The Colorado Buffaloes came in around the middle of the pack in USA TODAY Sports’ latest Big 12 football power rankings ahead of spring practices.
CU was cited for its tall task of replacing quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, though high praise for Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter benefited a baseline of six or seven wins for head coach Deion Sanders’ new-look roster under. Ultimately, the Buffaloes came in at No. 10 of the Big 12’s 16 teams.
The Kansas State Wildcats topped the power rankings, banking on the consistency of quarterback Avery Johnson’s dynamic talent. Running back Cam Skattebo’s departure for the NFL dropped the defending conference champion Arizona State Sun Devils to No. 2, while the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks were predicted to have a bounce-back campaign after six one-score losses in 2024.
Three programs that CU beat in 2024 were ranked ahead of the Buffs heading into the spring: No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 8 Utah and No. 9 Baylor.
While USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg cast some doubt on whether Colorado can repeat as Big 12 contenders, that may be exactly what Coach Prime and his endless list of “receipts” wants.
Here’s what Myerberg wrote on Colorado landing No. 10 in his pre-spring football Big 12 power rankings:
This will be an interesting case study for Deion Sanders’ style of roster management. The Buffaloes won’t have stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, two of the most irreplaceable players in the FBS. But the offense could remain efficient should new quarterback Kaidon Salter from Liberty be helped by a stronger running game. The baseline should be six or seven wins.
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