Deion Sanders, head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, is preparing for his third season leading the football program in Boulder. The team is set to begin its 2025 campaign with expectations heightened by its recent national exposure.
As the season approaches, the Buffaloes will play without two prominent players from last year: wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, both now headed to the NFL. Despite these departures, attention remains on how Colorado will perform under Sanders’s guidance.
ESPN analyst Bill Connelly highlighted three notable games on the Buffaloes’ schedule for the upcoming season: a home opener against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, a Week 9 matchup at Utah Utes, and a regular-season finale against Kansas State Wildcats. Each contest carries its own storylines and potential implications for Colorado’s place in college football.
The first game against Georgia Tech holds historical significance. Both teams claim to be co-champions of the 1990 national title due to past voting systems before the College Football Playoff era. The meeting on Aug. 29 at Folsom Field will mark their first-ever matchup. With Shedeur Sanders no longer at quarterback, transfer Kaidon Salter or freshman Julian Lewis are candidates to start behind center for Colorado.
In Week 9, Colorado faces Utah in Salt Lake City. The Utes have addressed quarterback concerns with New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier and are expected to be competitive under longtime coach Kyle Whittingham. For Colorado, offseason changes such as hiring strength coach Andrew Swasey will be tested against Utah’s physical style of play.
Colorado wraps up its regular season Nov. 29 at home versus Kansas State Wildcats. This game could impact conference standings as Kansas State enters ranked No. 17 in preseason polls under quarterback Avery Johnson. After a close contest between these programs last year, this meeting could again prove critical for both teams’ postseason hopes.
The full article originally appeared on SI.com.
