The Colorado Buffaloes will look to make waves in college football in 2024.
There is no question that hiring Deion Sanders has brought massive attention to the Colorado Buffaloes football program.
Sanders was named the Colorado Buffaloes head coach in December 2022, following a successful three-year run with Jackson State. With a ton of hype going into 2023, the Buffs got off to a strong start, winning their first three games of the season.
Unfortunately, that did not last long. Colorado went 1-8 in their last nine games, including a 29-point blown lead to the Stanford Cardinals. Although Colorado did not live up to expectations in 2023, it was still an improvement from their 1-11 season in 2022.
Colorado Buffaloes Offense
There is no question that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of the most talented signal-callers in college football. Despite that, Sanders struggled to stay upright last season. Sanders was sacked on 10.6 percent of his drop backs last year, 10th-most in the country. However, heading into 2024, the Buffaloes offensive line will look a lot different.
There are zero starters from the offensive line in 2023 that are set to return to the Buffs offense this year. With that being said, Coach Prime went out and made massive additions. Tyler Johnson (Houston), Justin Mayers (UTEP), Khalil Benson (Indiana), Yakiri Walker (UConn), and five-star freshman tackle Jordan Seaton are in line to start in 2024.
There is talent on this line, but the question becomes, can the line work well together immediately?
Heading into 2024, it’s likely that the Buffaloes rushing game will take a step back this year after losing all four of their top producers from last season. Coach Prime will now look to former Buckeye Dallan Hayden to lead the way on the ground in 2024.
Hayden has shown some flashes despite seeing a minimal playing time. In his freshman season, Hayden accumulated 576 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. In his sophomore season last year, Hayden finished with 100 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown in three games.
One of the strongest units going into 2024 however, may be the team’s receiving group, headlined by Jimmy Horn Jr. and Travis Hunter.
Horn finished with 567 yards and six touchdowns last season for the Buffaloes. On the other hand, two-way All-American star Travis Hunter recorded 721 yards on 57 catches for five touchdowns in only nine games.
FAU transfer LaJohntay Wester should fit in very nicely with this wide receiver room. Wester had with 1,168 yards on 108 receptions with eight touchdowns for the Owls last season.
Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard should ensure another spot on Coach Prime’s depth chart. Colorado’s passing game should be very dangerous in 2024, bearing any massive injuries.
Colorado Buffaloes Defense
It is not a secret that Coach Prime’s defense struggled tremendously in 2023. Colorado parted ways with defensive coordinator Charles Kelly and gave the job to former Bengals defensive backs coach Robert Livingston.
Six starters from the defensive unit return for the 2024 season. All-American cornerback Travis Hunter returns but is expected to play nickel corner in 2024. Meanwhile, Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig return as the team’s starters at safety for 2024.
Preston Hodge (Liberty), DJ McKinney (Oklahoma State), and Dayon Hayes (Pitt) are all incoming transfers expected to be starters on day one.
The massive question for the Buffaloes defense is their defensive line. Last year, Colorado fell outside the top 100 in rushing success rate allowed. Since then, there have not been any notable additions to the Buffs defensive line. The team will need to improve if they wish to have success heading into 2024.
Conclusion
This Colorado football team can succeed in 2024 if they stay healthy. With a very deep receiver room and a talented quarterback, the offense must set the tone if the team wants to go far. With that said, a lot of the team’s success depends on the offensive line.
As for the defense, the front seven will need to make a substantial improvement from 2023 if the team wishes to have success in 2024. The team could make the college playoffs if they hit their ceiling, it seems unlikely to happen this season. However, fans should expect a successful season from Colorado as the Buffaloes strive to make their first bowl game since 2016.
