The BuffsBlog team has been busy talking to sources, watching YouTube videos of practice, and reading the tea leaves in preparation for today’s post about the projected starters for the 2025 season. But before we dive in, it’s important for Buff fans to know that that over 56% of the team’s players this fall will be players that are new to the program since last fall. This means that the majority of players that will play for Coloardo this upcoming season have never played at Folsom Field before, never run behind Ralphie, and never seen CU fans pelt opposing fans with piss bombs and batteries. (That’s a joke for all the dumb Corndog fans out there that actually know how to read).
Forecasting a starting offense when the majority of players are new to the program is difficult — some might say it’s a fool’s errand. Still, I’ve heard some things that are different than what the CU Sponsored State Media is putting into the ecosphere and thought fans would be interested to hear a little bit about what I’m hearing about the offense.
A story about the forecasted defensive starters will follow soon.
The biggest story for CU’s offense will not, to the amazement of the national media, be the starter at QB. Instead, it will be the offensive line. I’ve been told, and I tend to believe, that CU’s offensive line will be noticeably better this fall than it has been under Deion Sanders. While that’s damning faint praise (last year CU gave up 43 sacks, tied for 126th nationally), I believe the offensive line should at least be average in the Big 12, and that CU will have one of the strongest tackle tandems in the country.
Quarterback
Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, who joined the Buffs in the winter portal, will be CU’s starting quarterback week one against Georgia Tech. Two years ago at Liberty, Salter was dominant and named Conference USA Player of the Year. He threw for over 2900 yards and rushed for over 1100 yards, leading Liberty to an undefeated regular season.
Salter placed third in the FBS in 2023 with an 8.3% big-time throw rate and 1,117 rushing yards. He also led all quarterbacks in the country with 57 forced missed tackles.
Last year, Liberty graduated its 3 top WRs and Salter’s numbers came back to Earth. Still, he threw for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns (with 6 INTs) and rushed for 587 yards and 7 TDs in 2024.
Given Salter’s elusiveness, he’ll start game one against Georgia Tech.
Freshman Julian Lewis will continue pushing Salter in practice, but Salter’s experience and production suggest he’ll open the season under center. Don’t take this as a slight against Lewis. We’re really high on JuJu and think you should read our profile at: https://buffsblog.com/why-julian-juju-lewis-is-the-most-important-colorado-football-recruit-in-25-years/
Running Back
The lead back will be sophomore running back Micah Welch. Welch graded out as CU’s highest rated running back last season with a PFF score of 73.1, which is above average. Most important, however, Welch was the best pass blocker last year among the running backs and this is why we believe he’ll get the nod over Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden (who rushed for 196 yards on 64 carries last season for the Buffs).
Welch played in nine games as a true freshman, starting in three including the final two games of the season. He finishished the season with 186 yards on 43 carries and tied for the team lead with four rushing touchdowns.
DeKalon Taylor will also see playing time, although his size (5’9″ 165 pounds) makes him too small to be the feature back of the offense. I expect to see him utilized on reverses, jet sweeps and similar plays.
Tight End
At tight end, Colorado will start junior Zach Atkins. Atkins transferred from Northwest Missouri State. The 6’4″, 240-pound Atkins provides a big target and has the skill set to contribute immediately. He joins the Buffs with two years of eligibility and should be the team’s starting H-back/TE, with limited depth behind him (notably returning senior Sav’ell Smalls, who also saw time at TE last year).
Fans should not expect huge numbers from Atkins. Last year, at the Division II (not FCS!) level, Atkins ecorded 18 catches for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. This is a position where CU must improve.
Slot Wide Receiver
In the slot, Dre’lon Miller will be a focal point. Miller was a four-star true freshman in 2024 and made an immediate impact, playing in all 13 games (three starts). He finished 2024 with 32 receptions, 277 yards and 3 touchdowns. Also, Miller was the only underclassman that was invited to catch balls for Sheduer Sanders on his pro day, which speaks to the faith and belief that Sanders has in Miller.
A consensus top-100 recruit in 2024, Miller’s savvy route-running and sure hands make him a safe bet as the slot starter. He also showed pop as a blocker on run plays, and earned multiple freshman All-American honors. Miller will be an above-average starting WR for CU and can also help as a RB.
X Wide Receiver
On the boundary (the “X” receiver), Omarion Miller is expected to start. A cousin of Dre’lon, Omarion is a redshirt sophomore and comes off a 2024 season limited by injury. In six games, he tallied 10 catches for 216 yards and 1 TD. Before his injury, however, Miller flashed big-play ability – for example, he caught a 58-yard TD vs. Baylor and had an 8-catch, 145-yard game against Kansas State. In 2023, he showed even more explosiveness (most noticeably 196 yards and a TD on 7 catches vs. USC, which merited a call from Snoop Dogg). When healthy, Omarion’s size (6’2″) and speed make him a candidate to line up on an island and challenge defenses deep. His teammate Joseph Williams (Tulsa transfer) also figures to see significant reps on the outside, but the slot/X mix should feature the Millers prominently. Omarrion Miller, if he stays healthy, should be an All-Big 12 level receiver.
Y Wide Receiver
The “Y” receiver will be slotted by a newcomer: Sincere Brown, a 6’5″ transfer from Campbell University. Brown exploded in 2024 at FCS Campbell with a school-record 61 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season, he averaged 16.9 yards per catch.
Brown is probably the fastest player on CU’s team per sources (he was teammates at South Florida with Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver, and they both admit that Brown is faster than they were). Brown had a PFF score of 77.2 last year, nearly 10 points higher than any other Campbell football player that played meaningful snaps for the team.
Brown will arrive in Boulder this summer as a graduate transfer, ready to plug into Pat Shurmur’s offense. I think Brown will be running routes in the NFL in 2026.
Left Tackle
Jordan Seaton is entrenched at left tackle. Seaton, a true freshman in 2024, started every game (13) at LT for CU – the first true freshman to start a season opener on the line at CU since 2014. He allowed zero sacks in 11 games last year (out of 13), and his run blocking impressed scouts. Seaton is regarded as one of the top young linemen in college.
Despite these accolades, I thought Seaton was just “pretty good” last year. He wasn’t dominant, and this is backed up by his 67 PFF rating (which is slightly above average but not great). Seaton has put on nearly 50 pounds since last season, and is now tipping the scales at 6’6″ 335 pounds. I expect that Seaton will improve and be a dominant tackle this fall.
Left Guard
Here’s a curve ball. Most of the CU Sponsored State Media have penciled in Xavier Hill as CU’s starting left guard. We believe Hill will start at right tackle, giving CU the best tackle duo in the Big 12 (more on Hill later). Without Hill at right guard, this position appears wide open. We think the starter will probably be returning guard Kareem Harden, who has bulked up to 340 pounds. Harden played in all 13 games in 2024 (with 7 starts at guard). In pass protection, he allowed only 1 sack and 4 QB hurries on 265 snaps.
Still, CU needs to be better at this position than they were a year ago.
One nugget — it wouldn’t shock us if true freshman Chauncey Gooden works his way into the starting lineup by mid-season. Coaches rave about his strength and athleticism at 375+ pounds. Gooden has All-American potential down the road for Colorado.
Center
Colorado signed a transfer center in Zarian McGill from Louisiana Tech. McGill played one year at Tech (2024) and was the Bulldogs’ top-graded OL at PFF with an overall score of 68.5. He was an average run blocker but very strong pass blocker, and he can also slide out and play guard. At Louisiana Monroe the prior two seasons, McGill played exclusively at center and was named 2nd team All Sun-Belt Conference.
Standing 6’2″ and 320 lbs, McGill adds strength in the middle and versatility. McGill was dominant in the Spring Game, and it’s fair to expect big things from McGill this fall.
Right Guard
The right guard spot will feature one of Colorado’s largest additions: Zy (Zylon) Crisler, a veteran from Illinois. Crisler (6’7″, 340) started 30 games at Illinois and was twice named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He played mostly at right guard but also saw action at right tackle.
Although his 2024 performance dipped to the point that we’re worried about Crisler as a starter at CU (he had a PFF score of 49.6, well below average), CU sources have noted to me that he was coming off injury. In practice Crisler’s been a leader, and Coach White has praised his work ethic. Crisler is versatile but he’s currently penciled in at RG. (Aki Ogunbiyi, a tranfser from Texas A&M and a swing-line veteran, Chanuncey Gooden, and Kareem Harden could spell him early.). This spot, like left guard, is a position to watch.
Right Tackle
We’re projecting Memphis offensive lineman Xavier Hill at right tacke. Hill is CU’s most decorated offensive lineman, as he earned 1st Team All-AAC honors last year and was named to the Outland Trophy Watchlist. Notably, Hill played significant snaps at both guard and tackle for the Tigers (about 490 snaps at LG, 464 at RT).
Hill’s PFF pass-block grade (86.4) and run-block grade (81.6) in 2024 were out-of-this-world outstanding. Colorado’s staff views Hill’s athleticism as ideal for right tackle in their scheme. He should anchor the right edge and will give CU, along with Jordan Seaton at LT, the best tackle duo in the Big 12 and one of the best tackle duos in the country. Hill will be a dominant tackle at CU and I believe will be CU’s best offensive lineman this fall.
Other media outlets have indicated that they believe Tennessee transfer Larry Johnson III or Maryland transfer Andre Roye Jr. will start at RT. We don’t think so because, frankly, we don’t think they’re athletic enough to man the position effectively. Last year, Johnson had a PFF score of 57 and the prior year it was 45.8 (woof) in limited action. Roye Jr. had a PFF score of 43 last year, and was Maryland’s lowest-rated offensive lineman that played meaningful snaps. While these players have some experience in the Power 5 level, we suspect they’ll be depth players. Another name to watch outside in a pinch is Mana Taimani, the transfer from Ole Miss that can play 4 positions along the line.