Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders left a major void in Pat Shurmur’s offense when he forewent his final year of eligibility for an NFL career. His replacement, Kaidon Salter, is allegedly one of the only things inspiring optimism within Big 12 coaches.
Salter and the team’s secondary, which Travis Hunter’s departure leaves room for others to shine in, were deemed the best things about the Buffs in 2025.
Overall, CU’s expectations are low, and Deion Sanders isn’t predicted to stay long in Boulder’s post-Shedeur/Shilo/Hunter era.
“It’s still a circus. That’s not an insult to Deion [Sanders], but it is,” one coach allegedly told Athlon Sports.
“They’ve turned over a ton in the portal, and they’re trying to make it out like it’s a competition-based result, but they’re really going to struggle on the offensive line because of transfers again.
“It will be interesting to see how Deion manages the culture here. This is a roster with big holes and a lot of questions.
“[Kaidon] Salter is a good fit for the stuff they ran last year, and they have a lot of good transfer wideouts.
“[Travis] Hunter is so good, he overshadowed a really good position group in the secondary. Right now, that is their strength. If they can rework the front, the defense might be better overall.
“With his sons gone, this is the year you really wonder what Deion’s long-term plan is.”
The Big 12’s general unpredictability and CU’s mass roster turnover make it hard to predict the Buffs’ 2025 season even on a week-to-week basis. If Colorado makes a run to the conference championship, or even win eight or nine games, it’d be universally seen as a surprise.
It’d seal Coach Prime’s legacy as a winner at the collegiate level to have a second straight winning season in the Power 4.