Colorado Buffaloes' New-Look Running Back Room Snubbed In Big 12 Ranking?

All things considered, Buffaloes Wire's Jack Freeman ranked Colorado's running back room as the fourth-worst in the Big 12 Conference ahead of this upcoming season. Freeman pointed to the loss of Augustave at the start of his reasoning.

Colorado lost their 2024 starter under dubious circumstances, leaving the Buffaloes with an uninspiring backfield heading into 2025. Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch will form a running back room by committee. Both backs showed positive flashes in the Buffaloes' spring game. The duo should be strong this season, backed by a much-improved offensive line; however, they are very unproven, and the team lacks depth behind them.Jack Freeman

While Hayden did enjoy a respectable 553-yard season with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2022, Freeman was fair in ranking Colorado's running back room at No. 13 in the 16-team Big 12 Conference. Coach Deion Sanders and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur have yet to commit to the run game in Boulder — largely due to former quarterback Shedeur Sanders' presence — and it's yet to be seen if things will change in 2025.

The Baylor Bears topped Freeman's preseason ranking for good reason as 1,000-yard rusher Bryson Washington is trending toward another massive season. Led by Jahiem White, the West Virginia Mountaineers ranked No. 2, and the Cincinnati Bearcats landed No. 3.

If Colorado does improve its rushing attack in 2025, new running backs coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk will see much of the credit.

"The guys that I trust will play," Faulk said during spring camp. "In today's game, to ask a tired player, that's unheard of. Back when we played, if I was tired, they may give me more carries because I am really good now. I am settled. We don't play that type of game anymore. We're trying to protect players. You got to have backs ready to play and they got to have carries. It is fairly easy to me. The guys that I trust based on how they practiced and what they do and how they test will play. That's it. And I am going to ask them to do certain things, and I want to know what they like doing."