Colorado DC Chris Marve’s new linebackers must check these boxes in 2026

Colorado defensive coordinator Chris Marve has drunk a lot of coffee since he’s arrived in Boulder.

In fact, he says him and the person who opens the door at Starbucks in the morning have become best friends.

It’s the result of Marve’s responsibilities changing dramatically in the blink of an eye. The former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator (2022-24) joined the Buffs this offseason as linebackers coach with the understanding that if the opportunity to become Colorado’s DC presented itself, he would be considered.

The opportunity presented itself when Robert Livingston was hired by the Denver Broncos just a week before the Buffs’ spring practices began. Marve had to put his DC hat back on but his players didn’t notice a different version of him with more on his plate, and that’s a good thing.

“The thing about Coach Marve that sticks out is he was the same guy whether he was our linebackers coach or the DC,” Colorado linebacker Liona Lefau (Texas transfer) said Wednesday. “He went about his business the same. He’s a very ‘in your face’ coach. He’ll demand excellence out of you so I appreciate that because at the end of the day, we’re all trying to be the best version of ourselves.

“For somebody to push you each and every day to be the best version of yourself, it just helps you to elevate your game each and every day.”

Lefau is a big reason why Colorado’s most improved position group from last year is linebacker.

The former Texas LB started 22 games for the Longhorns over the last two seasons, racking up 132 tackles (65 solo) during that span. Lefau possesses a handful of the qualities that Marve covets in his linebackers, particularly speed and intelligence.

“Productivity, productivity instincts, physicality, violence, speed, intelligence,” Marve said of what he’s looking for in his LBs “Whether you’re a very vocal guy or a guy who’s a rah rah guy, who’s loud and you can hear from two rooms away, if you produce on the field, everybody will recognize who you are and you’ll have natural leadership because of your productivity in the way that you work.

“There are all types of personalities that fit a football program, but there needs to be one standard.”

Gideon ESPN Lampron has a different personality than Lefau, but they both are what the Buffs’ defense needs in 2026.

Lampron earned first-team All-MAC honors, totaling 119 tackles and 17.5 TFLs at Bowling Green last season. His instincts and physicality could make him Colorado’s leading tackler this fall, especially since he has some familiarity with Marve’s scheme.

“I love it,” Lampron said of Marve’s defense. “It matches a lot of what I’ve done in the past so it definitely helps me. He (Marve) is a general, you know, he’s a pretty stern guy but his meetings are pretty fun. All of us enjoy being in there and I just love the room.

“We’re gonna play violent and fast. Our standard is excellence and we’re just gonna try and attack every single day.”

Marve is better equipped to handle all of the personalities on Colorado’s defense because of a year off from coaching. After his final season at Virginia Tech, he spent 2025 around NFL teams and sharpened a skill that has become a lost art in coaching: teaching.

“I’ve learned how to be a better teacher,” Marve said Wednesday. “I did a lot of stuff in the offseason. I did internships in the NFL with the Rams and the Cardinals. I visited a bunch of different programs because you have access now when you don’t have a logo on your chest and so I got to see a lot of different things that challenged some things that I thought, but also really reinforced some things that I fundamentally believed in and still believe in.

“If you’re not adapting in this game, then you’re gonna die, so I learned that. Adapting is imperative.”

Linebackers are often the quarterbacks of the defense and Colorado has at least three who fully understand that responsibility.

New Mexico State transfer Tyler Martinez is the third after a season-ending ankle injury in 2025 gave him another year of eligibility. He started all 12 games and was the Aggies’ leading tackler (96 total, 47 solo) as a junior in 2024, earning All-CUSA honors.

The trio of Colorado football’s new LBs combined for 215 tackles and 21.5 TFLs last season. Lampron said Wednesday that Lefau and Martinez are his “best friends on the team” already and called the LBs “a tight knit group.”

It’s still early on in spring, but Colorado’s linebackers should be a strength in 2026 and Chris Marve would be a big reason why.

“I love Coach Marve,” Tyler Martinez said Wednesday. “He’s an intense coach. I like intense coaches who kind of get in your face, challenge you and challenge your leadership so I love that side of Coach Marve.”

Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.