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Mayers will take a crack at making the roster in Denver

Colorado offensive lineman Justin Mayers has accepted an invite to the Denver Broncos’ Rookie Mini-Camp, announced by the CU Football program on Twitter/X on Sunday.

Mayers started his college career at the University of Texas at El Paso. In his four seasons with UTEP, he became one of the best offensive linemen in Conference USA, starting 35 games with the Miners and developing as an elite run blocker. After his time in Southwestern Texas, Mayers decided to come to Colorado as a graduate transfer in 2024.

During his sole season in Boulder, Mayers made an impact with the Buffaloes. Although initially seeing scarce playing time at the beginning of the season, Mayers was worked into CU’s constantly changing rotation within the offensive line, establishing himself as one of the Buffs’ premier secondary options.

Mayers declared for the NFL Draft after exhausting his college eligibility following the 2024 season. After Day 3 of festivities in Green Bay last weekend, Mayers did not hear his name called, going undrafted.

Although going undrafted, that doesn’t mean that Mayers won’t get his opportunity to play at the highest level. Around 24 hours after the conclusion of the draft, Mayers received interest from the hometown Denver Broncos when the organization extended an invitation to their Rookie Mini-Camp in the coming weeks.

Mayers will be fighting an uphill battle to make Denver’s 53-man roster, but he’s shown incredible determination and plenty of talent during his time as a Buffalo. If any of Colorado’s offensive linemen who were draft-eligible from last season can make a roster, Mayers would be at the top of that list.

Good luck, Justin! We are rooting for you!

by RylandScholes
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Shilo and Sheppard are headed to Tampa!

The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t be the only hotbed of former Buffs in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers swooped in to sign two more Buffaloes as undrafted free agents following the draft on Saturday.

The first Buff to sign with the Bucs was starting free safety Shilo Sanders, happening nearly immediately after the conclusion of the draft. Sanders, son of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and brother of former CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders, had a time in Boulder filled with highs and lows.

Sanders kicked off his time as a Buffalo with a solid season in 2023, finishing the season with 69 total tackles and an 80-yard pick-six against Colorado State. In 2024, his production took a hit. Sanders suffered a shoulder injury that hindered his ability to participate in full-contact practice ahead of the season and broke his forearm while making a tackle during CU’s week two game in Nebraska. Shilo had trouble wrapping up and being a consistent tackler from that point on.

Sanders is known for his physical style of play. His priority isn’t just to bring down the ball carrier, he wants to lay the boom in the biggest way possible and make sure they feel it. This strategy has led to Sanders racking up significant penalty yardage in his time in Boulder, but that’s the high-risk, high-reward style of play the former CU safety lives by.

The other Buffalo to sign with the Bucs is wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard came to Boulder before the 2024 season from Vanderbilt and made an immediate impact in Boulder, becoming the Buffs' premier 50/50 ball threat along the seam. Sheppard finished his sole season in Boulder with 40 receptions for 540 yards and six touchdowns.

Where Sheppard really shines is in the intangibles department. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound wideout is a freak athlete with a large frame who’s fast and has insane hops. Sheppard showed out at his pro day in Boulder in April and attracted the eye of many NFL scouts, but ultimately wasn’t drafted.

Sanders and Sheppard land in a place where they’ll have to fight to make the 53-man roster, but both have the talent to pull it off.

Good luck in Tampa, guys! Make CU proud!

by RylandScholes
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Jacksonville is becoming a landing pad for former Buffs

The Jacksonville Jaguars clearly have a type, and that type is Colorado Buffalo. After trading up to select Travis Hunter with the second overall pick, the Jags brought in two more Buffs to bolster their defense as undrafted free agents.

The first of which to sign was Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, CU’s starting strong safety. During his two seasons in Boulder, Silmon-Craig tallied 120 total tackles, eight pass deflections, three sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions. Silmon-Craig led Colorado in total tackles (89) in their 9-4 2024 campaign.

Outside of the statistic department, Silmon-Craig was the clear vocal leader of Colorado’s defense, which blossomed into one of the best units in the Big 12 last season. His speed and fearless style of play have earned him the nickname “Shark,” as he quickly became a fan favorite in Boulder.

The other Buff to be picked up by Jacksonville is star edge rusher BJ Green. Green was far and away the best pass rusher on a CU unit that led the Big 12 with 39 sacks in 2024. Green finished his sole season as a Buff with 7.5 sacks for 54 yards lost, along with 33 total tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Green was projected to go late on Day 3 in many mock drafts, but at the conclusion of the draft on Saturday, Green had yet to receive a phone call from an NFL team. The Jags quickly rectified that, allowing him and Silmon-Craig to join forces with Hunter once again in Northeastern Florida.

It’s great to see Buffs head to the league, but it’s even better to see them stick together and land in the same spot. The Jags will be a hotbed of Colorado talent for years to come and will undoubtedly be a must-watch in Boulder on Sundays for the foreseeable future.

Congrats, Cam and BJ!

by RylandScholes
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