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Since Colorado football went 9-4 and lost in the Alamo Bowl, there's been more roster turnover than nearly every team in the nation.
The inability to find and keep cornerstone pieces has left us with a Buffs roster lacking name recognition, thanks to the addition of over 40 players from the transfer portal. While stars like quarterback Julian Lewis are here to provide some security, there are far more unknowns than certainties heading into spring practices.
To get reacquainted with where the Buffs are, I've gone through and graded every position group. Here's the Buffaloes' excel and where they might need help:
Grade: B+
Keeping Lewis through the roster shakeup is a gigantic win for Colorado. During his true freshman season, Lewis flashed his unlimited potential behind a makeshift offensive line. The knock I have on Lewis is his experience: he has played only three games at the FBS level, not counting his two drives against Delaware. If he can continue to develop with new offensive coordinator Brennan Marin, this will easily be a star in the making, but that's a big if.
The Buffs also added Utah transfer Isaac Wilson in the portal as Lewis' backup and to provide some veteran leadership, a move I'm a big fan of. That boosts this group up to a B+, teetering on the edge of an A.
Grade: A-
Under Marion, these running backs will be critical to the offense's success, and I have no doubt they'll be electric come the season opener. The Buffs brought in Richard Young, from Alabama, while Damien Henderson II and Jaquail Smith followed Marion to Boulder from Sacramento State.
While Young is a former four-star, keep an eye on the former Hornets to make an impact, especially the young Smith, who averaged almost seven yards a touch last season. Returner Micah Welch should provide some power and needed pass-blocking ability, making this one of the most balanced groups on the team.
Grade: A+
If running backs are the most balanced position group, these wideouts are the most talented group on the team. Everywhere I look in this room, from returner Joseph Williams to additions like Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore Jr., there are absolute studs. Marion will be able to mix and match speed, size and strength on nearly every play, with walking highlight reels outside for Lewis to throw to. The wide receivers are the group I'm most excited for in 2026, and you should be too.
Grade: C+
Colorado's offensive line was hit hard by the roster shakeup, losing top prospect Jordan Seaton and not bringing in much star power to replace him. There are some intriguing additions like Jayvon McFadden from Ohio State and Taj White from Rutgers, but it will be a new group up front that needs to work together. That could take time, and I'm not confident that the Buffs will have the offensive line to keep up with the conference's top pass rushes.
Grade: C-
Colorado's defensive line was a weak point in 2026, part of a front-7 that consistently failed to stop the run. That's why heading into the offseason, that area needed to be a major focus, but unfortunately, it didn't seem to be. I like the additions of Vili Taufatofua from San Jose State, a productive pass-rusher in the Mountain West, and Santana Hopper from Tulane. However, there's a lack of production in the pass-rushing department, leaving me concerned about seeing the same struggles up front as last season.
Grade: B
Linebacker is going to be key for the Buffs' defense next year after the position group failed to emerge in 2025. A quality linebacking core helps any defensive line, and Colorado made some great additions to do just that. Bringing in Gideon Lampron from Bowling Green is the highlight of the position group for me. A sure tackler that can come downhill and make stops when needed was desperately missing last season. Colorado also added Liona Lefau, from Texas, another proven tackler at the Power 4 level who can provide much-needed veteran leadership to the renovated defense.
Grade: B
Another position group that lost its star in DJ McKinney and has been nearly completely rebuilt this offseason. The Buffs return Preston Hodge, who was an underrated piece last year, and Makari Vickers. Bringing in Justin Eaglin should be a huge boost for the team, but it's another somewhat unproven group heading into 2026. I have concerns about their ability to keep up in man coverage with the star wideouts of the Big 12, including former Buff Omarion Miller at Arizona State.
Grade: C+
Much of my weariness on this position group comes from the addition of Boo Carter, who will have a monumental swing on how this season goes on the back end. Carter is immensely talented and, if ready, should be able to replace Tawfiq Byard and more. Yet how the saga unfolded in Tennessee leaves me weary of another rebuilt position group potentially losing a leader if the season goes south. Jaydan Hardy and Jah Jah Boyd are solid adds, but this season will depend on Carter.
Grade: C
Deion Sanders enters the post-Alejandro Mata era without a clear kicker to head the unit into 2026. The Buffs brought in Josh McCormick from Grambling, but he struggled, going 6-10 on field goal attempts. He does have range, hitting from 52 against Southern, but the inconsistency is notable. Outside of McCormick, the Buffs have little in the way of experienced kickers, which has historically not gone well for college teams.
Grade: A+
Anybody who watched the Buffs last year knows how fantastic Greaves was, consistently pinning opponents deep in their own territory and flipping the field when possible. There were entire halves where Greaves' punts kept the Buffs in games. Colorado was able to keep him for his senior season, and that deserves an A+ from me.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football position grades before spring practice
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The inability to find and keep cornerstone pieces has left us with a Buffs roster lacking name recognition, thanks to the addition of over 40 players from the transfer portal. While stars like quarterback Julian Lewis are here to provide some security, there are far more unknowns than certainties heading into spring practices.
To get reacquainted with where the Buffs are, I've gone through and graded every position group. Here's the Buffaloes' excel and where they might need help:
Quarterback
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Grade: B+
Keeping Lewis through the roster shakeup is a gigantic win for Colorado. During his true freshman season, Lewis flashed his unlimited potential behind a makeshift offensive line. The knock I have on Lewis is his experience: he has played only three games at the FBS level, not counting his two drives against Delaware. If he can continue to develop with new offensive coordinator Brennan Marin, this will easily be a star in the making, but that's a big if.
The Buffs also added Utah transfer Isaac Wilson in the portal as Lewis' backup and to provide some veteran leadership, a move I'm a big fan of. That boosts this group up to a B+, teetering on the edge of an A.
Running Backs
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Grade: A-
Under Marion, these running backs will be critical to the offense's success, and I have no doubt they'll be electric come the season opener. The Buffs brought in Richard Young, from Alabama, while Damien Henderson II and Jaquail Smith followed Marion to Boulder from Sacramento State.
While Young is a former four-star, keep an eye on the former Hornets to make an impact, especially the young Smith, who averaged almost seven yards a touch last season. Returner Micah Welch should provide some power and needed pass-blocking ability, making this one of the most balanced groups on the team.
Wide Receivers
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Grade: A+
If running backs are the most balanced position group, these wideouts are the most talented group on the team. Everywhere I look in this room, from returner Joseph Williams to additions like Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore Jr., there are absolute studs. Marion will be able to mix and match speed, size and strength on nearly every play, with walking highlight reels outside for Lewis to throw to. The wide receivers are the group I'm most excited for in 2026, and you should be too.
Offensive Line
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Grade: C+
Colorado's offensive line was hit hard by the roster shakeup, losing top prospect Jordan Seaton and not bringing in much star power to replace him. There are some intriguing additions like Jayvon McFadden from Ohio State and Taj White from Rutgers, but it will be a new group up front that needs to work together. That could take time, and I'm not confident that the Buffs will have the offensive line to keep up with the conference's top pass rushes.
Defensive Line
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Grade: C-
Colorado's defensive line was a weak point in 2026, part of a front-7 that consistently failed to stop the run. That's why heading into the offseason, that area needed to be a major focus, but unfortunately, it didn't seem to be. I like the additions of Vili Taufatofua from San Jose State, a productive pass-rusher in the Mountain West, and Santana Hopper from Tulane. However, there's a lack of production in the pass-rushing department, leaving me concerned about seeing the same struggles up front as last season.
Linebackers
You must be registered for see images attach
Grade: B
Linebacker is going to be key for the Buffs' defense next year after the position group failed to emerge in 2025. A quality linebacking core helps any defensive line, and Colorado made some great additions to do just that. Bringing in Gideon Lampron from Bowling Green is the highlight of the position group for me. A sure tackler that can come downhill and make stops when needed was desperately missing last season. Colorado also added Liona Lefau, from Texas, another proven tackler at the Power 4 level who can provide much-needed veteran leadership to the renovated defense.
Cornerbacks
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Grade: B
Another position group that lost its star in DJ McKinney and has been nearly completely rebuilt this offseason. The Buffs return Preston Hodge, who was an underrated piece last year, and Makari Vickers. Bringing in Justin Eaglin should be a huge boost for the team, but it's another somewhat unproven group heading into 2026. I have concerns about their ability to keep up in man coverage with the star wideouts of the Big 12, including former Buff Omarion Miller at Arizona State.
Safeties
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Grade: C+
Much of my weariness on this position group comes from the addition of Boo Carter, who will have a monumental swing on how this season goes on the back end. Carter is immensely talented and, if ready, should be able to replace Tawfiq Byard and more. Yet how the saga unfolded in Tennessee leaves me weary of another rebuilt position group potentially losing a leader if the season goes south. Jaydan Hardy and Jah Jah Boyd are solid adds, but this season will depend on Carter.
Kicker
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Grade: C
Deion Sanders enters the post-Alejandro Mata era without a clear kicker to head the unit into 2026. The Buffs brought in Josh McCormick from Grambling, but he struggled, going 6-10 on field goal attempts. He does have range, hitting from 52 against Southern, but the inconsistency is notable. Outside of McCormick, the Buffs have little in the way of experienced kickers, which has historically not gone well for college teams.
Punters
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Grade: A+
Anybody who watched the Buffs last year knows how fantastic Greaves was, consistently pinning opponents deep in their own territory and flipping the field when possible. There were entire halves where Greaves' punts kept the Buffs in games. Colorado was able to keep him for his senior season, and that deserves an A+ from me.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football position grades before spring practice
Continue reading...
