Colorado's offensive line improvements by the numbers

Jordan Seaton looks back during warmups against Georgia Tech (Photo by Ryan Asaro/Sko Buffs Sports)

The Colorado Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) have struggled early in the season, while the offensive line has quietly made significant improvements from a year ago. 

A 2024 team that saw four offensive players taken in the NFL draft was limited by the protection of the O-line. Colorado failed to reach 1,000 yards rushing on the season and allowed 39 sacks, coming up short in big moments. Scenes of Shedeur Sanders scrambling, seemingly for his life, haunted the visions of Colorado’s coaching staff. 

During the offseason, head coach Deion Sanders addressed the issue in the transfer portal, bringing in four new starters to play alongside sophomore tackle Jordan Seaton, the nation’s former top lineman. The Flat Irons whispered of a unit that could be dominant, throughout spring and fall camp. 

Emphasizing character and chemistry, three of the four new additions were native to Mississippi, making the transition from different schools easier. Left guard Xavier Hill, center Zarian McGill and right guard Zy Crisler all share this connection, which benefits the interior. Larry Johnson III was brought in to play right tackle as the fifth starter of the unit. 

The line wasn’t the only thing that was shaken up. Colorado promoted O-line coach Gunnar White as the head man, while hiring Andre Gurode and George Hegamin to help in the same position. This was in response to former coach Phil Loadholt leaving for Mississippi State. The fourth coach in the room is assistant Grant Hammer, who’s been learning under White. 

“That was part of the recruiting process with me, Dre, George and Grant. We made sure that the guys were going to click and gel together,” White said. “You can’t have a room full of hot heads and a room full of soft-spoken people.”

Without Sanders at the helm or receiving threats, Colorado had to prioritize the trenches. Through five games, the effectiveness of the group has already left a better impression than any of Sanders’ previous teams. The players and staff bought into each other, creating a better product on the field. 

The communication upfront has been improved as well. The Buffs are getting to the correct positions in their slide and passing off stunting defenders with confidence. 

“First, we identify the front, then we identify our calls,” McGill said. “From there, we just follow our rules, sort everything out and go from there.”

The offense has totaled 737 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns so far. They are only 111 yards and seven touchdowns away from beating their rushing totals from last season. The Buffs are also averaging 4.7 yards per carry, which is nearly two times their 2.5-yard average from 2024.

Zarian McGill (left) and Xavier Hill (right) line up to block. (Photo by Christian Blanco/Sko Buffs Sports)

The improvements on the ground created a more balanced attack. Impressively, Colorado has also rushed for at least 95 yards in every game this season, four of which went over 100. Most importantly, the Buffs have established an identity as a team that can run the football. 

Hill believes there’s no secret to why the Buffs have been able to run the ball better. 

“Just practicing them every day at a high level, having adjustments to different fronts and things like that,” Hill said. “Pounding it over and over again in practice makes it second nature in the game.”

It isn’t just the ground game; the pass protection for the Buffs has been night and day. According to Pro Football Focus, through five weeks, Colorado has the highest average time to allow pressure with 4.70 seconds. This means, on average, the offensive line is allowing nearly five seconds for the quarterback to throw before pressure is felt.

Experienced transfers have shown the capabilities of Colorado’s offense. As the season progresses, the team can build on the success of the men's front. 

Although Colorado’s team has struggled, the O-line has been essential to the success the Buffs have experienced. Leaders like Seaton have stepped up to change the culture of a room that used to be lackluster. With more than half the schedule left, there is still plenty of ink in the bottle for the 2025 season.