Projecting Colorado football's 2026 defensive depth chart

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There wasn't much about the 2025 Colorado Buffaloes' defense to write home about. The inconsistent group would go from being the only reason the Buffs had a chance to win the game to getting skunked the following week.

It was a frustrating cycle, just one of the many on that team that went 3-9 overall. After last season, the group saw massive turnover with emerging stars like Brandon Davis-Swain, Tawfiq Byard, and future draft pick D.J McKinney entering the transfer portal. With a newly rebuilt roster, there remain plenty of unknowns for this unit heading into 2026.

With that said, the staff at Buffaloes Wire has made it our mission to sift through the unknowns and deliver a far-too-early roster projection. We've already covered the offense, so let's break down the unit Robert Livingston will be leading.

Defensive Tackles​

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Starters: Tyler Moore, Santana Hopper

Backups: Ezra Christensen, Sedrick Smith

Colorado's front-7 has seen the most turnover of any unit on the team, and that's saying something for a team that lost more than 50 transfers. The group will be led by experienced defensive tackle Hopper, who notched 4.5 sacks and 29 tackles last season at Tulane. At nose tackle, I expect Coastal Carolina transfer Moore to hold things down inside with his nearly 300-pound frame. The Buffs brought in several Group of 6 transfers for depth, like Christensen, who could become nice rotational players.

Edge Rushers​

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Starters: Vili Taufatofua, Immanuel Ezeogu

Backups: Toby Anene, Balansama Kamara, Yamil Talib, Lamont Lester

The Buffs brought in six edge rushers in the transfer portal, but remain without a massive star at the position. Colorado will likely lean on a rotation-based approach, although of the additions, Taufatofua stands out. Racking up 34 tackles and three sacks in his one season with San Jose State, he brings a very athletic profile to the Buffs. Alongside him will be Ezeogu, a James Madison transfer, who showed flashes as a Duke in 2025, but only brought home one sack.

Linebackers​

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Starters: Liona Lefau, Gideon Lampron

Backups: Tyler Martinez, Kylan Salter

Another position spearheaded by fresh names, the linebacking room might have undergone the best transformation on the team. Both Lefau and Lampron are tackling machines who should provide a much more stable backend on the front-7. The same could be said for Martinez, who led New Mexico State with 96 tackles in 2025, a much-needed boost for one of the worst run-stopping teams in the nation.

Cornerbacks​

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Starters: Preston Hodge, Justin Eaglin, Cree Thomas

Backups: RJ Johnson, Jason Stokes Jr., Emory Floyd, Markari Vickers

Despite losing McKinney, Colorado maintained some consistency in its cornerback room. Hodge, a returner, should be a significant factor outside, joined by transfer Thomas and Eaglin, who is fresh off a tremendous performance against Oregon. Expect Vickers and Johnson to see early-season playing time as their familiarity with Livingston's system should give them a boost in the second year with the Buffs.

Safeties​

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Starters: Boo Carter, Jaydan Hardy

Backups: Jah Jah Boyd, Randon Fontenette

Nabbing the talented Carter away from Tennessee will go a long way toward replacing Byard. If he can keep his focus on the field, he should lead the Buffs alongside either Hrady or Body, both of whom are Power 4 transfers coming off decent seasons. Look for the back end of the defense to be a strength next season.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football defensive depth chart 2026 projection

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