CU Buffs football: Previewing Coach Prime’s second spring in Boulder

In the last several days, Colorado’s Deion Sanders has been a busy man.

The Buffaloes’ head football coach has made national TV appearances with Jimmy Fallon, Kelly Clarkson, Gayle King, the Today Show and more as he promotes his new book. It’s a tour that will wrap up with an appearance at CU’s Macky Auditorium on Monday night.

Simultaneously, Sanders has been preparing for spring football practices with the Buffaloes. CU will kick off its second spring under Sanders on Monday morning.

A year ago, in taking over a program that went 1-11 in 2022, Sanders led the Buffs to a 4-8 record (1-8 Pac-12) that included big improvements, but still fell short of his expectations.

To take another step or two, the Buffs have plenty of work to do. It started with offseason conditioning and continues with 15 important practices over the next six weeks.

Although the roster will change a bit after the spring and several starting spots won’t be sorted out until August, this is a big spring for the Coach Prime-led Buffs.

Keep an eye on …

1. Scheme changes: CU has new faces leading the offense and defense. Pat Shurmur is entering his first season as the offensive coordinator (but second season at CU). Robert Livingston is entering his first season as the defensive coordinator and first with the Buffs. Both have long-time roots in the NFL and will bring that knowledge to the Buffs.

2. The trenches: The weakness of the Buffs last season was the offensive and defensive lines. Sanders made it a priority to fix that this offseason. Five experienced offensive linemen were added through the transfer portal, in addition to five-star prep recruit Jordan Seaton joining the herd. Five transfers on the defensive front will be here this spring, as well. These 15 practices are vital for the Buffs solidifying those areas.

3. New weapons: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has plenty of talented skill players around him. Receivers Jimmy Horn Jr., Travis Hunter and Omarion Miller are back, along with running backs Dylan Edwards, Alton McCaskill IV and Say’veon Wilkerson. But this spring will also include some exciting newcomers, including receivers LaJohntay Wester and Terrell Timmons Jr., tight end Chamon Metayer and freshman running back Micah Welch.

Players to watch …

LB LaVonta Bentley: After putting together a good 2023 season, his first as a starter, Bentley will not only aim to be better, but to be the leader of a linebacker group that has to step up and be better this year.

CB/WR Travis Hunter: He’s the most versatile player in college football. He’s also CU’s best player at receiver and cornerback. Will he split his time between the two this spring, or focus more on one side of the ball?

RB Alton McCaskill: He was never fully healthy last year and didn’t have much impact. But, after two injury-filled years, he’s ready to roll and prove he can be as good or better than he was in 2021 with Houston, when he rushed for 961 yards.

CB Cormani McClain: The sophomore had some bumps in the road as a freshman last year, which is quite common for young players. Rated as the nation’s No. 1 cornerback recruit in the 2023 class, McClain will aim to prove he’s learned from those experiences and is ready to elevate his game.

TE Chamon Metayer: One of the main additions of the offseason, Metayer gives the Buffs a good receiver/blocker at tight end, which they lacked in 2023. The Cincinnati transfer is the leader of a revamped tight end room.

DL Chidozie Nwankwo: A transfer from Houston, he’s one of the keys to CU being better against the run and in the trenches in general.

QB Shedeur Sanders: Coming off a record-setting season, Sanders is also looking to bounce back from injuries that cut his 2023 season short. By all accounts, he’s ready to go and how he meshes with everyone around him is key.

OL Jordan Seaton: It’s rare that true freshmen offensive linemen are ready to start, let alone dominate. But, Seaton was a five-star recruit and the top high school lineman in the 2024 class. He gets his first opportunity to prove he can dominate right away.

DE Arden Walker: Former Cherry Creek High School star and a former Missouri transfer, he enters his second season at CU. Walker was a role player last year, but could put himself in position to start or have a much bigger role this year.

S Trevor Woods: Coming into his fourth season at CU, Woods is one of the better players on defense when healthy. He wasn’t healthy at the end of last season, though. He also moved to linebacker. Will he return to the safety room and to his usual level of success?

Quick look at each position …

Quarterback: Shedeur Sanders is the clear starter, but the battle for No. 2 will be intriguing. Sophomore Ryan Staub is back and he’ll compete with transfers Walter Taylor and Destin Wade.

Running back: There are only four scholarship backs, but Edwards, McCaskill, Welch and Wilkerson are a talented and diverse group. Walk-on Charlie Offerdahl is another good piece to the puzzle.

Wide receiver: It starts with Horn and Hunter, and Wester gets a chance to mesh with Shedeur. But, this is a big spring for Omarion Miller and other youngsters.

Tight end: Metayer leads the group, but the Buffs will also strive to get a pair of former defensive players ready. Morgan Pearson and Sav’ell Smalls both switched over from defense this offseason.

Offensive line: Competition could be intense at this spot, with six newcomers, as well as several returners (such as Tyler Brown, Savion Washington and Hank Zilinskas) fighting for starting spots.

Defensive line: Amari McNeill and Chazz Wallace are back after solid seasons in 2023, but they’ll be pushed by a talented group of newcomers.

Edge: After losing Jordan Domineck to graduation, the Buffs need others to step up. It could be Walker, or Pitt transfer Samuel Okunlola or several others in the mix.

Inside linebacker: Bentley can be penciled in as a starter, but CU has to find others to pick it up. Returners Brendan Gant and Demouy Kennedy will fight for time with newcomers Jaylen Wester, Keaten Wade and others.

Cornerbacks: Aside from Hunter and McClain, this is a big spring for Omarion Cooper to re-establish himself. A starter for much of last year, Cooper will fight for his spot. Newcomers Preston Hodge and DJ McKinney bring a lot of experience to the table, as well.

Safety: One of the deepest spots on the roster. Woods, Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig were all starters last year. Myles Slusher has starter ability. And the best of the bunch might wind up being sophomore Jaden Milliner-Jones.

Specialists: At kicker Alejandro Mata took over the job full-time last year, but Jace Feely is still on board to compete for the job. Punter Mark Vassett will aim to improve after a good 2023 season.