2026 Colorado Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing-
What’s to like:
Deion Sanders has continued to attract talent to Colorado, and that has changed the level of attention surrounding the program. The Buffaloes have been able to bring in players through both recruiting and the transfer portal, giving them more talent than they had when Sanders first arrived. That ability to attract players should continue to help Colorado build its roster.
Colorado also has plenty of athleticism at the skill positions. The Buffaloes have players capable of making explosive plays and creating mismatches, which gives the offense a higher ceiling. If that group can play consistently, Colorado should have enough talent to compete with several teams in the Big 12.
What’s not to like:
Colorado still has to prove it can maintain success over multiple seasons. The program has shown that it can generate attention and put together strong stretches, but sustaining that success is a different challenge. With higher expectations entering 2026, Colorado will have to show that last year's progress can become something consistent.
The offensive line remains one of the biggest concerns. Colorado has added talent throughout the roster, but the line has not always provided the consistency needed to keep the offense on schedule. If the Buffaloes struggle to protect the quarterback or establish the run, their talented skill-position players may not have enough opportunities to make an impact.
What does the Hourglass say?
Colorado- Big 12 (6-6)
Power ranking 45.7.
2026 Colorado Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #42- outside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Deion Sanders- 31st in Power 5 and 4th in the Big 12.
2026 coaching value= 23.1 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Deion Sanders is ranked higher of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: Julian Lewis- ranked 40th in the Power 4, 8th in the Big 12; 2026 QB value= 29.6 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Colorado has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of . This puts the Buffaloes at the lower tier for the Big 12 in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
Deion Sanders has brought more talent and attention to Colorado, and the Buffaloes have enough athleticism at the skill positions to cause problems for opposing defenses. The bigger question is whether the program can sustain its progress and get better play from the offensive line. If Colorado can protect the quarterback and establish more consistency up front, it should have a chance to build on its recent improvement.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/3/26 At Georgia Tech- Loss
9/12/26 Weber State- Win
9/19/26 At Northwestern- Win
9/26/26 At Baylor- Loss
10/3/26 Texas Tech- Loss
10/17/26 Utah- Loss
10/24/26 At Oklahoma State- Loss
10/31/26 Kansas State- Loss
11/7/26 At Arizona State- Win
11/13/26 Houston- Win
11/21/26 At Cincinnati- Win
11/28/26 UCF- Win
