Colorado has been one of the most active programs of the offseason after stealing headlines during a 4-8 debut season for Deion Sanders. The Buffaloes have added 30 transfers and put together a top-10 transfer class with more likely to come.
Two returning players — cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders — ranked on CBS Sports’ list of the top four returning players in college football. Several of the top prospects in the post-spring transfer portal have chosen the Buffaloes, who expect a major turnaround in 2024.
Still, one glaring complication remains: offensive line.
It’s no secret to the program that offensive line production ranked among the most pressing issues facing Sanders’ tenure. Colorado ranked near the bottom in almost every offensive line category last season, from sacks allowed to rushing yards. After a game on Oct. 28 against UCLA, a fourth loss in five matchups, Sanders pointed the finger right at his previous line.
“The big picture, you go get new linemen,” Deion Sanders said. “That’s the picture and I’ma paint it perfectly.”
Sanders has stayed true to his word, hitting the portal hard to fill gaps and landing headlining No. 1 tackle recruit Jordan Seaton. Heading into Sanders’ second spring game on Saturday, the unit features more questions than answers.
Inconsistent first attempt
When Sanders first got to campus, he bragged of the “Louis Vuitton” players he was bringing to campus, and delivered quickly. The Buffaloes added six offensive line transfers in the Class of 2023. The six players boasted a combined 5,924 career snaps, but results from that initial group were decidedly mixed.
Three of the transfers ultimately won starting jobs: Jack Bailey, Landon Bebee and Savion Washington. Those players had a combined 4,627 career snaps. Of course, those players were also the core of one of the most maligned offensive lines in college football last season. Returner Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan was the poorest-performing lineman of the group, allowing 42 pressures in 827 blocking snaps. However, Washington and Bailey were close behind. Seven different offensive linemen gave up at least 10 pressures.
Ultimately, Colorado ranked as the No. 67 pass blocking and 80 run blocking unit in the country. For comparison, the Buffaloes ranked No. 59 and 102 in those metrics one year earlier. Colorado was…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…