5 reasons Deion Sanders and Colorado might actually be good in 2026

5 reasons Deion Sanders and Colorado might actually be good in 2026.

Key points

• That list doesn't even count wide receiver transfer Kam Perry, a walk-on who began 12 games last year at Miami (Ohio) and produced 43 catches for 976 yards.
• When they ranked 135th out of 136 major college teams in rushing yards allowed per game with 222.5, the Buffs created a clean break from last year.
• Before he began his third season at Colorado in 2025, coach Deion Sanders proclaimed he had assembled his best team ever.
• This time, he'll benefit from a major, beefy offensive line averaging well over 300 pounds apiece, plus a crew of talented receivers, including Texas transfer DeAndre Moore.

5 reasons Deion Sanders and Colorado might actually be good in 2026. Brent Schrotenboer USA TODAY.

Before he began his third season at Colorado in 2025, coach Deion Sanders proclaimed he had assembled his best team ever. Then the Buffaloes finished with a 3-9 record.

This year, he notes he has a "pretty good football team" along with his "best coaching staff" ever. Should anybody believe him this time? College football season predictions: Picks for CFP, Heisman, biggest surprises.

Notably, the experts and oddsmakers don't and are picking his team to finish near the bottom of the Major 12.

But I do believe him and am picking Colorado to finish among the top 3 in the league, along with Texas Tech and BYU. Here are five reasons as the Buffs prepare to open the season Thursday, Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech (8 p.m. ET; ESPN). 1. Deion Sanders changed his formula.

Sanders deserves credit for innovating and adjusting in the age of unlimited annual player transfers. He was the first transfer portal king in 2023 before it was considered cool in college football. This year, he entered the summer with 41 new scholarship transfers from other four-year colleges, including 23 from outside the Power Four conferences, according to CU records.

In a change from before, Sanders favored production over potential with this group, much like Indiana did last year on its run to the national championship. Of those 23 transfers from the lower rungs of Division I, 16 are former starters.

That list doesn't even count wide receiver transfer Kam Perry, a walk-on who began 12 games last year at Miami (Ohio) and produced 43 catches for 976 yards. 2. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has the edge.

Marion is Sanders' third offensive coordinator in four seasons but additionally the edgiest since the Buffs shocked the nation with a 3-0 start under then-offensive coordinator Sean Lewis in 2023.

When he was offensive coordinator at UNLV, marion's Go-Go offense is eclectic enough to spin the heads of opposing defenses and has averaged at least 33 points per game since 2023.

His background and leadership pedigree additionally produce him a potential successor to Sanders someday, continuing the upward climb he's been making ever since he was homeless in junior college and slept under the bleachers of the stadium. 3. Quarterback Julian Lewis is a winner.

Colorado began three quarterbacks last year. It is another way of saying they didn't have any good enough for Sanders. Lewis was one of those starters for two of those games but was only 18 years old as a touted freshman out of Georgia. This is his moment. He compiled a 39-4 record as a three-year starter in high school and has the potential to lead Colorado to a special season if he adjusts well to Marion's offense early on.

Marion has remarked Lewis has a "million-dollar arm" and especially wants to win the season opener in his home state.

"He understands how to win a football game, " Marion remarked Aug. 27.

This time, he'll benefit from a major, beefy offensive line averaging well over 300 pounds apiece, plus a crew of talented receivers, including Texas transfer DeAndre Moore. 4. Colorado has a totally new defense.

When they ranked 135th out of 136 major college teams in rushing yards allowed per game with 222.5, the Buffs created a clean break from last year. They have a new defensive coordinator (Chris Marve), new cornerbacks coach (Aaron Fletcher), new defensive line coach (Dante Carter) and new safeties coach (Vonn Bell) to go with an all-new starting lineup. It features playmakers who have drawn raves, including Tennessee transfer defensive back Boo Carter and Notre Dame transfer cornerback Cree Thomas. Sanders especially praised his linebackers. It include Texas transfer Liona Lefau.

"I can't say enough about them, " Sanders remarked Aug. 14. "They're extraordinary. They're probably the best position group on this team." 5. Nobody really knows anything.

Texas Tech once again has the best roster that funds can purchase in the Major 12. BYU additionally has the stars to compete for the Sizeable 12 title, just like the Cougars did in 2024 and 2025. But after that, who really knows with so plenty of players changing teams every year? Why not Colorado?

Sanders has been up and down in Boulder to the extreme – a 3-0 start in 2023, followed by a 1-8 finish, then a 9-4 season in 2024 and a 3-9 season in 2025. The prediction here is the pendulum is swinging back, especially with expectations so low now outside of Colorado.

By contrast, what happens if the Buffs obtain crushed in their opener in Atlanta? Their season could plunge downhill from there with two of their next three games on the road. But a win there could have the opposite effect, and this team is too improved to let that happen anyway. Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]. Colorado football 2026 schedule. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around 5 reasons Deion Sanders and Colorado might actually be good in 2026 point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.