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The narratives: CU's running backs are second-rate ... CU's offensive line can't protect and can't open holes ... CU lost its only two good linebackers, and hasn't found any replacements ... Which are true and which are overreactions? ...

Stuart
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Hayden and Welch are the guys.

Colorado’s running back room will look quite a bit different in 2025.

After adding a new running backs coach and NFL Hall of Famer, Marshall Faulk, the Buffs have been left with no choice but to reinvent their running back room. There have been multiple high-profile departures in the transfer portal, so let’s take a look at the current state of the position group and see how they’re looking for the upcoming season.

Departures:​

Headed into this off-season, the running back room looked like it be sunshine and roses for the Buffs. For a group that had finished dead last in their conference in total rushing yards these last two seasons, things were finally looking up.

All of Colorado's top three rushers were set to return. Leading rusher Isaiah Augustave, who recorded 384 yards and four touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry, would be Colorado’s top option at running back and looked poised for a breakout 2025.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things will shake out. News broke that Augustave left the program in early April. About a week later, an announcement was made from the running back that he had entered the portal, followed by a suspiciously quick commitment to play for the Virginia Cavaliers.

Another departure of note is Brandon Hood, brother of Buffs star cornerback Colton Hood. Brandon, the younger brother, was a three-star recruit out of Georgia who committed to play for Colorado ahead of the 2024 season. After redshirting for the Buffs last season, Hood made the decision to hit the portal and will play out his college career elsewhere. Following Brandon’s choice to hit the portal, Colton made the choice to follow him, which is a huge blow to CU’s secondary.

Overview:​

Losing Augustave is bad, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. He was by far CU’s most effective runner in 2024 and had the best vision and ability to hit the gap hard. Augustave was also CU’s most angry and aggressive runner, which was aided by his body size. He was supposed to be the guy for the Buffs in 2025, but now they’re back to the drawing board.

It’s not all bad news within the running back room, thankfully. The Buffs still have two good backs on the roster still in Micah Welch and Dallan Hayden. Welch, a true freshman in 2024, emerged as a legitimate threat out of the backfield. The short but stocky kid from Georgia proved his worth for the Buffs, acting as their big-play back last season.

Welch isn’t a bruiser, but he can get the job done. Although he only recorded 189 rushing yards last year, he averaged 4.3 yards per carry and tallied four touchdowns. If you guys Welch any space or even a moderately sized gap, he has the speed and physicality to make you pay. Having Welch still around is a great omen, as he’ll play a key role within Colorado’s offense in 2025.

Hayden is also a nice piece to have around for 2025. The Ohio State transfer came to Boulder last year and many thought he’d be the guy, but was overshadowed by both Augustave and Welch. Hayden did have his moments, like tallying a 37-yard touchdown run at UCF, but his opportunities were limited in 2024.

Now, with Augustave gone, Hayden has decided to stick around and work with Faulk, making him a top candidate to start this season. Hayden isn’t the biggest running back, clocking in at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, but he’s the closest thing that the Buffs have to an all-around back at the current moment.

Hayden can do everything well, but lacks an area where he excels. He’s fast, physical and has good vision, but won’t blow you away in any of those categories. Because Hayden can do a little bit of everything, he should be a valuable Swiss Army knife out of CU’s backfield, making him a very valuable asset for 2025.

Charlie Offerdahl will be another name to know for 2025. The senior and former walk-on has quickly become a favorite of Coach Prime, acting as the starter for the 2024 season. After a couple of rough games, Prime turned to Augustave, Welch and Hayden, but Offerdahl still has one year of eligibility. Expect him to be mixed into the rotation periodically, but he won’t be a featured back.

As for Hood’s departure, it probably doesn’t affect the Buffs’ offense much immediately. The redshirt freshman would have seen some snaps, but he wasn’t ready for a larger role in the offense, at least not now. Hood was supposed to be an important piece of CU’s rushing game two or three years from now, but we can worry about that when we get there.

Takeaways:​

Fans have reason to feel good with Welch and Hayden still in town, but the departures of Augustave and Hood sting. Welch and Hayden will likely be the co-starters for the Buffs in 2025, with Offerdahl acting as the sidekick.

Expect Colorado to be active in the portal at the running back position going forward. While Colorado didn’t end up securing any backs while the spring portal period was open, they definitely tried to bring extra depth in. As everyone in the portal looks for a new home and graduate transfers hop on the market, make sure to keep an eye out for what Coach Prime and the Buffs are doing, especially at running back.




by RylandScholes
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We need a lot more bodies

Spring football is an illusion. We may have gone to a spring game, but with the transfer portal closing AFTER the spring game is played, there is still so much roster movement. Who cares who you saw in April?

The Colorado Buffaloes are no stranger to rebuilding their roster after spring. Coach Prime was one of the first coaches to embrace everything the portal has to offer, and that has not changed. The Buffs are rebuilding the offense and defense after a senior-heavy team last year. Shedeur Sanders gets the headlines, but the Buffs are also replacing Shiloh Sanders.

Noah King is a pretty exciting replacement for him. King was a top 300 recruit last year for Kansas State before redshirting as a freshman. Noah King is about 6’3 and 200 pounds with plenty of speed. That means he can play almost anywhere on the secondary, but I’d bet he ends up at safety for CU before it’s all said and done.

pic.NOPE/j4v0IH4qYm

— Noah King (@NoahKing7) May 1, 2025​

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Welcome, Noah!

by Jack Barsch
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Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images for ONIT

Sanders will no longer be #2

Shedeur Sanders is officially wearing number 12 with the Browns.

After two legendary seasons with Colorado, most fans know that Sanders wore #2 in college. However, that #2 belongs to veteran receiver DeAndre Carter in Cleveland, so Shedeur had to go with something different and chose #12, which a number with some meaning behind it.

#12 is the same number Travis Hunter will wear in Jacksonville, which gives Buffs fans a fun connection. Sanders’ choice of #12 could also an homage to Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Ever since getting to Boulder, Shedeur hasn’t been quiet about his praise from Brady, as the two have become friends.

More importantly, picking #12 feels like a nod to his dad. Deion Sanders wore number 21 during his Hall of Fame career. Flipping the digits to 12 gives Shedeur his own spin while still honoring the legacy.

It’s a good look and a fresh chapter. If Sanders lives up to the hype in Cleveland, #12 might take on a whole new meaning for Browns fans. To the Buffs and Browns fans who have already made his jersey the best-selling of all incoming rookies, they’re hoping this is a permanent number for Shedeur.

Still, the number may be temporary, and for a couple of reasons. The Browns have five quarterbacks on the roster right now and will likely need to cut down to three or four before the season. If #2 opens up, or if Shedeur finds himself on a different team by September, a change could be coming. There is no doubt that Sanders will be on an NFL roster this fall, but it is not set in stone that it will be with the Browns.

by Jacob.Thompson
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Let’s take a look at the Browns’ QB situation.

It took a couple more days than expected, but Shedeur Sanders is officially an NFL quarterback.

Selected 144th overall in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns, Sanders finds himself in a peculiar situation. Typically, fifth-round quarterbacks are never put in a position to start their rookie season, but the Browns find themselves in limbo at the QB position. Shoveling $200+ million at DeShaun Watson after his sexual assault scandal proved to be a big mistake, as the former Clemson quarterback regressed greatly during his time in Cleveland before rupturing his achilles tendon in week seven of the 2024 NFL season.

Watson will likely be out for the remainder of the 2025 season, but even if he does recover, it’s looking like the Browns are ready to cut their losses and move on from the controversial quarterback. As a result, the team has brought in four new quarterbacks, including Sanders, to compete for the starting job. Let’s break each of them down to see who’s the frontrunner to start in Cleveland this season.

Joe Flacco​

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Flacco is a familiar face in Cleveland, stepping in for Watson after he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023. The former Super Bowl MVP slid in seamlessly to the Cleveland offense, leading the Browns to a 5-0 record to end the regular season, eventually losing in the Wild Card game to Houston. Flacco’s heroics in Cleveland earned him the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and a lucrative one-year contract in Indianapolis last season. Browns GM Andrew Berry took a page out of his own book, once again bringing in Flacco to quarterback for Cleveland after another Watson injury in early 2025.

With 17 years of NFL experience and a Super Bowl MVP under his belt, Flacco is the likely frontrunner to start in Cleveland this season, at least to start the season. The only glaring weakness about Flacco is his age. The 40-year-old quarterback has been doing this for a long time, and Father Time comes calling for everyone eventually, which the other three quarterbacks can use to their advantage.

Kenny Pickett​

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Pickett shined during his time at Pitt, leading the Panthers to an ACC Championship in 2021, but has struggled since coming to the NFL. The Steelers took a flyer on the local kid with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, but Pickett had a 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 62.5% completion ratio during his two seasons in Pittsburgh. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin ran Pickett out of town ahead of the 2024 season, where he landed with the eventual Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, backing up Jalen Hurts.

After one year of back-up duty, Berry and the Browns acquired Pickett in a trade from the Eagles for fellow QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick in 2025. The Browns clearly see something in Pickett, or they shouldn’t have traded for him. If he can clean up his interception issues and revert back his 2021 form at Pitt, he could realistically start in Cleveland in 2025.

Dillon Gabriel​

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Along with Sanders, Gabriel is one of two rookie quarterbacks that Berry brought in to compete for the starting job. The former Oregon quarterback had an elite 2024 season in Eugene, throwing for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading the Ducks to an undefeated 12-0 regular season and Big Ten Championship in their first season in the conference, before eventually getting smacked by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Gabriel was considered one of the top ten quarterback prospects in this year's draft, but many eyebrows were raised when Cleveland selected Gabriel with the 94th overall pick in the third round, significantly higher than Sanders.

Gabriel is your prototypical college quarterback in the West Coast offense. He’s got an alright arm and loves to check it down, and doesn’t mind relying on his run game. He also has a good football IQ and enough talent to make a roster.

Shedeur Sanders​

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

In a group that includes a Super Bowl MVP, Sanders may be the most famous quarterback on this list, which says a lot. The former Colorado quarterback and son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders worked miracles with the Buffs, helping to dig what was a 1-11 team before he arrived into one of the top programs in the Big 12. Sanders won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year awards last season, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns with the Buffs in 2024.

Although Sanders' slide in this year’s draft was unprecedented, it sounds like it was almost entirely non-football related. After a series of bad interviews in the run-up to the draft, NFL teams had concerns about the former CU quarterback. Sanders’ talent is undeniable, and he’s surely one of the most naturally talented quarterbacks on the Browns’ roster. Throughout training camp, he’ll have to showcase that talent and ability to handle adversity if he wants to see the field in 2025.

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With five (including Watson) quarterbacks rostered by Cleveland, it seems likely that one will be cut in training camp to make additional roster space. Flacco is already a lock to stay on the roster, so one of Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders will be on the chopping block. As to which of Pickett, Gabriel or Sanders will be released, it’s anyone’s guess, and we’ll probably have to wait until the end of preseason football to see.

Of the two younger QBs that do make the roster, they’ll get ample opportunity to see the field in 2025. The Browns are a rebuilding team, so there’s a good chance that head coach Kevin Stefanski will rotate through his quarterbacks at the end of the season if the Browns are eliminated from playoff contention early.

TD;DR - Sanders could realistically land the starting job in Cleveland at some point this year, but as of now, he’s got bigger fish to fry. Focus on making the 53-man roster first and foremost, and take it from there.

by RylandScholes
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