The 2026 Colorado Buffaloes football team represents the University of Colorado Boulder as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buffaloes are led by fourth-year head coach Deion Sanders. They play their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
Offseason Departures Outgoing transfers Name No. Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown New school 3 CB 6'1" 180 Jr Detroit, MI TCU 4 WR 6'2" 210 Jr Vivian, LA ASU 6 S 6'2" 210 Jr Atlanta, GA Mississippi State 6 WR 6'1" 200 So Silsbee, TX Baylor 7 S 6'1" 195 So Hyattsville, MD Texas A&M 7 RB 5'10" 205 Jr Memphis, TN Memphis 8 CB 6'2" 180 Jr Colleyville, TX Notre Dame 9 CB 5'10" 190 GS Greenville, TX 13 S 6'2" 200 So Clarksdale, MS Purdue 14 QB 6'3" 210 Jr Highlands Ranch, CO 16 QB 6'1" 200 So Stevenson Ranch, CA Tennessee 17 WR 5'10" 165 So Hollywood, FL Tennessee 18 WR 6'1" 195 Fr Statesboro, GA Georgia Southern 18 K 5'9" 180 Fr South Lyon, MI Eastern Michigan 20 CB 6'2" 200 Fr Hamilton, OH Sacramento State 22 S 6'3" 170 Fr Miami, FL UCF 23 S 5'11" 210 Jr Plano, TX Arkansas 25 CB 6'3" 200 Fr Buford, GA North Carolina A&T 26 RB 6'0" 215 Sr Pensacola, FL Oregon 30 CB 5'10" 180 Jr Broomfield, CO Colorado Mines 36 S 5'10" 180 So Littleton, CO Wyoming 38 LB 6'1" 230 Fr Buford, GA UAB 40 LB 6'1" 220 GS Dayton, OH UAB 44 DE 6'3" 250 Fr Atlanta, GA Clemson 46 OG 6'3" 325 Sr Jackson, MS James Madison 58 DE 6'6" 275 Jr Trelawny, JM NAU 65 OL 6'5" 300 Fr Mobile, AL Memphis 70 OL 6'5" 315 GS Prairie Village, KS Baylor 73 OL 6'8" 340 Rs-Fr Placentia, CA 77 OT 6'5" 330 So Washington, D.C. LSU 82 WR 6'2" 185 Sr Greensboro, NC Memphis 86 TE 6'4" 270 Jr Portland, OR Withdrew/remained at Colorado 91 DE 6'4" 290 Fr Detroit, MI Texas A&M 93 DE 6'4" 250 Jr Brockton, MA Virginia Tech 94 DT 6'1" 300 GS Humble, TX 95 DT 6'4" 300 Sr Tampa, FL Georgia Tech 96 DT 6'5" 325 Jr Columbia, MS Ole Miss 97 DT 6'1" 300 Fr Daytona Beach, FL Boston College 98 DE 6'6" 240 Fr Stuart, FL Penn State 99 DT 6'3" 310 Sr Moreno Valley, CA San Diego State
Retirements
Coaching departures Name Previous Position New PositionBrett BartoloneColorado - Offensive pass game coordinator/tight endsNevada - Offensive coordinatorMarshall FaulkColorado - Assistant head coach/running backsSouthern - Head coachRobert LivingstonColorado - Defensive coordinator/safetiesDenver Broncos - Defensive pass game coordinatorDomata PekoColorado - Defensive linePittsburgh Steelers - Defensive lineMichael PollockColorado - Special teams coordinatorNoneWarren SappColorado - Defensive pass rush coordinatorNonePat ShurmurColorado - Offensive coordinator/quarterbacksNone
Acquisitions Incoming transfers Name No. Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Prev. school 3 WR 6'0" 190 Sr Bellflower, CA Texas 4 WR 5'9" 145 So Refugio, TX Sacramento State 4 DB 5'10" 175 Jr Temple, TX New Mexico State 6 DB 5'11" 200 Jr Chattanooga, TN Tennessee 7 DB 6'2" 220 Sr Freeport, TX Vanderbilt 7 WR 5'9" 170 Sr Marietta, GA Miami (OH) 8 DB 6'1" 195 Sr Powder Springs, GA Appalachian State 9 DB 5'10 180 Fr Lewisville, TX Oklahoma 9 RB 5'11" 210 Jr Lehigh Acres, FL Alabama 13 DB 6'2" 185 So Pflugerville, TX Utah 15 DB 5'11" 190 So Philadelphia, PA Indiana 16 QB 6'0" 210 So Draper, UT Utah 17 LB 6'1" 230 Sr Kahuka, HA Texas 18 DB 6'2" 200 Jr Richmond, TX Lamar 18 WR 5'9" 175 Sr San Jose, CA San Jose State 20 DB 6'1" 190 Fr Phoenix, AZ Notre Dame 23 RB 5'11" 170 So Orlando, FL Sacramento State 26 RB 6'2" 205 Jr Los Alamitos, CA Sacramento State 30 DB 6'1" 175 Sr Fayetteville, NC James Madison 35 LB 6'1" 220 Fr Albuquerque, NM New Mexico State 44 LB 6'0" 220 Sr LaGrange, OH Bowling Green 45 DL 6'3" 260 Sr Auckland, NZ San Jose State 52 DE 6'2" 240 So Suffolk, VA James Madison 53 DE 6'4" 260 Sr St. Paul, MN North Dakota State 54 OL 6'5" 310 Sr Jersey City, NJ Rutgers 55 OL 6'7" 295 Jr Fairburn, GA Georgia 56 DL 6'2" 230 So Ramsey, NJ Monmouth 57 OL 6'8" 330 GS Dickinson, TX Cal 58 OL 6'2" 310 GS Orange, TX Houston 60 K 6'0" 220 GS Austin, TX Grambling State 62 OL 6'2" 305 Jr Nazareth, PA Lafayette 71 OL 6'3" 295 Fr Upper Marlboro, MD Ohio State 73 OL 6'3" 310 Jr Tulare, CA Sacramento State 75 OL 6'6" 315 Sr Gonzalez, LA Missouri 88 DL 6'3" 375 Jr Humble, TX Baylor 89 TE 6'7" 265 GS Hattiesberg, MS Northern Colorado 90 DL 5'10 290 Jr Locust Grove, GA Coastal Carolina 91 DL 6'4" 320 Jr Atlanta, GA Maryland 95 DE 6'2" 240 So Richardson, TX Charlotte 96 DE 6'3" 260 Sr Philadelphia, PA Albany 97 DL 6'2" 265 Sr Shelby, NC Tulane 98 DL 6'2" 280 Sr Poway, CA New Mexico State 99 DL 6'1" 300 Fr Stockbridge, GA Appalachian State
Recruiting class
New walk-ons
Coaches acquisitions Name Previous Position New PositionVonn BellNoneColorado - SafetiesAaron FletcherAbilene Christian - Co-defensive coordinator/associate head coachColorado - Cornerbacks Justin HoulihanSacramento State - Graduate assistant/tight ends coachColorado - Offensive analyst/quarterbacksKenny IngramUCF - Defensive lineColorado - Defensive analyst/defensive lineBrennan MarionSacramento State - Head coachColorado - Offensive coordinator/quarterbacksChris MarveVirginia Tech - Defensive coordinator/interior linebackersColorado - Defensive coordinator/linebackersJosh NiblettGainesville HS - Head coachColorado - Tight endsClancy PendergastUCLA - AnalystColorado - Senior defensive analyst/linebackersKyle WagnerSacramento State - Offensive analyst/assistant running backsColorado - Offensive analyst/tight ends
Preseason
Spring game The Colorado Buffaloes spring game was held on April 11, 2026, at Folsom Field.
Big 12 media days The Big 12 Conference discontinued their media preseason poll in 2025, however, an unofficial poll by Big 12 writers sponsored by the Tulsa World predicted Colorado to finish 15th in the conference. Likewise, the Buffaloes were predicted to finish in 15th place in the USA Today Big 12 preseason poll. No Colorado players appeared in the Big 12 all-conference team.
Schedule
Game summaries at Georgia Tech
Statistics COLOGT First downs 21 17 Plays–yards 76–307 54–288 Rushes–yards 49–183 30–51 Passing yards 124 237 Passing: –– 14–27–0 17–24–0 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 34:09 25:51 Team Category Player Statistics Colorado Passing Julian Lewis 14/27, 124 yards, TD Rushing Damian Henderson II 12 carries, 65 yards Receiving DeAndre Moore Jr. 4 receptions, 37 yards Georgia Tech Passing Alberto Mendoza 17/23, 237 yards Rushing Justice Haynes 19 carries, 64 yards Receiving Jordan Allen 8 receptions, 113 yards
vs Weber State (FCS)
Statistics WEBCOLO First downs 23 24 Plays–yards 81–373 73–578 Rushes–yards 29–128 38–180 Passing yards 245 398 Passing: –– 22–52–1 26–35–0 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 29:55 30:05 Team Category Player Statistics Weber State Passing Nate Dahle 20/48, 244 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Omar Shah 12 carries, 65 yards Receiving Noah Kjar 7 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD Colorado Passing Julian Lewis 17/23, 366 yards, 4 TD Rushing Micah Welch 11 carries, 106 yards, TD Receiving Joseph Williams 4 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD
at Northwestern
Statistics COLONU First downs 18 21 Plays–yards 62–348 73–423 Rushes–yards 33–180 51–182 Passing yards 168 241 Passing: –– 19–29–2 17–22–0 Turnovers 4 1 Time of possession 23:07 36:53 Team Category Player Statistics Colorado Passing Julian Lewis 19/29, 158 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing JaQuail Smith 8 carries, 91 yards Receiving DeAndre Moore Jr. 7 receptions, 56 yards Northwestern Passing Aidan Chiles 17/22, 241 yards, 3 TD Rushing Caleb Komolafe 11 carries, 49 yards Receiving Griffin Wilde 5 receptions, 85 yards
at Baylor
Statistics COLOBAY First downs 24 22 Plays–yards 81–363 74–337 Rushes–yards 39–83 35–116 Passing yards 280 221 Passing: –– 24–42–0 19–39–1 Time of possession 31:26 28:34 Team Category Player Statistics Colorado Passing Isaac Wilson 12/25, 156 yards, TD Rushing Micah Welch 9 carries, 35 yards Receiving Joseph Williams 11 receptions, 127 yards, TD Baylor Passing DJ Lagway 19/39, 221 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Dawson Pendergrass 18 carries, 85 yards Receiving Gavin Freeman 6 receptions, 59 yards, TD
vs No. 12 Texas Tech
Statistics TTUCOLO First downs 19 22 Total yards 315 375 Rushing yards 181 78 Passing yards 134 297 Turnovers 0 4 Time of possession 28:56 31:04 Team Category Player Statistics Texas Tech Passing Will Hammond 17/26, 134 yards, TD Rushing J'Koby Williams 17 rushes, 88 yards Receiving Terrance Carter Jr. 8 receptions, 67 yards, TD Colorado Passing Isaac Wilson 26/44, 290 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Isaac Wilson 17 rushes, 42 yards Receiving Joseph Williams 10 receptions, 93 yards, TD
vs Utah
Statistics UTAHCOLO First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics Utah Passing Rushing Receiving Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving
at Oklahoma State
Statistics COLOOKST First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving Oklahoma State Passing Rushing Receiving
vs Kansas State
Statistics KSUCOLO First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics Kansas State Passing Rushing Receiving Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving
at Arizona State
Statistics COLOASU First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving Arizona State Passing Rushing Receiving
vs Houston
Statistics HOUCOLO First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics Houston Passing Rushing Receiving Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving
at Cincinnati
Statistics COLOCIN First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving Cincinnati Passing Rushing Receiving
vs UCF
Statistics UCFCOLO First downs Plays–yards Rushes–yards Passing yards Passing: –– Time of possession Team Category Player Statistics UCF Passing Rushing Receiving Colorado Passing Rushing Receiving
Personnel Roster
Statistics
Team Individual leaders Offense Passing statistics # NAME POS CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG/G CMP% TD INT LONG TOTALS OPPONENTS
Rushing statistics # NAME POS ATT YDS AVG LNG TD TOTALS OPPONENTS
Receiving statistics # NAME POS REC YDS AVG LNG TD TOTALS OPPONENTS
Defense Defensive statistics # NAME POS SOLO AST CMB TFL SCK INT PD FF FR TD TOTALS 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 OPPONENTS 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
Special teams Kicking statistics # NAME POS XPM XPA XP% FGM FGA FG% LNG OPPONENTS
Punting statistics # NAME POS PUNTS YDS AVG LNG BLK TB I–20 TOTALS OPPONENTS
Kick return statistics # NAME POS RET YDS AVG LNG TD TOTALS OPPONENTS
Punt return statistics # NAME POS RET YDS AVG LNG TD TOTALS OPPONENTS
References