2026 Northwestern Football Know Your Opponent: Colorado Buffaloes
· Yahoo Sports
Yup. Mr. Prime Time himself, Deion Sanders, will be coaching in Evanston. Colorado will play Northwestern in the Wildcats’ presumably final game on the lakefill on Sept. 19. The Buffaloes had a lackluster 2025 season, with the departures of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders looming large.
The Basics
Returning Production: 55% overall (57% offense, 53% defense); 55th in FBS
Visit newssport.cv for more information.
2025 Record: 3-9 (1-8 Big 12)
Head Coach: Deion Sanders (fourth season)
The Stats
2026 SP+ Overall: 65th
2026 SP+ Offense: 64th
2026 SP+ Defense: 57th
2026 SP+ Special Teams: 116th
2025 Capsule
2025 was a season to forget for Colorado. Without Sanders and Hunter, the Buffaloes struggled like the Colorado teams of old. The flaws masked by those two current NFL players became glaring holes in 2025, as the need for a more complete roster became evident. Even with Coach Sanders using the transfer portal heavily, the roster didn’t gel to the point that it produced on the field. A bright spot for the Buffaloes, though, was true freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who, in his four games, threw for 589 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Still, a 3-9 finish is never a good thing.
Offensive Overview
Colorado’s success in 2026 will most likely depend on redshirt first-year quarterback Lewis. Last season, he showed positive flashes in his limited playing time, but now he’s set to be the starter for the Buffaloes. Utah transfer QB Isaac Wilson is the other guy battling for the starting job, but Lewis’ sky-high potential may warrant him the starting job.
Colorado has a new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Brennan Marion, the former head coach for Sacramento State, brings his Go-Go offensive system to the Buffaloes. The system emphasizes spreading the ball to a variety of ball carriers, but running back Damian Henderson II brings familiarity for Marion after following his former coach from Sacramento State.
Five offensive linemen who spent time as starters last season return for Colorado, plus 11 newcomers. Cal transfer Leon Bell was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team, following a season where he helped protect freshman phenom quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and helped block for 900-yard rusher Kendrick Raphael. The Buffaloes have the depth, size, and experience in their O-line room, but the question is cohesion.
At tight end, Zach Atkins could see a potential breakout season. Like Bell, Atkins was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team following a 2025 season in which he caught 20 passes for 149 yards.
Last but certainly not least, the wide receivers. Or, I should say, Danny Scudero. The San José State transfer led the FBS with 1,297 receiving yards in 2025, doing so on 88 receptions in just 12 games. He should be the leading receiver for the Buffaloes, with Joseph Williams and DeAndre Moore Jr. also helping to round out a strong receiving room. There’s also Quentin Gibson, who is more of a return specialist but could see some playing time on offense. For his play as a returner, Gibson was named by the Football Writers Association of America as the 2025 Freshman Special Teams Player of the Year.
Defensive Overview
Colorado brought in tons of transfers on the defensive side of the ball. Starting with the defensive line, just two players are returning for the Buffaloes, both of whom are moving from linebacker to defensive end in Kylan Salters and Quency Wiggins. The player on the D-line that stands out most for Colorado is interior defensive lineman Ezra Christensen. The New Mexico State transfer played in 11 games last season and finished with 42 total tackles (21 unassisted), 11 tackles-for-loss, 10 quarterback hurries, six sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. For his play in 2025, he was named to the Pro Football and Sports Network All-American First Team — one of only two Group of 5 players across both sides of the ball. Christensen could and likely will make a massive impact on Colorado’s D-line.
Linebacker is arguably the strongest position group overall for the Buffaloes. Transfers Liona Lefau (Texas), Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State) and Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green; also his middle name is ESPN) bring experience to a group that will likely play a huge role in this Colorado defense. Lefau played in 42 career games with 22 starts for the Longhorns, Martinez played three seasons with the Aggies and a year at the junior college level prior and Lampron averaged 9.9 tackles per game last season (t-10th in FBS). With these three transfers, plus the returners and other newcomers, the LB group will be the anchor of the Buffaloes’ defense.
Finally, there’s the secondary. At corner, Preston Hodge returns and should be a significant factor on the boundary, while transfers Justin Eaglin and Cree Thomas could also see significant roles. The most impactful secondary player, though, should be Boo Carter. The Tennessee transfer safety was a 2024 SEC All-Freshman Team selection with 21 games of collegiate experience. While Carter made the SEC All-Freshman team as a return specialist, he was one of the top safeties in this year’s transfer portal class and a huge get for Colorado. The secondary should be a strong suit for the Buffaloes if focus stays on the field and the group clicks.