Real, dramatic regression the year after the big contract
Colorado went from Big 12 relevance to 3-9 immediately after Sanders' $54M extension — a genuine "what changed" storyline heading into 2026, not just a down year.
BIG 12 FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 6 OF 16
COLORADO BUFFALOES
2026 Season Snapshot • Boulder, Colorado
3-9 (Big 12)
BIG 12
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Colorado.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Deion Sanders — 4th season at Colorado
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
20–18 at Colorado
Built Jackson State into an HBCU powerhouse (attracting the nation's No. 1 recruiting class) before taking over a 1-11 Colorado program in 2023 and famously delivering a bowl berth in year one. Signed a market-resetting 5- year, $54M extension in Nov. 2024 — then endured his worst season in Boulder in 2025.
COLORADO ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 3-9, Sanders' worst mark at Colorado, including a 46-point loss at Utah and a rotation of three different quarterbacks by season's end. A stunning step back the year immediately after signing the richest contract in program history.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$10.0M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Direct revenue-sharing (no
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
N/A — 5430 Alliance
active collective) dissolved Jan. 2025 Coach salary per Sanders' restructured 5-yr, $54M extension (Denver Sports/NBC News): $10M in 2025 and 2026, rising to $12M by 2029, the highest in the Big 12. Colorado deliberately dissolved its 5430 Alliance collective in January 2025 to prepare for direct revenue sharing under the House settlement, so player compensation now runs through the university rather than a third-party collective.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Real, dramatic regression the year after the big contract: Colorado went from Big 12 relevance to 3-9 immediately after Sanders' $54M extension — a genuine "what changed" storyline heading into 2026, not just a down year.
- Total coordinator and system overhaul: Both OC (Brennan Marion, from the Big 12 rival that beat Colorado) and DC (Chris Marve) are new for 2026 — a full scheme reset on both sides after the 3-9 collapse.
- QB Julian Lewis individually carries real financial weight: A $1.1M NIL valuation as a recruit, the highest of his signing class — his first full season as starter is the swing factor for whether the offense recovers.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Brennan Marion — 1st season • Go-Go offense
Arrives after developing Jordan Addison into a 2021 All-American at Pittsburgh; brought in specifically for his receiver-development track record. Reunited with Texas transfer DeAndre Moore Jr. (77 catches, 988 yds, 11 TD over 2024-25), whom he coached previously — a real scheme-fit signing.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Chris Marve • 1st season • Multiple
New hire tasked with rebuilding a defense that surrendered a 46-point loss to Utah in 2025. A full system installation alongside the offensive overhaul is real compounding risk for a team looking to bounce back immediately.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
3–9 (Big 12)
Sanders' worst season at Colorado, including a 46-6 loss at Utah and instability at quarterback (three different starters used). A jarring step back that triggered a full coordinator overhaul for 2026.
HOME FIELD
Folsom Field
Artificial turf (AstroTurf), Boulder. One of the most nationally-scrutinized programs in the sport under Sanders regardless of record — every game carries outsized media attention entering a bounce-back season.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Julian Lewis | RS-Soph | ★★★★★ | Four-star signee (2025) with a $1.1M NIL valuation as a recruit, the highest of his class; played four games as a true freshman in 2025 and enters 2026 as the trending starter after a solid spring under new OC Brennan Marion. |
| RB1 | Micah Welch | — | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (Baldwin HS, Milledgeville, Ga.; 3,759 career rush yds, 47 TD). Returning contributor in what beat writers call one of the deepest position groups on the roster, bolstered by portal additions Hughley, Richardson and others. |
| WR1 | DeAndre Moore Jr. | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Four-star signee (St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.; former No. 4 WR/No. 55 overall national recruit). Texas transfer and Colorado's highest- valued incoming portal piece per On3 NIL rankings; reunites with OC Brennan Marion, who developed him previously (77 catches, 988 yds, 11 TD combined 2024-25). |
QB1Julian LewisRS-Soph★★★★★
Four-star signee (2025) with a $1.1M NIL valuation as a recruit, the highest of his class; played four games as a true freshman in 2025 and enters 2026 as the trending starter after a solid spring under new OC Brennan Marion.
RB1Micah Welch—★★★★★
Three-star signee (Baldwin HS, Milledgeville, Ga.; 3,759 career rush yds, 47 TD). Returning contributor in what beat writers call one of the deepest position groups on the roster, bolstered by portal additions Hughley, Richardson and others.
WR1DeAndre Moore Jr.—★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
Four-star signee (St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower, Calif.; former No. 4 WR/No. 55 overall national recruit). Texas transfer and Colorado's highest- valued incoming portal piece per On3 NIL rankings; reunites with OC Brennan Marion, who developed him previously (77 catches, 988 yds, 11 TD combined 2024-25).
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line finally a strength | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Beat writers project the offensive line as a genuine strength for the first time in the Sanders era, with returners Attia and Johnson joined by transfer additions Hughley, Hunter and Soto. |
Line finally a strengthOL—★★★★★
Beat writers project the offensive line as a genuine strength for the first time in the Sanders era, with returners Attia and Johnson joined by transfer additions Hughley, Hunter and Soto.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- If the line truly has turned a corner after years as a weakness, that removes one of the clearest structural excuses from Colorado's 3-9 collapse — worth tracking early protection numbers for Lewis.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Domata Peko-coached front | DL | Former NFL veteran Domata Peko Sr. continues developing the interior line room as the defense installs Chris Marve's new system from scratch. |
Domata Peko-coached frontDL
Former NFL veteran Domata Peko Sr. continues developing the interior line room as the defense installs Chris Marve's new system from scratch.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Colorado's linebacker corps is being rebuilt under new DC Chris Marve after a defense that surrendered a 46-point loss to Utah in 2025 — a full installation, not a tweak, heading into the season.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary under new DC | DB | ★★★★★ | Colorado lost several defensive backs to the portal this offseason (to TCU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and others); specific 2026 starters to be confirmed as Marve's system comes together in fall camp. |
Secondary under new DCDB★★★★★
Colorado lost several defensive backs to the portal this offseason (to TCU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and others); specific 2026 starters to be confirmed as Marve's system comes together in fall camp.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. With a full coordinator overhaul on both sides of the ball following a 3-9 collapse, Colorado's season is a genuine referendum on whether Sanders' $54M extension was ahead of or behind the program's actual trajectory.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
5-7
41.7% cover rate — 52nd of 82
2025 Straight up
3-9
Point differential -115
Scoring environment
51.4
Combined points per game — 45th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
4-3 · 1-4
Totals 5-7 O/U (3-4 home, 2-3 road)
Points scored / allowed
20.9 per game scored (71st) · 30.5 allowed (69th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -9.6 (74th) · Strength of schedule +4.2
- Home / road: Home 4-3 ATS, road 1-4 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 5-7 O/U — 3-4 at home, 2-3 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 5-7 (41.7% cover rate) across 12 games.
- Trend: Averaged 20.9 points and allowed 30.5, a 51.4 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
-3.6
58th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
-3
60th of 82
Defensive SRS
-2.9
61st of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-9.6 · 74th of 82
Against the spread
5-7 (41.7%) · 52nd of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
51.4 · 45th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Colorado.
Scheme
Total coordinator and system overhaul
Both OC (Brennan Marion, from the Big 12 rival that beat Colorado) and DC (Chris Marve) are new for 2026 — a full scheme reset on both sides after the 3-9 collapse.
Quarterback
QB Julian Lewis individually carries real financial weight
A $1.1M NIL valuation as a recruit, the highest of his signing class — his first full season as starter is the swing factor for whether the offense recovers.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
If the line truly has turned a corner after years as a weakness, that removes one of the clearest structural excuses from Colorado's 3-9 collapse — worth tracking early protection numbers for Lewis.
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