ESPN ranks Colorado's offseason No. 9 among Big 12 programs

The Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders have received significant praise this offseason for their transfer portal additions and coaching staff hires.

ESPN released its offseason rankings for every Power Four team, and Colorado came in as the No. 9 team in the Big 12 Conference. The rankings take into account three specific factors: roster additions (transfer portal and high school), player retention and coaching staff continuity (including upgrades/additions).

Key additions were highlighted as wide receivers Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore Jr. and defensive tackle Santana Hopper. The biggest departures were offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, wide receiver Omarion Miller and safety Tawfiq Byard. Cornerback Preston Ashley, receiver Alexander Ward and linebacker Carson Crawford were highlighted as the top incoming recruits.

Digging a bit further, the article goes into Sanders' revamped coaching staff, which includes two new coordinators in Brennan Marion and Chris Marve. Marion's Go-Go offense moving up to the Power Four level will be one of the biggest storylines in 2026. As for the additions on defense, they have plenty of starting experience that hopefully translates to the Big 12.

It's easy to get excited about what Marion is working with in his Julian Lewis-led offense. The Buffaloes reloaded at receiver with Scudero, Moore and Kam Perry coming in to complement Joseph Williams. They inked seven offensive linemen with starting experience to get things fixed up front. There are also a ton of multiyear starters among the 25 portal additions on defense. Hopper and Toby Anene (North Dakota State) are proven veterans on the line and All-MAC performer Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green) and Liona Lefau (Texas) are big upgrades at linebacker. If this staff can bring the best out of Tennessee transfer DB Boo Carter, he'll be fun to watch alongside Justin Eaglin (James Madison), Randon Fontenette (Vanderbilt) and several more experienced additions in the secondary.