Deion Sanders' real work begins as the season ends at Colorado

Coach Prime will have plenty to look forward to as 2024 quickly approaches

CU Buffs

The dust is settling on the 2023 football season for the Colorado Buffaloes. With that being said, it's been a rollercoaster ride with thrills and an unprecedented climax.

From the moment head coach Deion Sanders took over as head coach, it’s been nothing but a frenzy. The season itself started off with a bang. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders came out guns blazing as he lit up the scoreboard and the stat sheet with four touchdowns in his first FBS game. He followed the season opener with efficient games against Nebraska and Colorado State.

Then things began to take a turn. The team started falling off the rails, and by team I mean key positions. We won’t go into detail but certain things need to change. Nonetheless, it’s been a rough last half of the season for the Buffaloes. They went on a six-game skid and there was no end in sight besides the end of the season. From the lack of production on the ground to the inability to force a stop, the rough patch continued to grow.

The run game has been a problem all season. No matter what scheme or formation they tried, they just couldn’t muster up anything. Their leading rusher, Dylan Edwards carried the ball 76 times for 321 yards. Edwards ranks 22nd in the conference behind fellow Colorado running back, Anthony Hankerson. Sanders led the team in rush attempts with 111, and not all of those were designed run plays. Needless to say with the offense being so one-dimensional it was hard to see this team any differently in 2024 without changes.

Fortunately for Colorado, they can hang their head on their passing offense, largely due to Sanders playmaking ability. The offense bolsters a top receiver with an NFL future. Xavier Weaver finished ninth in FBS with 908 receiving yards. The team exuded excellence when it came time to let the ball go, but there were many opportunities left on the field.

Defensively the team had many glaring holes with very few bright spots. However, when those bright spots appeared, it shined brighter than the sun. Safety Shilo Sanders finished the season with 67 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception that resulted in an 80-yard pick-six. Linebacker Lavonta Bentley had five sacks to go along with his 67 total tackles and two passes defended. We can’t forget about the do-it-all weapon of Hunter. The two-way star had five passes defended with three interceptions on the season. As for offense, besides some of his ridiculous catches and breath-taking catch radius, Hunter had 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns.

Many would consider this season to be a failure but not so much. The season may not have turned out the way many on the outside expected but this team fought hard every game and we now know what needs to be improved. Coach Prime will have his roster and a few new coaches to help shape the culture he wants from his team. Year One for Prime is in the books, but with a new year and new conference to look forward to, the Buffaloes of Boulder have plenty to look forward to.