Posted by a member over on TalknDawgs
- Colorado has a very thin roster for a Power 5 FBS program
-- Buffaloes only have 77 scholarship players (eight below the NCAA maximum), and one of them (i.e., projected starting OG Tyler Brown) is ineligible to play this year due to multiple undergraduate transfers
-- Only 71 of their scholarship players are rated any stars
- 57 Colorado players participated vs. TCU
-- Of the nine returning players from last season's roster, four of them started (i.e., LT Gerad Christian-Lictenhan, OC Van Wells, ILB Marvin Ham II, and S Trevor Woods) and one played as a backup (i.e., RB Anthony Hankerson)
-- 10 of the participants were walk-ons (i.e., 2* WR Cole Boscia, RS Sophomore S Ben Finneseth, RS Sophomore TE Michael Harrison [converted WR only weighs 215 lbs.], Senior OT Evan Kistler [first career appearance], freshman WR Kaleb Mathis, 2* RB Ahmir McGee [Fullerton CC/Portland State transfer], RS Sophomore RB Charlie Offerdahl, RS Sophomore K Christian Palazzo [Oregon transfer's first career appearance], RS Sophomore LS Cameron Warchuk [first career appearance], and 3* TE Elijah Yelverton [former Cockeye player was medically disqualified on 23 March 2022])
- Notable non-participants:
-- 2018 3* OG Landon Beebe (Missouri State transfer was a 3x All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree)
-- 2019 4* ILB Brendan Gant (FSU transfer hasn't practiced w/ the team due to a knee injury, but may return in a couple of weeks)
-- 2019 4* S Travis Jay (FSU transfer)
-- 2019 2* OG Tyler Brown (Jackson State transfer is ineligible to play this season since he started his career at Louisiana)
-- 2020 5* Edge Sav'ell Smalls (Washington transfer)
-- 2020 4* CB Jahquez Robinson (Alabama transfer)
-- 2020 3* TE Louis Passarello (returning player and projected starter out indefinitely w/ a knee injury as of 17 August)
-- 2020 3* S Vito Tisdale (Kentucky transfer)
-- 2021 3* DE JJ Hawkins (Ole Miss transfer)
-- 2021 3* RB Alton McCaskill IV (Houston transfer tore an ACL on 4 April 2022 and was in a no-contact jersey yesterday)
-- 2022 3* OT David Conner (Florida transfer)
-- 2023 5* CB Cormani McClain (Deion Sanders yesterday: "Cormani has to be ready, he has to get ready to play")
-- 2023 4* WR Adam Hopkins (from Thomas County Central HS)
-- 2023 4* WR Omarion Miller
- While Colorado passed at will vs. TCU, the Buffaloes only averaged 1.6 yards per carry (including lost yardage from QB Shedildo Sanders being sacked 4x)
- Other than a few splash plays (i.e., two redzone INTs and a game-clinching 4th-down stop), Colorado's defense is suspect (especially up front)
-- Surrendered 541 total yards including 7.1 yards per carry
-- No sacks, no tackles for loss, and only two quarterback hurries on 42 passing attempts
-- Dartmouth transfer Shane Cokes (1 solo, 3 assisted tackles vs. the Horned Frogs) is their best defensive lineman; he is joined up front by FSU transfer 3* DE Derrick McLendon II (1 tackle vs. the Horned Frogs), Fresno State transfer 2* DL Leonard Payne, Jr. (no tackles vs. the Horned Frogs), and Maine transfer OLB Khairi Manns (1 assisted tackle vs. the Horned Frogs)
- Starting S Myles Slusher is "banged up", requires minor surgery, and will miss the Nebraska game on Saturday (he made the game-saving tackle on 4th-and-9 w/ 55 seconds remaining in the game vs. the Horned Frogs)
- Starting WR Javon Antonio has a shoulder injury and was in a non-contact jersey on Tuesday
