Brendan Bishop Boulder Weekly
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's that glorious time of year. Back to football! And the College world has some interesting stories heading into this 2026 season. Will Indiana be a one-year wonder? Will LSU thrive or implode? Will the University of Hawaii shock the world and make a dark horse run to the National Championship? All questions waiting to be answered.
But there is one question that I know is on a lot of Coloradan football fans’ minds …
Will coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffs finally break the barrier? Or will they once again be all flash and no substance? The last three seasons of Mile High Prime Time have certainly been—interesting.
Call it a tale of two Deions. It's been the best of times. And it's certainly been the worst of times.
The best of times? Think back to the absolute thriller of an opening win against TCU three years ago. A high-scoring game where Colorado went on the road and upset a team that had just been in the National Championship months prior.
Safe to say, the hype was real. Jerseys, Ralphie hoodies and cowboy hats were flying off the shelves. Gold and black was bleeding in the mountains again. It was a period of excitement the program hadn't experienced since the 90s. Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders brought flash and talent. Flash and talent that fans hadn't seen play in Boulder since Kordell Stewart and Rashaan Salaam.
As for the worst of times? Now I could talk about the falloff after that glorious victory against TCU. Or the Alamo Bowl disappointment against BYU.
But I want to bring you back to week eight of last season. The Buffs are 3-4, and still hopeful of a bowl trip. They are on the road against a tough yet banged-up Utah team that was being forced to start a true freshman at quarterback. And after a win against Iowa State the week before, the Buffs were gunning for an upset win.
And oh, there was an upset alright.
An upset feeling in the stomach of every Buffs fan watching the game. This game wasn't just a beating. It was the football equivalent to Custer's last stand. That Utah true freshman quarterback? He looked like Randall Cunningham against the Colorado defense. Byrd Ficklin put up 140 yards in the air, 151 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns.
The game was essentially over by halftime and ended in a brutal final score of 53-7. The Buffs would go on to finish the year 3-9. The worst record in Deion’s tenure, and the season that many believed would be a nail in the coffin on his time in Boulder.
But that brings us to 2026. Year four, and all the football faithful of Colorado are wondering. Is this season even worth it anymore?
Now, to be fair to Deion, it's not entirely his fault. Injuries and outgoing transfers have hurt the roster. His coaching staff also let him down time and time again last season. Especially on the defensive side and in the trenches.
The offensive line and Defensive units have left a lot to be desired. The offensive line ranked 125th out of 134 teams. Giving up 34 sacks on the season.
As for the defense last year? Yeesh! They allowed 419 yards per game, also ranking 125th out of 134 teams.
Safe to say. Opposing offenses loved going up against Colorado.
The recruiting class also leaves some worry in fans. Colorado's current recruiting class is ranked 69th nationally, and dead last in the Big 12.
Granted, this isn't too much of a surprise. Deion hasn't exactly been shy about his preference to go hunting in the transfer portal as opposed to conventional recruiting. With a whopping 40 new transfers coming in.
The transfer class does provide a bit of intrigue. Coming in 26th nationally. Players such as former Tennessee standout Boo Carter. Linebacker Liona Lefau out of Texas. Naeten Mitchell, who was a tackle machine at New Mexico State. Throw in explosive playmaker DeAndre Moore Jr. too, transferring in from Texas.
Though an eye-popping 64 players also transferred out. One of them is former 5-star prospect and likely future NFL star offensive tackle, Jordan Seaton. He is now at LSU.
Now we've focused a lot on the doom and gloom. But does that mean that there should be no hope in this program going into 2026? No, I wouldn't say so. Despite a rather unflattering video that gained traffic online recently, showing off a rather thin-looking team. I personally believe there is some hope to look forward to.
The defense got a massive facelift. Almost the entirety of the starting defense this year is going to be incoming transfers. All to be coached by new and first-time defensive coordinator, Chris Marve. Marve previously served as a defensive assistant for programs such as Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Florida State and most recently Virginia Tech.
Julian Lewis also looks to be the answer under center. The highly vaunted prospect decommitted from USC to come to Colorado and will be thrust into the Starting role after redshirting his freshman year.
Another point of positivity is Brennan Marion being brought on as offensive coordinator. Marion looks to change the offense in a way it desperately needs.
His past offenses at UNLV and Sacramento State routinely put up yards and points. Averaging between 33 and 36 points a game. A huge leap compared to Colorado’s 20.1 points per game in 2025. Marion's “Go-Go” offense relies not just on tempo, but also deception to open up opportunities in the run and pass game.
Lewis should be a good fit for his offense. An offense that will allow Lewis to understand coverages better while still getting him to distribute the ball. Marion also managed to poach some playmakers from Sacramento State to follow him over. Guys like Ernest Campbell, Damien Henderson and JaQuaill Smith. Having talent familiar with Marion's scheme should help Lewis pick up the offense much quicker.
This upcoming schedule won't be a cakewalk, but it won't necessarily be a gauntlet either. Sure, Georgia Tech, Baylor, Texas Tech and Arizona State all look to be challenging games. But every other game on the schedule looks winnable. Weber State, Northwestern, Utah, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF.
Is this Colorado program going to make the waves everyone thought it would 3 years ago? No. Probably not.
But Deion isn't dumb. Full of himself maybe. But he certainly isn't dumb. He knows his job is likely on the line this year.
If we get another disappointing season, or God forbid a worse season than last year, then he might just be high-stepping out of town.
This Colorado team seems like a 6-to-7-win team to me. No playoff or even Big 12 championship contender. But certainly a bowl team. And honestly, that might be just enough to not only keep Deion in his job, but also give a bit of hope back to a fanbase that is feeling buyer’s remorse.