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CU 2025 Depth Chart Predictions: Offense
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Over the next two months, leading up to the 2025 season opener against Georgia Tech (Friday, August 29th, 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN), there will be many changes in the projected lineup for your Buffs.
That being said, it’s not too early, with the roster fairly fixed for the campaign, to start making some educated guesses as to what the starting lineup might be, and which position battles will garner the most attention when Fall Camp opens in early August.
So, let’s take a look at which 22 players may be the first to trot out onto Folsom Field’s new turf for the opener, starting with the offense (the preview for the defense will be posted in a few days) …
OFFENSE
Quarterback
1.) Kaidon Salter, Sr.
2.) Julian ‘JuJu’ Lewis, Fr.
3.) Ryan Staub, So.
It’s both easy and difficult to project CU’s quarterback hierarchy as Fall Camp approaches. There was nothing the Buff Nation learned during the spring practices to dissuade fans from believing that the experience of Kaidon Salter will be a deciding factor as to which player opens the season at starting quarterback.
Salter and his dual-threat capabilities should help the Buffs ease into the post-Shedeur era at Colorado. In the past two seasons at Liberty, Salter passed for over 4,700 yards (with 47 touchdowns to 12 interceptions), but also rushed for over 1,600 yards (and 19 more touchdowns). To be sure, there was a drop off in stats from the 13-1 season in 2023 to the 8-4 season in 2024, but that had as much to do with Liberty’s overall talent levels as it did Salter’s performance.
Julian Lewis is the future of Colorado football, but he will also be a part of the present. He could play in up to four games this fall without giving up a redshirt year, but, with his talent, Lewis probably isn’t looking to be a fifth-year senior anywhere, so using him in multiple games this season is not out of the question.
Ryan Staub, a holdover who has played behind Shedeur for the past two seasons (with one start in the 2023 finale at Utah), provides CU with about as much insurance at the No. 3 spot as any Power Four school could reasonably expect.
Coach Prime probably won’t announce his starting quarterback until deep into August, so there is little to do in July other than to relish the fact that CU has a strong quarterback room heading into the 2025 season.
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Running back
1.) DeKalon Taylor, Jr.
2.) Dallan Hayden, Jr.
3.) Micah Welch, So.
4.) Charlie Offerdahl, Sr.
Suffice it to say that the Colorado running back room is not as strong nor as deep as it should be. Watching Dylan Edwards become a star at Kansas State has only added insult to injury.
While new running backs coach Marshall Faulk may not have added a premier running back to his room, he does have some talent to work with this fall.
With last year’s leading rusher Isaiah Augustave now at South Carolina (after several months at Virginia), CU’s leading returning rusher is Dallan Hayden … but not by much. Hayden had 196 yards and a touchdown last season in 64 carries, while Micah Welch had 186 yards and four touchdowns with 21 fewer carries.
Not exactly impressive numbers, but then again, Colorado was last in the nation in rushing in 2025.
Here’s hoping that Incarnate Word transfer DeKalon Taylor will be a pleasant surprise, and earn playing time early this season. Taylor averaged six yards per carry last season, with 909 yards and nine touchdowns in 152 rushing attempts. Taylor, though, is only 5’9″, 165-pounds, and is likely not the answer for CU’s woes in converting third-and-one opportunities.
The longer term answer for CU at running back this fall may not even officially be in the room this summer. Wideouts Drelon Miller, Kam Mikell, and/or Isaiah Hardge could move into the backfield if needed.
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Wide Receiver 1
1.) Omarion Miller, Jr.
2.) Hykeem Williams, Jr.
3.) Terrell Timmons Jr., Sr.
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Wide Receiver 2
1.) Sincere Brown, Sr.
2.) Joseph Williams, So.
3.) Kam Mikell, R-Fr.
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Slot Receiver
1.) Drelon Miller, So.
2.) Isaiah Hardge, Jr.
3.) Jack Hestera, Sr.
4.) Quanell Farrakhan Jr., Fr.
5.) Quentin Gibson, Fr.
Wide receiver is a much more pleasant conversation to have than running back, as CU is loaded with potential at the position. While it is true that there are no obvious first round draft picks in the group, it is also a true statement that there is talent at wide receiver in Boulder. And, unlike the old saying about quarterbacks (“If a coach tells you he has two quarterbacks, what he is really telling you is that he has none”), the “more the merrier” sentiment is welcome in the wide receiver corps, as there is always a need for numerous quality depth at these positions.
In trying to pick Game One starters, a dart board may come in handy. Until a true rotation is found, though, let’s go with two known names and a potential break out player as the starters …
Omarion Miller was injured for much of the 2024 season, but an eight-catch, 145-yard performance against Kansas State last fall gave Buff fans a glimpse of the possible.
Sincere Brown, meanwhile, comes to Boulder after posting a 1,000-yard receiving year last fall. Granted, Brown’s 61 catches for 1,028 yards and nine touchdowns came while in service of the Campbell Fighting Camels, but, at 6’5″, 190-pounds, Brown is a star in waiting for the Buffs.
Drelon Miller, if he doesn’t find himself playing running back, is a good choice for CU’s top slot receiver. The leading returning receiver, Miller had 32 catches for 277 yards and three touchdowns last fall.
True freshmen Quanell Farrakhan Jr. and Quentin Gibson may prove to be too talented to keep off the field, but, with all of the talent on the existing roster, they may prove to be quality special team standouts in 2025.
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Tight End
1.) Zach Atkins, Sr.
2.) Sav’ell Smalls, Sr.
3.) Corbin Laisure, Fr.
Until or unless the University of Colorado and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur convince us otherwise, the Buff Nation can be forgiven in not believing anything they hear about a tight end participating in the CU offense.
Sav’ell Smalls “led” the Buff tight ends with nine catches for 68 yards last season. A converted edge player, Smalls was serviceable, and made decent strides, but there aren’t any Big 12 defensive coordinators game-planning against CU’s use o Smalls.
Zach Atkins, a transfer from Northwest Missouri State, shows promise, but missed a good deal of the spring with an illness. The Buffs also signed two true freshman tight ends, showing perhaps a future commitment to the position, with Corbin Laisure showing the most promise.
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Left Tackle
1.) Jordan Seaton, So.
2.) Andre Roye Jr., Jr.
3.) Walker Andersen, R-Fr.
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Right Tackle
1.) Mana Taimani, Jr.
2.) Phillip Houston, Sr.
3.) Larry Johnson III, Jr.
Finally got one right!
Of all the positions on the offense, the most clear cut is that of Jordan Seaton being the starting left tackle.
A freshman All-American, Seaton is listed on many preseason All-Big 12 lists. If CU’s offense is successful this fall, Seaton could actually get some All-American mentions.
Yes, Seaton is that good.
On the other side of the line, though, is far more fluid. Mana Taimani gets the nod for now, as he took the bulk of the reps with the first-team offense at right tackle this spring. Taimani played two seasons at Ole Miss under head coach Lane Kiffin, appearing in 16 games across two seasons.
Phillip Houston, though, may be the fan favorite. Houston started nine games last season, but is still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last November. If Houston can be a full go for Fall Camp, there could be a real battle for the starting right guard position.
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Left Guard
1.) Xavier Hill, Sr.
2.) Kareem Harden, Sr.
3.) Cooper Lovelace, Sr.
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Right Guard
1.) Zy Crisler, Sr.
2.) Tyler Brown, Sr.
3.) Aki Ogunbiyi, Sr.
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Center
1.) Zarian McGill, Sr.
2.) Yahya Attia, So.
3.) Cooper Lovelace, Sr.
Kareem Harden started seven games at right guard last season, giving up only one sack in 256 passing attempts. This might be reason enough to pencil Harden back in at starting right guard, but the Buffs may have recruited over last season’s starter.
Xavier Hill was a late addition to the roster, committing to CU in April. Hill comes to Boulder by way of Memphis and LSU. The 6’3″, 325-pounder was named first-team All-AAC last season, and, if he can pick up the offense over the summer, may become a starter at guard this fall.
The favorite for the other guard position is Zy Crisler. Crisler was named honorable mention all-Big Ten twice during his run at Illinois, and Crisler had a good spring in Boulder, and has the right size (6’7″, 340) to attract the attention of NFL scouts.
But what about Tyler Brown? The versatile senior played in 13 games last season, starting 12. Brown made starts at three positions (right tackle – four, right guard – one, left guard – seven), giving up only one sack in 460 passing plays.
There are also cases to be made for Cooper Lovelace, who played for both USC and Northwestern, and Aki Ogunbiyi, who played for parts of five seasons at Texas A&M.
At center? Who knows.
The Buffaloes have moved on from Cash Cleveland and Hank Zilinskas, after both manned the center position in Boulder in 2024. McGill comes over after an impressive run at the Group of 5 level. He was named second-team all-Sun Belt as a junior at Louisiana Monroe. Attia has also shown promise and has had an excellent work ethic during his first full off-season with the Buffs.
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