one freshman linebacker … and whiffed on every Transfer Portal option. The three players who return combined for six tackles last season.
Colorado has one of the best defensive lines in the Big 12, if not the nation. Having skilled players and significant depth along the line can help hide deficiencies in the linebacker corps, but to say that this unit is the worst on the team is not an exaggeration.
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The CU secondary loses too much talent, with the departure of Colton Hood the final straw
The Buff Nation knew that safeties Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and Shilo Sanders were departing, as was Trevor Woods. But CU fans were comforted that starting cornerback D.J. McKinney was returning, as were multi-use defensive backs Preston Hodge and Colton Hood.
The departure of Colton Hood on the last day of the spring Transfer Portal was a gut punch, leaving Buff fans to wonder whether the defensive backfield has gone from a strength to a liability.
Overreaction? … I think so. D.J. McKinney received a baptism by fire playing cornerback opposite unicorn Travis Hunter, with opposing offensive coordinators spending the better part of last season targeting McKinney. The junior-to-be responded with 60 tackles, two interceptions, and a team-leading nine passes broken up.
McKinney will be joined by Preston Hodge and star-in-the-making Carter Stoutmire. Arkansas transfer RJ Johnson spent most of last season playing special teams, but is ready for his turn, and USF transfer Tawfiq Byrd could step right into the starting lineup.
The back end of CU’s defense won’t be as good without all-everything Travis Hunter, but it’s impossible to replace him with one player. But Buff fans do have a number of quality returning stars, mixed with a number of quality transfers, to make Coach Prime proud of his secondary.
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Coach Prime can’t win without Travis and Shedeur
We knew this would be the narrative this off-season. Just like it was the narrative last year that Coach Prime couldn’t put together a winning program at the Power Four level after CU finished 4-8 in his first campaign.
The thing is … Colorado has more four-star players on its roster than CU has had the last 15 years – combined. Colorado has a coaching staff filled with NFL experience, including a defensive coordinator which was being wooed by the New Orleans Saints. Colorado is a national story, has a new fan base extended far beyond any realistic expectations, and plays with sold-out games and more eyeballs watching the Buffs than any other Big 12 team – by a wide margin.
Vegas has under-estimated CU in each of the first two seasons under Coach Prime. The pundits had CU finishing with losing seasons in Year One and Year Two, but Coach Prime managed to get the Buffs into the national rankings each year.
This spring, the over-under is 6.5 wins.
The roster is not complete, but is deeper and more talented than almost any other CU roster in the past 20 years.
Don’t underestimate Coach Prime’s Buffs.
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6 Replies to “Opposition Research – The Case Against CU 2025”
You know when you watch a game on TV and the announcer says “with an opening like that “even I” could have picked up yardage”. Well, if CU’s line can block well enough they will not need a Jeanty or Barkley to get 4 or 5 yards a carry. Do that often and they will look like Navy with a time eating offense.
It seems to me like Prime has lost some of his mojo. Better transfers are picking other schools, not CU even though we had a very good year in 2024. I know others offer more NIL $ but he was landing some top talent the 2 prior years. Now he is missing on the best kids in the portal. Nobody in this class looking as good as the old linebacker transfers, the Houston nose tackle, running backs from Ohio State, etc. who came. Now it is just WR and Def backs who pick us over other top programs, and we tried to fill needs at QB, lines, etc. Is it all due to the dead spot when groups can shovel out tons of NIL money before the new rules go into effect and CU isn’t opening the bag?Hoping for the best, but surprised all the hype and excitement about playing for Prime has left CU. Kids wanted to come here and be coached by Prime, just doesn’t seem the same this offseason.
Seems like they got a pretty good transfer qb, some linemen on both sides, wr’s, db’s so really only missed, or to look at it another way didn’t hit, on linebackers and running back? Maybe?
Still got 3-4 months to add depth pieces.
Go Buffs
Unless Shurmur climbs out of his stupor and designs even an average running game he will the biggest obstacle to the Buff’s success.
Yep, to have admitted that he likes passing the ball is an indicator that he is going to do it his way, even at the expense of the team.
Let’s hope Coach Andre has enough say in the room, we knew Loadholt didn’t…or wouldn’t
Don’t forget Byron Leftwich is breathing down Shurmur’s neck. Not unlike Shurmur did with Sean Lewis. I don’t think Prime will have a lot of patience if Shurmur doesn’t come through early and often.