The intensity grows for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes ahead of North Dakota State

Colorado players self-governing might be the biggest indicator of optimism in Boulder

Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

There is a great deal of optimism around the Champion’s Center ahead of Colorado's 2024 campaign. There are several reasons to feel optimistic about Deion Sanders’ sophomore season, especially after a lengthy offseason. Most pundits will lean into player additions as the source of the hype. While that is very much a significant part of the equation, it’s more nuanced than just talent upgrades. There is no secret that Coach Prime and his staff enjoy the transfer portal as a college free agency. 

Following the end of last season Coach Prime discussed plans for this season, including focusing on guys with production and a track record of starting. Whether that is B.J. Green, Will Shephard, Chidoze Nwankwo, or any of the four new starting offensive lineman, it has been apparent that players with experience and production at this level prior to joining CU was something the staff focused on.The biggest takeaway from this second wave of players coming in for Prime's second year is the amount of depth they bring to the roster. It is not a stretch to suggest that the wide receivers room alone can go ten-deep. All of which can catch the ball, gain separation, and make plays with chucks of yards on the back end. Are all on the same exact level? No, but all are on a similar tier of ability and talent. 

The offensive line has depth going into this season. At least seven or eight deep, which  includes the return of Tyler Brown who was shut out by the NCAA last year. Any adjustments to the offensive line felt like moving the same five or six guys around to protect Shedeur Sanders. If you move back further in the backfield, the running back room is also nothing like its former set. The group is versatile, but more importantly, the staff is confident that multiple backs can get tough yards on the ground. The sentiment we hear from Coach Prime and his staff could be summed up as, “Three of these backs can bespecial, but all five can get the job done”.

Chidoze “Block Bully” Nwankwo and Shane Cokes seem to be thriving under former NFL standout turned coaches Damione Lewis and Warren Sapp. There is an attitude and focus on stopping the run. Sapp made reference to last year, saying “The one thing I did notice before I turned the TV off, was we couldn’t stop the run and that won’t happen with me. Naw. We’re going to earn our right to rush by stopping the run.” 

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The addition of new blood on the Buffs D-line has created a sense of depth that feels considerably better when compared to last year. Amari McNeil who was a considerable contributor last year creates inside depth they didn’t have before. A guy like Taje McCoy could likely start on some other programs but could provide a needed punch from a rotational position. Changing to a 4-2-5 hybrid as almost their default base defense, will also help balance distribution of talent throughout the game. Instead of starters vs depth, it could appear to be closer to waves of talent. Consider how the Philadelphia Eagles constantly rotate fresh lineman. The formation alone should give most Buffs fans reason for excitement.

Colorado's secondary has always been full of talent and an area of strength under Coach Prime. Being able to sacrifice a linebacker to have a five DB set could be a great decision by Robert Livingston. Trevor Woods was called “the next Brian Urlacher” recently and will likely patrol the middle of the field with LaVonta Bentley opening up the ability to run five DBs almost at all times, if they want to. The flexibility of the formation also allows Coach Prime and Livingston to get a little creative with how they use Travis Hunter on defense. 

We’ve even heard that CU's two-way star might spend a bulk of his time on defense playing in the box instead of out on an island. The players and talent added is a big part of the equation, but the aspect that most seem to not be picking up on, could prove to be the most impactful factor. After having arguably the best QB in the country and the best player in the country regardless of position. Unlike last season, these players have been self-governing. 

In short, many of the new players are bringing a sense of ownership and accountability to practices that were not present here last year. In many cases we saw players who went at the speed or intensity they deemed appropriate almost as if they were waiting for a coach to say something about that effort or technique.

However, this year, it was evident that some of these transfers are just wired differently. All throughout this offseason, players can be seen going at each other in a way that speaks to holding each other accountable, almost play in and play out. Khalil Benson as well as Justin Mayers have been vocal in practice when they believe the effort or execution has not been good enough. 

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The offensive and defensive lines have been going at each other as if it was live fire game action from the moment they stepped on campus. Even as recently as this past week, Shedeur was seen giving his teammates the business for not going hard enough and not executing at a level he is satisfied with. It is a mentality and an intensity that we didn’t see up close and personal last season. 

Whether it was the Stanford game or the Washington State game, there was a sense of a lack of individual intensity. It came from a collection of players actively holding themselves accountable to a new standard. Whether it was Benson getting in a defensive lineman’s face about effort or Shedeur more recently getting on his receivers, one thing is certain. This is good. If not great development of internal maturation. Last season, some players may have been in effort or intensity cruise control. When times got hard, it showed. A factor it seems, Coach Prime is not interested in repeating.

When everyone is not on the same page or giving varying degrees of intensity for the task at hand, the results will be varied. Which is exactly what we saw play out in the latter half of last season. A collection of average players operating as one will almost always beat a team of elite talent all operating at different levels of intensity and/or focus.

As is the case for the 2024 Colorado Buffaloes, it would seem they have both a unified intensity and an increase in talent. Which hopefully should make for a better team result when facing those more difficult challenges as they move through the 2024 season schedule. Which begins when the Buffaloes welcome North Dakota State to Folsom Field on Thursday, August 29 (8 p.m. ET/TV:ESPN).