After leading the Colorado Buffaloes to a 4-8 record last season, head coach Deion Sanders and his staff are gearing up for the start of spring practice on Monday. (Cliff Grasmick/Staff Photographer)
Colorado's Deion Sanders has been busy the past few days.
The Buffaloes head football coach has appeared on national television with Jimmy Fallon, Kelly Clarkson, Gayle King, the Today Show and more to promote his new book. The tour concludes Monday night with an appearance at CU's McKee Auditorium.
At the same time, Sanders is preparing for spring football practice with the Buffaloes. CU begins its second spring under coach Sanders on Monday morning.
Sanders took over a program a year ago that was 1-11 in 2022 and led the Buffs to a 4-8 record (1-8 in the Pac-12) that included significant improvement, but still held high expectations. It didn't reach.
Buff has a lot of work to do to take another step or two. It begins with offseason conditioning, followed by 15 critical practices over the next six weeks.
Although the roster will change a bit after the spring and some starting spots won't be sorted out until August, this is a big spring for Coach Prime's Buffs.
Keep an eye on me…
1. Change scheme: CU has new faces leading the offense and defense. Pat Shurmur is in his first season as offensive coordinator (but only his second at CU). Robert Livingston is in his first season as defensive coordinator and with the Buffs. Both have long roots in the NFL and will bring that knowledge to the Buffs.
2. Trench: The weaknesses of the Buffs last season were the offensive and defensive lines. Sanders made it a priority to fix that this offseason. In addition to five-star prep recruit Jordan Seaton joining the group, five experienced offensive linemen were added through the transfer portal. Five players are expected to transfer on defense this spring as well. These 15 practices are essential for buffs to strengthen these areas.
3. New weapons: Quarterback Shedur Sanders has a lot of talented and skilled players around him. Receivers Jimmy Horn Jr., Travis Hunter and Omarion Miller return, along with running backs Dylan Edwards, Alton McCaskill IV and Sabion Wilkerson. But they will also add some exciting new faces this spring, including receivers Rajontay Wester and Terrell Timmons Jr., tight end Shamon Metayer and freshman running back Micah Welch.
Featured players…
LB Lavonta Bentley: After putting together a good 2023 season for the first time as a starter, Bentley will look to not only get better, but to be the leader of a linebacker group that has to step up and get better this year.
CB/WR Travis Hunter: He's the most versatile player in college football. He's also CU's best player as a receiver and cornerback. Will he split his time between the two or focus more on one side of the ball this spring?
RB Alton McCaskill: Last year I wasn't in the best of health and it didn't really make a difference. But after two injury-filled years, he's ready to roll and prove he can be as good or better than he was in Houston in 2021, when he rushed for 961 yards.
CB Colmani McClain: The sophomore had some bumps in the road as a freshman last year, which is common for young players. Rated as the nation's No. 1 cornerback recruit in the 2023 class, McClain will look to learn from these experiences and prove he's ready to improve his game.
TE Shamon Metayer: One of the main offseason additions, Metayer gives the Buffs a quality receiver/blocker at tight end, something they lacked in 2023. The move to Cincinnati will lead a revamped tight end room.
DL Chidoji Nwankwo: A transfer from Houston, he is one of the keys to CU being better against the run and in the trenches in general.
QB Shedur Sanders: Coming off a record-setting season, Sanders is also looking to bounce back from the injury that cut his season short in 2023. No matter how you look at it, he's ready and the key is how he fits in with everyone around him.
OL Jordan Seaton: It's rare for a true freshman offensive lineman to be ready to start, let alone dominate. But Seaton was a five-star recruit and the top high school lineman in the 2024 class. He gets his first chance to prove he can dominate right away.
DE Arden Walker: The former Cherry Creek High School star and transfer from Missouri is in his second season at CU. Walker was a role player last year, but he could be a starter or take on a bigger role this year.
S. Trevor Woods: Woods, in his fourth season at CU, is one of the better defensive players when healthy. However, his health was not good at the end of last season. He also converted to linebacker. Will he return to the safe room and return to his usual level of success?
A quick look at each position…
Quarterback: Shedur Sanders is the surefire starter, but the battle for second place will be interesting. Sophomore Ryan Staub returns and will compete with transfers Walter Taylor and Destin Wade.
Run back: Although there are only four scholars, Edwards, McCaskill, Welch and Wilkerson are a talented and diverse group. Walk-on Charlie Offerdahl is also a good piece of the puzzle.
Wide receiver: It starts with Horn and Hunter, and Wester gets a chance to mesh with Shedur. But this is a huge springboard for Omarion Miller and other young players.
Tight end: Metayer leads the group, but the Buffs will also look to prepare two former defensemen. Morgan Pearson and Savell Smalls both converted from defense this offseason.
Offensive line: Competition for this spot could be intense, with six rookies and several returners (Tyler Brown, Savion Washington, Hank Zilinskas, etc.) vying for the starting spot.
Defense line: Amari McNeil and Chaz Wallace return in 2023 after solid seasons, but will be pushed by a talented group of rookies.
corner: The Buffs will need other players to step up after losing Jordan Dominik to graduation. It could be Walker, or Pitt could move Samuel Okunlola and a few others.
Inside linebacker: Bentley could be a starter, but CU will have to find another player to pick it up. Returners Brendan Gant and DeMoy Kennedy will compete for time with newcomers Jalen Wester and Keaten Wade.
Cornerback: Hunter and McClain aside, this is a big spring for Omarion Cooper to re-establish himself. Cooper, who was a starter for much of last year, will compete for the spot. Newcomers Preston Hodge and DJ McKinney also bring a lot of experience.
safety: One of the deepest spots on the roster. Woods, Shiloh Sanders and Camron Silmon-Craig were all starters last year. Miles Thrasher has starter ability. And the best of them may be sophomore Jaden Milliner-Jones.
Expert: At kicker, Alejandro Mata took over the job full-time last year, but Jace Feeley is still in the mix to compete for the job. Punter Mark Bassett will look to develop after a good 2023 season.
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