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Colorado football fans were issued an apology by offensive coordinator Brennan Marion ahead of the spring game.
“It’ll be vanilla,” Marion said of his play-calling plans.
The Buffs‘ offense might have kept things vanilla during Saturday’s spring showcase, but Marion’s creativity was still on display. His Go-Go offense looked balanced and players appeared to be comfortable executing it. Defensively, a few transfers impressed.
Here are a few takeaways and standouts from the Colorado football team’s 15 spring practices, including the spring game.
Colorado football spring takeaways
Deion Sanders loves (and trusts) the Colorado football’s team coaching staff, particularly his coordinators. When Coach Prime had to be at the hospital for a couple of days a few weeks backs with some blood clot issues, his staff held things down. But first, they prayed for him.
Marion and defensive coordinator Chris Marve are big reasons why Coach Prime believes this is the “best staff” he’s assembled so far in Boulder. Marion brought an innovative scheme while Marve has preached an identity of controlled violence and aggression. Their relatability to the players is perhaps their best trait, though.
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“They are really detailed,” Deion Sanders said of his coordinators on Saturday. “The best gift that I believe they have is not just the X’s and O’s, it’s how they relate to their players. We have a situation now where these kids aren’t just coming and desiring to play for me.
“These guys know how to motivate and use the personnel that they have available. They have exceeded all expectations that I had for them.”
Julian Lewis has the support he needs to break out. The redshirt freshman quarterback looked much more comfortable in his second spring game than his first. Lewis completed six of his 11 pass attempts for 60 yards and a TD on Saturday, outplaying Utah transfer Isaac Wilson (6/12, 65 yards, one INT).
If the Colorado football team is going to reach bowl eligibility and contend in the Big 12 this year, it will be because Lewis is leading a high-powered offense. Deion Sanders believes the Buffs’ running game will be improved thanks to Marion’s scheme and a physical offensive line. Coach Prime also loves the receiving weapons at Lewis’ disposal.
“We have a lot of speed at the receiver position and we have guys that can get vertical as well as move chains,” Deion Sanders said Saturday.
Danny Scudero will be the engine behind the Colorado football team’s offense in 2026. The San Jose State transfer led the nation in receiving yards last season (1,291) and Coach Prime sees a lot of Julian Edelman in Scudero’s game. WRs coach Jason Phillips called Scudero “the example” and Deion Sanders called him a “role model.”
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Although he might not catch 100 passes again this year with many other mouths to feed, Scudero will be one of the most productive WRs in the Big 12 and a popular name for the 2027 NFL Draft. His 13-yard TD catch during Saturday’s spring game was just a glimpse of his growing rapport with Lewis.
Brennan Marion’s creativity has won over Coach Prime. The first snap of the Colorado football team’s 2026 spring game was a trick play that resulted in running back DeKalon Taylor catching a pitch on a reverse and throwing a 17-yard pass. Marion used unique formations (unbalanced, two RBs, two tight ends out wide) and showed elite balance as a playcaller (26 runs to 27 pass attempts).
The former Sac State head coach is exactly who Deion Sanders needed to revitalize the Buffs’ offense. If Marion’s history of strong rushing attacks and high-scoring offenses continues into 2026, he’ll be a head coach again before too long.
“I love Coach Marion,” Deion Sanders said Saturday. “He’s unbelievable. I was gonna say a genius. I don’t want to call anybody a genius because you’re gonna hold him accountable to that, but he’s unbelievable at getting guys the ball in the manner that they’re accustomed to getting it. He’s really good at that.”
The Colorado football team has no kicker competition coming out of spring. Redshirt freshman Elliot Arnold has earned field-goal duties for the Buffs, beating out Grambling State transfer Josh McCormick. Arnold had the leg for a 50-yard FG on Saturday but missed wide. He made a career-long FG from 52 yards out as a junior in high school and Coach Prime said Arnold “has really stepped it up.”
“Elliott is the guy we have the utmost faith and confidence in,” Deion Sanders said Saturday. “He does it every practice. He’s gonna be the guy and he’s gonna surprise a lot of people in this room.”
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Coach Prime wants his cornerbacks to play more aggressive. The Colorado football team had the third-fewest interceptions (6) in the Big 12 last season. Deion Sanders has been more hands on with the Buffs’ CBs this spring and while he says he likes three guys at that position, the rest of the room needs to step up.
Cree Thomas has emerged as CB1, Boo Carter has impressed at multiple positions in the secondary and true freshman Mojo Williams Jr. has hit the ground running. Coach Prime wants his other CBs to come along and make more plays on the football, especially the highly-paid players.
“I want to see aggression,” Deion Sanders said of his CBs on Saturday. “Let’s just say we threw 20 passes. We gotta break up at least five, get our hands on a couple of them with maybe one INT. We can’t have zero pass breakups out of 20 to 30 passes, that’s not a good sign.
“These guys are working, they know what I want. We just had our exit meetings yesterday. We’re brutally honest with them but I challenged them to go to the next level. Everybody is getting a check now, man. I expect you to earn it. I really do, and I mean that.”
Colorado football spring standouts
Mojo Williams Jr. is a true freshman who should see the field early. He had an INT on the final play of the Saturday’s game to cap off a strong spring and could benefit from the current uncertainty at the cornerback position.
Randon Fontenette had a game-high eight tackles (five solo) on Saturday and was all over the field. The Vanderbilt transfer safety had a slow start to the spring but looked like an all-conference player and future NFL Draft pick by the end of it.
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Damian Henderson II led the spring game in rushing (39 yards on 7.8 yards per attempt) thanks to a 25-yard scamper. The Sac State transfer possesses the physicality needed at the position while also having home-run ability. Henderson II, DeKalon Taylor and Micah Welch are the Colorado football team’s top three RBs coming out of spring.
Santana Hopper looked as advertised during the spring game. The Tulane transfer defensive lineman had 1.5 TFLs on Saturday after leading all FBS DL in QB hits (11) last season. Hopper is a run-stuffing, pass-rushing interior presence that the Buffs need badly. He has a six-year old son who should motivate him to have a career year before entering his name into the 2027 NFL Draft.
Quentin Gibson led the spring game in catches (four) and receiving yards (38). The sophomore WR might have been a bit overlooked this spring with some of the transfer additions at his position, but he’s still one of the most explosive weapons on the Colorado football team.
Tyler Martinez tallied four tackles on Saturday, including one big hit heard around Folsom Field. The New Mexico State transfer has impressed Marve and been called a “pro” by Deion Sanders. Martinez, Gideon ESPN Lampron and Liona Lefau have heavily upgraded the Colorado football team’s linebackers room.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.
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