Colorado’s three keys to success for 2026
- Jake Chau
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
After 43 transfers, new coordinators, a fresh athletic director and a cancer-free head coach, the 2026 Buffs are not the same as they were a year ago.
In his fourth season as head coach, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’s 3-9 2025 campaign was his worst record at the helm; being different from last year may be welcomed.
If Sanders is to right the ship and take Colorado back to a bowl game, here are three keys to success:
Transfers
Coach Prime has adjusted to the new-look college football landscape by landing the nation’s 23rd-best transfer class according to 247Sports.
Incoming junior wide receiver Danny Scudero from San Jose State headlines the class. Scudero led all of FBS in receiving yards with 1,297 on just 88 receptions, making him the only player to average over 100 receiving yards per game.
Scudero is a deep threat who can take the top off defenses. That skill set was on display during Colorado’s spring game, where he brought in a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Julian Lewis. Though the two only connected once, he found ways to create space more often than he was shut down, proving he can fool Big 12 defenders.
Alongside Scudero, former Texas Longhorn DeAndre Moore Jr. will be a top threat for Lewis. Netting 532 receiving yards with four touchdowns last year, Moore is expected to take a step forward in the new “Go-Go” offense.
Fellow former Longhorn Liona Lefau will provide the defensive jump for the Buffaloes. Lefau had 68 total tackles last season with a sack and fumble recovery in a top 30 scoring defense last year.
Also from the SEC, Boo Carter is a high-IQ safety who recorded three forced fumbles, three pass breakups, a sack and 25 total tackles.
Carter came under fire in Knoxville, Tennessee, after he missed summer workouts and didn’t meet team standards according to Volunteers’ head coach Josh Heupel.
Despite these behavioral challenges, Sanders still has high expectations.
“[Carter] could play safety as well as corner, slot and return kicks as well and do multiple things,” Sanders said during an April 7 press conference.
Though the talent is plentiful, Sanders has the challenge of getting everyone on the same page.
New Coaching
Though Coach Prime will be staying in Boulder, the nuts and bolts of coordinators have a new look. After a 3-9 season, change was imminent.
Robert Livingston paired a conference-worst yards against per game with a bottom-five scoring defense in his second year as defensive coordinator.
He was hired by the Denver Broncos to be their defensive pass game coordinator in February, prompting Sanders to promote linebackers coach Chris Marve to the position.
“He's a teacher, a motivator and a man of great character,” Sanders said about his hire.
Marve was defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech from 2022-2024, where in 2024, he had the Hokies as a top-three scoring defense in the ACC.
Pat Shurmur was stripped of playcalling duties after providing the Big 12’s second-worst scoring offense and yards per game in 2025. With a carousel of quarterbacks last year, Shurmur struggled to find his footing leading the offense, prompting change from Sanders.
Sanders found his offensive coordinator in the form of Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion.
Marion created the “Go-Go” offense, which utilizes pre-snap motion and run-pass option to confuse and exploit defenses. That quick-style offense led Sacramento State to a top 20 scoring offense and top 25 in yards per game.
After averaging just over 20 points per game last season, Marion’s 33.8 points per game with the Hornets will be what the Buffs are aiming for this year.
“[Marion’s] averaged well over 30 points a game,” Sanders said after the spring game. “That's the threshold that we want."
Much like Sanders when he joined Colorado as head coach, Marion will be making the jump from the FCS, looking to prove himself and his style of coaching.
Marion also brought a fair number of transfers from Sacramento State with his move. That continuity could help smooth out learning curves as his scheme is implemented in Boulder.
“[With] Coach Marion and Coach Marve, this is the best coaching staff that I've had in my new coaching career, and I'm excited about it,” Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days.
Julian Lewis
Last year’s rocky quarterback spot left more questions than answers game to game.
The highly touted dual-threat quarterback in Kaidon Salter proved to be more of a bandage than a season-long solution. Salter started nine games, going 3-6, and had the fewest number of touchdowns outside his freshman year.
Lewis will look to be that season-long solution for Sanders this upcoming season, and offer some stability in that role, stepping into his second year with the black and gold.
In four appearances and two starts, Lewis had 589 passing yards on 55% completion for four passing touchdowns without an interception.
Only taking his two starts into account and stretching it across a full 12-game season, Lewis could’ve had 2,760 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Sanders and Buffs fans alike will want to see more production out of their quarterback for CU to go back to a bowl game.
“I think I was pretty comfortable last year,” Lewis said at Big 12 Media Days. “It’s definitely a little more confidence, just understanding what college football really is.”
Pairing that confidence with a step forward in ability will be a crucial step in Lewis’ development.
New offensive weapons and a new offensive coordinator should also provide a boost to his game as well.
Like many of its enrollees, Colorado football has a lot of moving in to do. Maintaining a quick learning curve and translating talent from paper to the field will be directly correlated to the Buffs’ success this year.
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