Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Greg McElroy Warns Big 12 Programs as He Makes Stance Clear on Deion Sanders’ Colorado

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 10:30 AM ET

When Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders took over as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, he faced considerable skepticism.

This doubt only intensified when the Buffaloes finished his first season with a 4-8 record, despite starting the year with three consecutive wins. However, those four victories represented a significant improvement from the previous year's dismal 1-11 record.

In his second year, Sanders silenced many of his critics by leading the team to a successful 9-4 season, the best performance in Boulder since 2016. As he enters his third year as head coach, Sanders is aiming for continued success.

ESPN's Greg McElroy shared his expectations for both the Buffaloes and Sanders this season on his podcast, "Always College Football."

"The foundation is laid with Coach Prime, but now there's so much turnover," McElroy said. "... I don't think Colorado is really in the mix to go win the Big 12 this year. I think there are too many teams that are more known commodities. But I think they can be a huge spoiler for Utah, or Kansas State or hosting Arizona State ... so there are some opportunities for Colorado to play spoiler this year."

The offensive line has been a significant topic of discussion in recent years, but McElroy said he believes it has shown some improvement. He feels this group could be a reliable asset for the Buffaloes this season.

McElroy also noted that while Colorado brought in 33 transfers during the offseason, there isn't as much turnover compared to previous seasons. Furthermore, he pointed out that the defense made strides last year, allowing 12 fewer points per game on average.

Given the continued improvement he anticipates, McElroy thinks Colorado could potentially play spoiler against some of the top teams in the conference, preventing them from reaching the College Football Playoff.

To achieve this, the Buffaloes will need to replace star quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Last season, Sanders threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 74% of his passes. He will be succeeded by either Kaidon Salter, a transfer from the Liberty Flames who accumulated 4,762 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over his last two seasons, or five-star true freshman Julian Lewis.

Additionally, Colorado must find a replacement for Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who had 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 36 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

The Colorado Buffaloes will open the season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 29.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: