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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Coach Prime thinks he’s found the perfect guy to lead the Buffaloes’ defense.
It took Deion Sanders two months to fill the vacant defensive coordinator job after Charles Kelly left to coach at Auburn, but it’s looking like his patience paid off. Coach Prime thinks he’s found the perfect guy for the job in former Cincinnati Bengals DBs coach Robert Livingston.
Livingston comes to Boulder after building one of the NFL’s best secondary units over his seven years in Cincy. His extensive pro football knowledge led to Deion bringing him to Boulder, per the recommendation of Colorado defensive analyst and long-time Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.
“I’m a pro. That’s nothing against college coaches, because we have some phenomenal college coaches, especially in [the Big 12], but I’m a pro,” said Sanders at Big 12 Media Day. “I like the relationships and thought process, and Coach Livingston was recommended to me by a few pros that I am familiar with and trust, Mike Zimmer being one of them.”
Zimmer’s recommendation seems to have paid off in spades for the Buffaloes. Livingston’s bringing a pro-style 4-3 defensive scheme to the Buffaloes this season, allowing Colorado’s safeties to play high and roam free in the defensive backfield. That 4-3 scheme fits Colorado’s personnel like a glove with their wealth of talent in the secondary.
Unsurprisingly, Colorado’s safeties are gelling well with the new defensive scheme and coordinator.
“I can really play free now,” said Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders. “I can take a proper drop, start at 15 yards, get back deep, and go get the go balls and be rangy.”
Colorado’s defense didn’t have the size up front for their safeties to range and play deep in 2023, but that’ll change for this season.
“Last year, I would have to play the mesh a lot,” Sanders said. “The mesh is taking read steps while you watch the run to see if it’s a pass or run. I had to do a lot of that and I feel like I missed a lot of opportunities in the deep part of the field.”
With a revamped defensive line and increased freedom given to the safeties by Livingston, Colorado’s secondary will be free to hawk for turnovers and play their style of football.
“If I don’t have to play the mesh, which I don’t anymore, then more picks,” said Sanders. “If I can get some forced fumbles and picks, that’d be crazy too.”
Shilo isn’t the only Buffalo who’s been happy with Livingston in his short time in Boulder. Livingston has impressed Deion so much that he’s already worried about losing him to a bigger job in 2025.
“I pray to god that we can keep [Livingston] because I feel like we are going to kick butt,” said Deion at Big 12 Media Day. “We are going to win and [Livingston] is going to be a head coach in college or the pros or whatever he endeavors, because he’s that good.”
A coach publicly saying that he’s afraid of losing his DC before the season starts is very rare, but it’s a good indicator that the Buffs have finally found their guy to command the defense.
Colorado allowed an average of 34.8 points per game last season, which was good for second-worst in the Pac-12. With Livingston in control, Colorado’s defense will look to reinvent itself in 2024. If Deion’s words are anything to go on, they’ve got the perfect man to right the ship.
“[Livingston’s] awesome,” Sanders told reporters at Big 12 Media Day. “When I tell you he’s awesome, he’s totally awesome.”
by RylandScholes
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