Colorado hoping a revamped O-line room will lead to more success

Colorado was, for a time, one of the most hyped teams in college football last season.

It made sense, too. The Buffaloes brought in Deion Sanders (aka Coach Prime) to turn things around and he started out hot and heavy — with wins against national champion runner-up TCU and two major rivals, Nebraska and Colorado State.

The Buffaloes were riding high at 3-0 and that combined with Prime’s abilities as a recruiter had everybody thinking that Colorado was officially back.

Unfortunately, what started with a bang in Boulder fizzled out. The Buffaloes finished 4-8 while riding a six game losing streak to end the season.

Many things went wrong for Colorado, but one of the main factors was the offensive line. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is explosive and can be a game-changer, but the Buffaloes couldn’t protect him. They gave up 56 sacks in 2023, which was the second-worst mark in all of college football behind just Old Dominion with 62.

That needs to change in 2024 if Coach Prime wants to have success in Year 2. The good news? At least according to his new offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur, things are coming along up front for Colorado this spring.

“It’s good, they’re growing and getting better,” Shurmur recently told the media (h/t On3). “As you know, it’s an all new crew except for a couple of guys, but they’ve done well. I mean they’re coming together. A lot going on for them right? We brought in six new guys but they’ve got a very mature approach to development. They got a terrific line coach and assistant line coaches to work with.”

Talent was certainly an issue last season. Sanders shored that up by bringing in five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, who was the top offensive tackle recruit in the nation, per 247Sports. He’s now a freshman for Colorado.

Other newcomers include Indiana transfer Khalil Benson, Houston transfer Tyler Johnson, UTEP transfer Justin Mayers, JUCO transfer Issiah Walker Jr. and UConn transfer Yakiri Walker. They’ll join center Hank Zilinskas, who was a freshman last season.

It’s a revamped unit and Colorado is hoping that will lead to revamped results. As with anything, though, it takes time.

“They understand the importance of running the ball and protecting the passer and we feel like the progress has been really good and that’s the key with an o-line group,” Shurmer explained. “So if we can keep them all together, probably add a couple more guys. I guess that’s the nature of things. But I really like where we’re at going forward. There’s a heck of a lot left to do, a lot of work. We’re not near where we need to be, but I would say we’re on the right track.”