Preseason Magazines

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Preseason Magazines

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May 19th

Big Ten Meetings: “Unsustainable” payouts not ending soon – “Does anyone want to be governed?”

From ESPN … Few industries embrace buzzwords the way college athletics does, which is why — with spring sports coming to a close — the impending offseason is destined to be remembered as the moment of alleged “unsustainable” spending.

From Washington athletic director Pat Chun to Michigan State athletic director J Batt to Colorado coach Deion Sanders, “unsustainable” has become the decree of recent months. Heck, everyone from Charles Barkley to Ted Cruz to Nick Saban has dropped the U-word.

The place where unsustainable meets thriving is the Big Ten, which is hosting its spring conference meetings in Southern California this week. The ongoing paradox of college sports — high ratings and loud complaining, $5 million-plus deals for players countered by concerns about how to pay them — met with the conference’s championship realities here.

“What is unsustainable?” Maryland athletic director Jim Smith asked ESPN. “Is it three years? Five years? Ten years? Every time I hear when people say it’s unsustainable, I’m not sure what timeframe they’re talking about because clearly it keeps happening.”

The Big Ten has the most cash flow from TV contracts, and it has also won the past three national titles in football. In April, Michigan won the league’s first men’s basketball title since 2000. UCLA won the women’s basketball title, the league’s first since 1999.

In a not-so-subtle move to show that the league’s titles, perhaps, mean more, the Big Ten displayed its football and men’s and women’s basketball trophies outside the meeting rooms. (As if the coaches and administrators didn’t remember who won).

So two existential questions hover over Big Ten leaders — and college sports as a whole — as they gather in the wake of their collection of glimmering trophies. What will slow the spending spree in college sports? And is it in the best interest of financial heavyweights in the Big Ten and SEC for spending to be capped or curbed?

“When you look at the money that’s being generated,” Michigan basketball coach Dusty May said, “how does it not eventually get to the players in some way, shape or form?”

How much has the spending spiked? Consider the Ohio State 2024 football roster that won the national title famously cost $20 million. At the time, it was branded with the zealous clutching of pearls as an outrageous amount.

Heading into 2026, that’s considered the minimum cost of doing business. Few teams in the 18-team Big Ten aren’t spending $20 million, and those not in that neighborhood are projected in the teens of the conference standings for 2026.

The new frontier for a football roster is flirting with $50 million for a single season. (Men’s basketball rosters are rocketing past $20 million.) And neither the College Sports Commission nor institutional austerity are keeping those football rosters in two years from climbing into the neighborhood of $80 million or $90 million.

“Nothing would surprise me at this point,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz told ESPN. “I’m not optimistic either. Based on the last three years. I don’t know how you do enforce it because the rules are so ambiguous. So that’s where the challenge is.”

He added: “One thing I miss about the NFL is a salary cap, and people having contractual obligations.”

What stops the spending? Nebraska coach Matt Rhule joked that he’s the guy with an opinion on everything — except this. “I honestly don’t know. I would say there’s not many times the NFL salary cap’s gone backwards. But I don’t know, honestly. Everything’s so in flux.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 15th

Complete overhaul of bowl structures may come as early as 2027

From YahooSports.com … For years, one of college football’s most popular offseason experiments is answering a question that’s lingered since the inception of the four-team playoff: What happens to bowl games?

That conversation has accelerated given the expansion to a 12-team playoff and the likely eventual growth to at least 16 teams.

Do the bowls shift to September as season-opening neutral-site games? Are they all eliminated completely? Are they incorporated into a bigger playoff field?

College football enters its most dramatic offseason in the modern history of bowl games. A revolutionary change to the bowl slate doesn’t feel possible — it feels inevitable. A yearslong conversation is nearing its inflection point.

“The power league guys must decide what they want the postseason to look like,” said one bowl game executive. “Does it include bowls or not?”

The leaders of the power conferences have been exploring proposals to dramatically change the financial structure and selection process of the non-CFP bowl games — at least those tied to the Big 12, SEC, ACC and Big Ten.

In one proposal shared with high-level administrators, a consortium of 10 bowl games — each pitting power conference programs — would be created and potentially sold on the open market, with its television rights controlled by the conferences themselves instead of the bowls. Presumably, these games will be played in existing bowls, but their participants would vary as the bowl system untethers from its traditional conference affiliations.

Could this mean an SEC team in the Alamo or Holiday Bowl? What about a Big 12 team at the Citrus or Gator?

What’s not to like? Five teams from each power league get tossed into a bucket, paired together based on attractive matchups, meet in interesting, new cities and make more cash than they currently generate.

The proposal is in the early stages of socialization among college stakeholders and ESPN — the primary bowl game television partner who has been a part of the proposal itself.

A target for any bowl remake is the 2027 season. This year’s upcoming bowl slate isn’t expected to undergo major changes.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 13th

CBS Sports 1-138 rankings: Three Big 12 teams in Top 25; CU in at No. 73 (last in the Big 12) 

From CBS Sports … Spring practice has wrapped up across the country, and now teams are entering a summer period focused on individual development for the players and the recruiting trail for the coaches. Since we no longer have a spring transfer portal, the rosters are mostly set, so now seems like a good time to check in with our experts to see how they view the college football landscape heading into the 2026 season.

The CBS Sports 138, which has grown this season by two teams with the additions of North Dakota State and Sacramento State, is a comprehensive ranking of every FBS team. Experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports submit ballots weekly during the season, but we haven’t reshuffled the deck since the confetti fell on Indiana’s national championship win against Miami back in January. With a full offseason of player movement and additional information coming out of spring practice, we wanted to know what teams are competing for what spots in the rankings and how the picture has changed since the end of last season.

What our balloting revealed was a wide array of opinions for the No. 1 team in the land and very little consensus on how some of the top six or seven teams stack up against each other. Ohio State is our No. 1 team to start the 2026 rankings cycle of the CBS Sports 138, but the Buckeyes had an average ballot ranking of 2.0 from our experts.

There is some agreement among the top five teams with Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame and Georgia all carrying average ballot rankings of 4.6 or better, but the wide dispersion of votes for the group leaves us with a clear tier of contenders but almost no agreement on the order. Those five teams, plus reigning national champion Indiana and last year’s runner-up Miami (who also got a first-place vote), are the teams our group has collectively found to be the true top tier in the sport.

Top 25 … 

From the Big 12 … 

• No. 27 – Houston
• No. 29 – Arizona
• No. 30 – Kansas State
• No. 34 – TCU
• No. 39 – Arizona State
• No. 42 – Georgia Tech 
• No. 48 – Northwestern
• No. 50 – Baylor
• No. 54 – Iowa State
• No. 55 – Cincinnati
• No. 56 – Kansas
• No. 60 – Oklahoma State
• No. 65 – UCF
• No. 70 – West Virginia
• No. 73 – Colorado 

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May 10th

On3Sports Bowl Projections: Texas Tech in the CFP; 19 Pac-12/Big 12 teams bowl bound (but not CU)

From Brett McMurphy on On3Sports … With the completion of spring practices, there’s never been a better time to release my On3 Post-Spring bowl projections. (Not to be confused with Post Malone’s bowl projections. Mine has fewer tats). Has it really been more than two months since the unveiling of my On3 Way-Too-Early bowl projections for 2026?

Yes, it has.

Since my last projections, four astronauts circled the moon. Back here on Earth, SEC commish Greg Sankey and Big Ten commish Tony Petitti still can’t agree on a future playoff format.

Onto my 2026 Post-Spring College Football Playoff and bowl projections. Godspeed.

College Football Playoffs

First Round (Dec. 18-19)
No. 12 North Dakota State at No. 5 Oregon
No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Texas A&M
No. 11 Penn State at No. 6 Texas
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Indiana

Quarterfinals
Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 30)
State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Texas

Cotton Bowl (Jan. 1, 2027)
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 5 Oregon

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1, 2027)
Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Indiana

Peach Bowl (Jan. 1, 2027)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 8 Texas A&M

Semifinals
Orange Bowl (Jan. 14, 2027)
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 4 Georgia

Sugar Bowl (Jan. 15, 2027)
Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

National Championship (Jan. 25, 2027)
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
No. 1 Miami vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (Miami winner)

Big 12 and Pac-12 bowl projections (former Pac-12 teams are still aligned with Pac-12 bowls) … 

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May 6th

CBS Post-season picks: Big 12 doesn’t get a CFP bye; Oklahoma State goes from 1-11 to a bowl

From CBS Sports … Now that spring practice is over, we’ve refreshed our College Football Playoff and bowl projections ahead of the 2026 season. With a clearer picture of team rosters, incoming freshmen and how transfers fit within respective depth charts, we have a better sense (at least for now) of how things could look when postseason matchups are decided in early December.

This outlook reflects a sport in transition, where expanded playoff access and increased roster movement continue to fuel parity at the top. In fact, recent postseason trends have already shown a surge in first-time playoff participants, suggesting that unpredictability may again define the national title race in 2026.

Like all post-spring predictions, these serve less as definitive outcomes and more as a baseline for debate — highlighting contenders, potential risers and the ever-present volatility that makes college football’s postseason so compelling. We’re sticking to the six-win minimum threshold for bowl eligibility here, but, like most years, there will likely be a five-win team (or two) needed to fill slots after coaching-change-related invitation declines or not enough programs meeting the entry requirements.

Big 12 and (former Pac-12) bowl projections (former Pac-12 schools still tied to Pac-12 bowls) …

• First Responder Bowl: Cincinnati vs. North Carolina
• Rate Bowl: Kansas State vs. Wisconsin
• Fenway Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Memphis
• Texas Bowl: Utah vs. South Carolina
• Independence Bowl: Arizona vs. Army
• Sun Bowl: TCU vs. Utah State
• Liberty Bowl: Florida vs. Oklahoma State
• Holiday Bowl: Arizona State vs. Virginia Tech
• Alamo Bowl: BYU vs. Washington
• Las Vegas Bowl: USC vs. Tennessee
• Pop-Tarts Bowl: Houston vs. Louisville

College Football Playoffs … 

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ESPN: Ranking the off-season – CU (a surprisingly high) 9th in the Big 12 

From ESPN … Ahead of a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Oregon, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took time out of his weekend prep to secure the most impressive transfer group for the 2026 season.

As Miami got ready to face Cignetti’s Hoosiers in the national title game, news broke that the team was set to poach quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke. That all came around the same time that USC was signing the top 2026 recruiting class.

No sport has a blurrier line between its season and its offseason than college football. Even as coaches and teams prepare for the biggest games, they are always focused on what’s next. The alternative is falling behind and perhaps never catching up.

Offseasons matter more than ever, which is why schools are hiring — and paying for — more-accomplished general managers and building out NFL-style personnel departments to support their on-field coaching staffs. Rosters are reshaped almost every offseason as transfer movement hasn’t slowed down and teams replace stars bound for the NFL.

There are other factors shaping the offseason, including full-scale coaching changes and the departures and arrivals of coordinators and other assistants. Continuity still matters in college football, but not at the expense of upgrading certain positions or units. Just look at Indiana’s work after the 2025 season.

Our task is to rank the offseasons among Power 4 teams, prioritizing three areas:

• Roster additions through the portal and the high school ranks
• Retention of top players who could leave for the NFL draft or the portal
• Coaching staff continuity or key additions/upgrades

All three elements go into the overall ranking. Teams that kill it with portal additions but let several star players or coaches walk out the door don’t project as well overall. Similarly, teams that run it back with players and coaches but don’t look to improve clear deficiencies, with on-field ability and scheme, will fall short in these rankings. We’re looking at the total picture.

From the Big 12 … 

1. Texas Tech
2. BYU
3. Arizona
4. Houston
5. Oklahoma State
6. TCU
7. Arizona State
8. Utah
9. Colorado
   • Key additions: WR Danny Scudero, WR DeAndre Moore Jr., DL Santana Hopper
   • Key departures: OT Jordan Seaton, WR Omarion Miller, S Tawfiq Byard
   • Top incoming recruits: CB Preston Ashley, WR Alexander Ward, OLB Carson Crawford

   Biggest coaching move: Deion Sanders ended up replacing both of his coordinators after a 3-9 season, although defensive coordinator Robert Livingston’s NFL return came late in the cycle. The splashier move came at OC, as Brennan Marion, who led Sacramento State in 2025, has arrived in Boulder to install his “Go-Go” offense. Marion had great success as UNLV’s offensive coordinator, setting a team scoring record (36.2 PPG) in 2024, and his Sacramento State squad averaged nearly 34 points last fall. He takes over a unit that backslid substantially without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, finishing 114th nationally in scoring. Sanders promoted Chris Marve, the former Vanderbilt defensive coordinator, to replace Livingston.

   What went wrong: This was yet another high-attrition offseason for the Buffaloes’ roster, with 35 scholarship players departing via the transfer portal, including 16 who earned starts in 2025. Seaton exiting after two seasons to join LSU was a tough blow, as was Miller moving on to Arizona State. The secondary needed to be rebuilt after starters Byard (Texas A&M), DJ McKinney (Notre Dame), Carter Stoutmire (Arkansas) and eight more scholarship players transferred. Colorado’s promising freshman class also took some big hits with London Merritt (Clemson), Alexander McPherson (Penn State) and Carde Smith (Memphis) departing after one season in Boulder.

   What went right: It’s easy to get excited about what Marion is working with in his Julian Lewis-led offense. The Buffaloes reloaded at receiver with Scudero, Moore and Kam Perry coming in to complement Joseph Williams. They inked seven offensive linemen with starting experience to get things fixed up front. There are also a ton of multiyear starters among the 25 portal additions on defense. Hopper and Toby Anene (North Dakota State) are proven veterans on the line and All-MAC performer Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green) and Liona Lefau (Texas) are big upgrades at linebacker. If this staff can bring the best out of Tennessee transfer DB Boo Carter, he’ll be fun to watch alongside Justin Eaglin (James Madison), Randon Fontenette (Vanderbilt) and several more experienced additions in the secondary.

10. Kansas State
11. Baylor
12. UCF
13. Kansas
14. Cincinnati
15. West Virginia
16. Iowa State

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April 29th

CBS Sports Post-spring Top 25: Big 12 Down to Three Ranked Teams

From Brandon Marcello at CBS Sports … Texas Tech is the top story in college football … but not for the reasons the Red Raiders had hoped. The vibes in Lubbock shifted from dark horse national title contender to dark clouds after a gambling scandal likely cost Texas Tech its star quarterback.

Losing Brendan Sorsby, one of the most productive signal-callers in the conference, a player who looked like the difference-maker for Tech after his success at Cincinnati, is the kind of development that makes a reporter reach for the Tylenol and makes a fan base lose sleep.

The news dropped just as I was finalizing my post-spring top 25, leading to a shakeup on my list. Interestingly, the analytics model I built this offseason to power my rankings remained steadfast as a cold-blooded machine. Its weighted formula is designed to strip away the hype, but when I plugged in the post-spring data, the computer didn’t flinch with Tech. Because of the massive scoring gap between the top seven teams and No. 8 in the model, the math kept Texas Tech at No. 7 despite me introducing a few formula tweaks contextualizing the loss of Sorsby’s production.

I, however, have a pulse.

While information is context and context is king, common sense is the palace guard. In my published top 25 today, I applied a human override by manually dropping the Red Raiders four spots from where the formula says they belong. A team doesn’t lose a talent like Sorsby and expect to maintain a top-10 pace in this chaotic era, especially with backup Will Hammond likely to miss the beginning of the season. Tech has a favorable schedule featuring three of its toughest games at home, but will it look the part of a top-eight team without its multi-million-dollar QB? Probably not.

Spring ball is in the rearview mirror, and the waters are getting rough for some and calmer for others ahead of a crucial summer. Let’s dive into the post-spring top 25.

No. 1 – Texas

From the Big 12 …

11. Texas Tech

Texas Tech is the story of the offseason — and for all the wrong reasons. Many don’t expect Brendan Sorsby to be back on campus after he admitted his gambling addiction to Texas Tech officials. The NCAA is unlikely to approve his eligibility. That leaves the otherwise-loaded Red Raiders in a major lurch. Backup QB Will Hammond is not expected to be ready for the season (knee), leaving Joey McGuire with his third option. The good news amid this unforeseen mess? The schedule is so favorable that the Red Raiders will likely remain the favorite to win the Big 12 when preseason camp begins.

17. BYU

Veteran rosters will always do well in this new era, but the loss of the three top receivers from last season could lead to some growing pains. QB Bear Bachmeier returns after a breakout season. Let’s see the Cougars lean more on the tight ends and 12 personnel. The defense saw few changes to the scheme, with Kelly Poppinga now leading the unit.

24. Utah

The offense will be a work in progress with QB Devon Dampier returning under a new OC. In fact, it’s a transition year for the entire program after longtime coach Kyle Whittingham’s surprising departure for Michigan. DC Morgan Scalley steps in after serving as the “coach in waiting” and has made some changes, particularly in how the Utes practice. Can he maintain the physical edge in the trenches that defined the Utes under Whittingham?

… Read full story here …

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April 19th

FanDuel: Texas Tech 2nd-most likely to make the CFP (CU: worst odds in the Big 12)

From Fan Duel … Odds to make the College Football Playoff

From the Big 12 … 

• Texas Tech … -390 (only Notre Dame has better odds to make the CFP, at -650)
• BYU … +430
• Utah … +500
• Kansas State … +900
• Houston … +1000
• TCU … +1300
• Arizona … +1400
• Baylor … +1500
• Arizona State … +1600
• Kansas … +2000
• Oklahoma State … +2000
• UCF … +2700
• West Virginia … +3000
• Cincinnati … +5000
• Iowa State … +6000
• Colorado … +8000 (only six schools in the Power Four conferences … Syracuse, Maryland, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College and Purdue have worse odds than does Colorado)

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April 16th

CBS Sports “bold” prediction: This is Coach Prime’s final season

From CBS Sports … After a long offseason, college football is finally back… sort of. Spring camps are underway, and we’re finally getting our first look at what teams could look like during the 2026 season.

As you can imagine, all the news is good when practices first open. Every team raves about their new quarterback and exciting coaching staff. Players are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before. Hope springs eternal for moribund programs hoping for their moment in the sun.

Unlike last year, rosters should be mostly set. The post-spring transfer window has gone away, meaning that reinforcements are not on the way. Assuming the NCAA’s new rules are observed, coaches are going to have to find a way with what they’ve brought to campus. With a hyperactive transfer cycle and many new faces across the conference, it’s an interesting challenge.

With that said, here are bold predictions for all 16 teams in the Big 12.

Colorado: This is Coach Prime’s final season

Deion Sanders is responsible for the most electric moments at Colorado in the 21st century. He also just posted the second-worst season since 2014, a 3-9 disaster with a 1-8 mark in conference play. This year, the Buffaloes face two Power Four opponents on the road in non-conference play with a roster still featuring many question marks. Coach Prime managed to put his stamp on college football, but there’s not much left to accomplish in Boulder.

… Continue reading story here …

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April 15th 

Five Big 12 teams make ESPN’s Post-Spring Top 25

From ESPN … In college football’s NIL and transfer portal era, there’s no debate the balance of power has shifted from the SEC to the Big Ten.

After SEC teams won four straight national titles from 2019 to 2022, Big Ten teams have won each of the past three: Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana.

The Hoosiers’ perfect 16-0 season in 2025, which culminated with a 27-21 victory against Miami in the College Football National Championship game, might have been the best evidence that once-woebegone programs can change their fortunes with the right coach and budget.

Will the SEC end its “slide” in 2026? Will the Big Ten continue its dominance?

Those two leagues have seven of the top 10 teams in our updated Way-Too-Early Top 25, so it’s a debate that will continue to play out until the final CFP game of January 2027.

These rankings have been updated from the initial rankings, which were published immediately after January’s national championship game, based on player movement, coaching changes and developments this spring.

From the Big 12 … 

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

2025 record: 12-2, 8-1 Big 12

Previous ranking: 7

2026 outlook: After their offense fell flat in the CFP, the Red Raiders spent big to upgrade that side of the ball. Sorsby was one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal and is a true dual threat. Running backs Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams are returning, and the Red Raiders grabbed a trio of speedy receivers out of the portal. The losses on defense are enormous, starting with Bailey, Hunter and Height up front. Ibirogba was ESPN’s No. 1-rated interior defensive lineman in the portal, and White and Trick were highly ranked on the edge. The Red Raiders will be counting on Romaine to fill in for the irreplaceable Rodriguez.

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12. BYU Cougars

2025 record: 12-2, 8-1 Big 12

Previous ranking: 11

2026 outlook: The Cougars won 11 games or more for the second straight season. Their biggest victory might have been locking up coach Kalani Sitake, who turned down Penn State to remain at his alma mater. The Cougars have a good core of star players — quarterback Bear Bachmeier and tailback LJ Martin lead the way on offense. Lyons and former Oregon tight end Roger Saleapaga looked ready to help in the spring, along with speedy freshman receiver Legend Glasker. Parker Kingston, the team’s leading receiver in 2025, is no longer with the team after he was arrested in February on felony rape charges. Kelly Poppinga was promoted to defensive coordinator after Jay Hill left for Michigan.

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18. Utah Utes

2025 record: 11-2, 7-2 Big 12

Previous ranking: 25

2026 outlook: New Utah coach Morgan Scalley was able to persuade quarterback Devon Dampier to run it back after he had 3,325 yards of offense and 34 touchdowns in 2025. Leading rusher Wayshawn Parker also will return. Now, the bad news: Along with losing bookend offensive tackles Fano and Lomu, the Utes lost a boatload of assistants and players who followed former coach Kyle Whittingham to Michigan. Daley, who had 11.5 sacks in 2025, is a big loss on defense, as are Snowden and Lea’ea. Scalley hired Utah State’s Kevin McGiven as offensive coordinator, and linebackers coach Colton Swan was promoted to take charge of the defense.

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23. TCU Horned Frogs

2025 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big 12

Previous ranking: 20

2026 outlook: After getting the Horned Frogs back on track, coach Sonny Dykes made big changes. He hired former UConn offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis to replace Kendal Briles, who left for South Carolina. The Huskies had a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in school history in 2025. There will be fewer Air Raid elements and more physicality under Sammis. Hoover transferred to Indiana, and Dykes plucked Craig from the Ivy League to take over. Last season, Craig passed for 2,869 yards with 28 total touchdowns. Replacing McAlister’s production won’t be easy, but Jordan Dwyer is back and will be the No. 1 receiver.

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24. Houston Cougars

2025 record: 10-3, 6-3 Big 12

Previous ranking: NR

2026 outlook: Willie Fritz wins everywhere he coaches, and the Big 12 should be on notice after a 10-win surge in his second season at Houston. The team returns quarterback Conner Weigman, who had 25 touchdown passes and a 65.9% completion rate last fall, and top wide receiver Amare Thomas. Koziol certainly will be missed and Houston has some holes to fill on the defensive line, but the core of the 2025 team comes back, and Fritz added several transfers with ties to his last team, Tulane, in Hurst, White and Hughes, who rushed for 2,778 yards in two seasons with the Green Wave before his workload vanished at Oregon last fall. If the lineman transfers click, Houston could push Texas Tech and others in the Big 12 race.

… Read full story here …

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April 13th

CBS Sports: Is CU’s lineup undersized? Perhaps not, but CU still faces an uphill climb to a bowl game

From CBS Sports … Over the weekend, videos of Colorado’s roster running out of the tunnel went viral. Many pointed to the size of the Buffs’ roster as a concern, saying that they looked undersized for a major conference team.

Quickly, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion took to social media to defend the group.

“We will be just fine…” Marion posted on X. “Just click bait anything to attack Prime. I’m here we good!”

An analysis of the roster shows that size doesn’t appear to be a major issue for the Buffaloes. Colorado’s projected offensive line sits at an average of 6-foot-4.6 inches tall and 321 pounds. Only one of their starters sits below 310 pounds, and it’s Georgia transfer Bo Hughley, who started two games for the Bulldogs.

The defensive line tells a slightly more complicated story. The group sits at an average of 263.8 pounds, which is a little light. Projected starter Santana Hopper is only 265 pounds. However, he arrives at Colorado after ranking among the best interior defensive linemen in the American while with Tulane, and is known for his activity and functional strength inside.

Additionally, Colorado has bigger players on the roster. Hulking Baylor transfer Samu Taumanupepe sits at a cool 375 pounds. Maryland transfer Sedrick Smith is 320. If the Buffaloes want to get more size on the field, they have the opportunity.

Size shouldn’t be the main concern for the offensive line. It’s chemistry.

Colorado has flipped out offensive lines nearly every year, something only exacerbated two years ago when Sanders threw his existing players under the bus and said he had to get new linemen. However, instability along the offensive line is a major issue for building consistent units.

Colorado has tried the portal-shuffling method plenty of times with poor results. Before left tackle Jordan Seaton transferred, the Buffaloes were set to return three starters. Even so, left guard Yahya Attia and right tackle Larry Johnson III give the unit building blocks. Offensive line coach Gunner White is also the first returner at the position under Coach Prime. If he can get the unit to average, it opens up the offense dramatically.

Little margin for error

The day Sanders walked into the Colorado football facility, he told the existing roster that he was bringing his own Louis Vuitton baggage. Outside of college superstars Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and Jordan Seaton (since transferred to LSU), most of it has proven defective.

Thirty-six players transferred out of the program, with 20 landing at Power Four schools. More than 60 newcomers are expected to enter the program.

The level of talent coming is high as the Buffaloes have a top-25 transfer class, fourth-best in the Big 12. Linebacker Liona Lefau (Texas), defensive back Boo Carter (Tennessee) and Moore (Texas) are all potential all-conference selections. Perhaps a returning offensive line coach can bring some much-needed consistency to the Buffaloes’ most troubled unit.

But heading into Year 4, Colorado still faces many of the same issues. The lack of high school recruiting means that only two projected starters were recruited by the staff out of high school: Lewis and Attia. Typically, Years 3 and 4 would be the moments when the staff’s identification and development start paying off.

The schedule also provides few moments of respite. Colorado plays road games against Georgia Tech and Northwestern in non-conference play. Home games against Texas Tech and Utah bode poorly. Depending on Kansas State’s success under first-year coach Collin Klein, the Buffaloes could be underdogs in every FBS game until the season finale against UCF.

Coach Prime helped the Buffaloes overcome daunting odds to reach a nine-win season in 2024. But unless he has another rabbit to pull out of his hat, Colorado has a difficult path back to bowl eligibility.

… Read full story here …

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This post, about the Spring/Summer game, from the 2026 Season, is filed under Article.
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