How Deion Sanders is building upon initial hype at Colorado as he eyes bowl game for team in Year 2

Big expectations follow Deion Sanders like a shadow. Few are more adept than the Colorado coach at building hype and energy around his program, no matter what the circumstances may be. His first season in Boulder certainly gave fans a glimpse of what could be on the horizon. 

Colorado started the 2023 season scorching hot; a debut win over TCU kick-started a 3-0 run that culminated in an appearance in the AP Top 25. Then the wheels fell off against eventual Pac-12 runner-up Oregon, and Colorado only won one of its last nine games to drop to 4-8. 

That’s not necessarily a disappointment. Colorado hasn’t won more than four games since 2019. Its streak without a winning record extends far beyond that back to 2016. Given the program’s context, Sanders’ first year was a success. 

Now he’s gearing up for more. Sanders spent the offseason reworking his coaching staff with shuffles at both offensive and defensive coordinator. Once again, he hit the transfer portal in an effort to revamp his roster, supplementing returning stars like quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way unicorn Travis Hunter. In total, 24 transfers will suit up for the Buffaloes in 2024. 

But did Sanders do enough to make significant strides forward? It will all come down to a couple of key areas that absolutely had to be addressed. 

Offensive line overhaul 

Anyone who watched Colorado for more than a quarter last season noticed one glaring error: its offensive line was simply not up to standard. It was so far below standard, in fact, that it edged out just one FBS team when it comes to sacks allowed. Opponents got to Colorado’s quarterbacks a total of 56 times, more than any other team at the power-conference level. 

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was the second-most sacked…

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Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-02-28 15:46:17

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