In 2024, the Colorado Buffaloes finished with a 9-4 record, battled for the Big 12 title, and earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl, raising the bar for what’s possible in Boulder.
Yet, as the 2025 season looms, a major test awaits: competing in the Big 12 without star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way standout Travis Hunter, both of whom have departed for the NFL.
Recruitment and Roster Changes: Building for the Future Without Stars
Analyst Joel Klatt, a former Colorado quarterback turned FOX Sports commentator, recently shared his take on the Buffaloes’ outlook during a podcast segment on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
Klatt expressed cautious optimism, stating, “I don’t see them taking a huge step back, maybe a small one.”
He pointed to the program’s strong recruiting, saying, “They’ve recruited at a very high level. They brought in a couple of quarterbacks. Kaidon Salter, a quarterback that transferred in from Liberty, I believe it was, and they also got Julian Lewis, Juju Lewis, who committed from USC, is now at Colorado.”
Klatt also praised Coach Prime’s efforts, noting, “Deion has done a really great job, whether it’s been in the portal or in high school recruiting, to try to reload.” Let’s take a closer look at Klatt’s prediction.
Colorado’s biggest task heading into 2025 is replacing Shedeur Sanders, who threw for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2024. To fill that void, the Buffaloes have secured two talented quarterbacks: Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty, and Julian “Juju” Lewis, a top high school recruit who flipped his commitment from USC.
Salter, a proven dual-threat talent, racked up over 2,500 passing yards and 20 touchdowns at Liberty in his last season, while adding 800 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground. His experience gives him an early edge in the quarterback competition. Lewis is ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class by 247Sports.
The Buffaloes didn’t stop at quarterbacks. In the transfer portal, Colorado landed 30 commitments for 2025, ranking 20th nationally and 2nd in the Big 12, per 247Sport. Though smaller than the 43 transfers brought in for 2024, this class focuses on quality and cultural fit.
Standouts include offensive lineman Tyler Johnson, an All-Big 12 honorable mention from Texas Tech, who bolsters a line tasked with protecting the new signal-callers, and wide receiver Drelon Miller, who hauled in 32 catches for 277 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2024.
On the high school front, four-star defensive back Malik Clark adds speed and coverage skills to a secondary facing brutal passing attacks in the Big 12.
The Big 12 Landscape: A Tight Race with High Stakes
The Big 12’s reputation for parity makes it one of college football’s toughest conferences to predict, and 2025 looks no different.
Klatt underscored this challenge, saying, “If you look at right now what Vegas says about the team that they think is the worst team in the Big 12, the over-under is set at 5½. If you look at the team that they think is the best team in the Big 12, the over-under is set at 8½.”
That slim three-game gap between the top and bottom shows how bunched up the league is, with 14 to 16 teams capable of finishing anywhere from four to nine wins.
This means every matchup counts for Colorado. The 2025 schedule pits them against heavyweights like Utah and Kansas State, both projected to vie for the conference crown, alongside winnable games against Arizona and Oklahoma State.
Without Sanders and Hunter, the Buffaloes will lean on their retooled roster to stay sharp week after week.
KEEP READING: 2025 Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 Power Rankings
The conference’s depth could play to Colorado’s advantage if they maximize home games at Folsom Field and pull off a few road upsets, but it also leaves little room for growing pains with a new quarterback.
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