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How are the Buffs looking going into 2024?

It’s that time of year again. As CU’s students wrap up their final exams, we at Ralphie Report are going to issue one extra report card. How did each position group fair after the heavy roster churn of the spring football period? Let’s grade each group to see how they’re looking ahead of the 2024 season.

Quarterback: A

All the Buffs really had to do to stay in the A range was keep Shedeur Sanders in Boulder for one more season and they did just that. Along with Sanders, the Buffs retained backup Ryan Staub, who started one game last season and impressed. Transfers Walter Taylor III and Destin Wade add impressive depth to the group too.

Running back: C

This is a tough one for the Buffs. Colorado lost all three of the players they were expecting to utilize in 2024 during the spring portal period, including fan-favorite Dylan Edwards. Now Coach Prime and his staff have had to rebuild the group from the ground up in the span of about one month. True-freshman recruit Micah Welch impressed in spring ball, while the additions of established FBS rushers Dallan Hayden and Rashad Amos are massive for the team. Still, that can’t quite make up for losing Edwards to Kansas State, who looked bigger and stronger in the Spring, and may be in store for a star turn.

Wide receiver: A+

Coach Prime really knocked it out of the park with his additions at wide receiver this offseason. Travis Hunter is one of the nation’s most dynamic athletes and a perpetual threat when he lines up in the X, and the Buffs added two high-end receivers to accompany him. Will Sheppard gives Shedeur Sanders yet another deep-ball threat, while LaJohntay Wester is explosive in the open field. Jimmy Horn Jr. remains reliable from the slot. This might be the single best WR room in the country. That’s the kind of talent we’re talking here.

Tight End: D-

Truth be told, it’s hard to grade this group. After losing Mikey Harrison to the transfer portal a few days after the 2023 season, the Buffs added Cincinatti transfer Chamon Metayer to become their top option at TE. However, he jumped ship after only ten practices in Boulder and found a new home at Arizona State. Metayer’s departure has left a hole in the TE spot and it’s not quite clear yet how it will be filled. Ohio State transfer Sam Hart seems to be a decent option for the Buffs, but he profiles as more of a depth piece behind whoever the Buffs will bring later in the summer.

Offensive line: B

Deion stayed true to his words after that UCLA game where Shedeur took seven sacks, as he quite literally replaced the entire offensive line. Every single starter up-front will be a new face in 2024. The crowning jewel of Colorado’s new line is five-star recruit Jordan Seaton, who looks to be a superstar in the making at left tackle. The other four starters are transfers who found a new home in Boulder, so it remains to be seen how they’ll gel. That B grade is based on potential, but this new group looks is a big upgrade in terms of size, experience and talent.

Defensive line: A-

Colorado really dug deep into the portal and managed to come away with 5+ solid players, making their new defensive line perhaps their deepest position group now. They snagged both of Pitt’s starting defensive ends, added a couple of stablished SEC guys, and retained perhaps their best d-lineman last season in Shane Cokes. This group is poised to show out in 2024 and is a surefire upgrade from last season.

Linebacker: B

Colorado did exactly what they needed to do this offseason, keeping Trevor Woods and LaVonta Bently around. They also added guys like Keaten Wade from Kentucky and Jaylen Wester from FAU. The Buffs aren’t reinventing the wheel at linebacker, but keeping Woods and Bently around is perfect for the upcoming season. Plus, it’s looking like the linebackers are going to have a relatively light workload in Robert Livingston’s new defense.

Cornerback: C

The good news: We still have perhaps the best cornerback in the country on our sideline in Travis Hunter. The bad news: Colorado’s two other top corners have hit the transfer portal. Losing Omarion Cooper is a big hit, while Cormani McClain is as talented as anyone. Coach Prime added Oklahoma State’s DJ McKinney, but he’s still looking for more players at the position. That Colorado CB room that was praised for its depth last season isn’t looking so deep at the moment.

Safety: B+

Nothing has really changed for the Buffs at safety. Both of their starters from last season, Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, are still around and will be back for the 2024 campaign. Expect a heightened workload for Sanders and Silmon-Craig, as they’ll be playing high a lot more under Livingston.

Special Teams: B

In terms of individual talent, the Buffs look more than solid at the kicker and returner positions. Alejandro Mata is as accurate as anyone and Jace Feely has all kinds of potential. As good as LaJohntay Wester is at receiver, he’s an even better returner, where he was named All-American last year at FAU. The weakness here is the punt team, but hopefully the Buffs won’t rely on Mark Vassett as much as they did in 2023.

by RylandScholes
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Mock NBA Draft has two Buffs going in the first round ... Tad Boyle adds Danny Manning to coaching staff ... Tad Boyle adds three graduate transfers to 2024-25 roster ... **Video: Men's Basketball 2023-24 Full Season Recap** ...

Stuart
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Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Tad Boyle is adding a college basketball legend to his staff.

As if there wasn’t enough nostalgia in their return to the Big 12, the Colorado Buffaloes will have a rekindling of old friends.

Head coach Tad Boyle has found his new assistant coach. It’s his former Kansas teammate, Danny Manning, an NCAA Champion, Naismith Player of the Year, NBA All-Star and college basketball head coach.

Manning will replace Rick Ray, the former assistant who joined Mark Byington’s staff at Vanderbilt after four seasons in Boulder. Ray was a valuable member of the staff, but Manning appears to be an upgrade.

Manning was previously a head coach for Tulsa and Wake Forest, respectively. His teams at Tulsa overperformed expectations and even appeared in the NCAA Tournament, although his Demon Deacons struggled despite having NBA-level talent.

He was dismissed from Wake Forest in 2020, then spent the next few years with Team USA, Maryland and Louisville. Both the Terps and the Cards were bad while he was there, but that was with a burnt out Mark Turgeon and an overwhelmed Kenny Payne leading those teams into the abyss.

Manning isn’t the best X’s and O’s coach, but that won’t be his job at Colorado. He’s a great recruiter and a good role model and locker room presence for the players he helps bring in.

It also helps that Tad has known him for decades and has worked with him for years on Team USA. He knows what kind of value he will bring to the Colorado basketball program.

by Sam Metivier
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Andrej Jakimovski (23) and Bangot Dak (12) will compete for minutes on the 2024-25 Buffs. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffs have had a busy April.

While all eyes have been on Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes football team, Tad Boyle’s staff has quickly rebuilt a roster that lost six of its seven leading scorers to the NBA Draft and transfer portal.

In April alone, the coaching staff has recruited and signed three legit starters to go along with six returning players and three highly touted freshmen. The Buffs aren’t done — they’re looking for one more impact transfer — but it’s a good time to take shape of the roster as it currently stands.

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Players departing: KJ Simpson (NBA), Tristan da Silva (NBA), Cody Williams (NBA), J’Vonne Hadley (Louisville), Eddie Lampkin Jr. (Syracuse), Luke O’Brien (Georgia Tech), Joe Hurlburt (Davidson)

Players incoming: Trevor Baskin (Colorado Mesa), Elijah Malone (Grace College), Andrej Jakimovski (Washington State), Andrew Crawford (#94 HS recruit), Sebastian Rancik (#139), Felix Kossaras (#160)

Players returning: Julian Hammond III, Javon Ruffin, Bangot Dak, Assane Diop, RJ Smith, Courtney Anderson

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Projected starters:

PG — ???
SG — Julian Hammond III, Sr.
SF — Trevor Baskin, Sr.
PF — Andrei Jakimovski, Sr.
C — Elijah Malone, Sr.

Bench rotation:

G — Javon Ruffin, Jr.
G — RJ Smith, r-So.
G — Courtney Anderson, r-Fr.
F — Bangot Dak, So.
F — Assane Diop, So.

Freshmen:
G — Felix Kossaras
G — Andrew Crawford
F — Sebastian Rancik

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Now that’s all on paper, there are some things to work through. The first is that final scholarship spot, which everyone from Trinidad to Wellington knows Tad Boyle is saving for a lead guard. The Buffs won’t find a direct replacement for KJ Simpson, but they need someone dynamic with the ball in their hands.

That someone could be Julian Hammond, but both the coaches and Hammond himself prefer the Cherry Creek grad to play mostly off-ball where his catch-and-shoot ability is better utilized. Last season may have been the best role for him, playing next to KJ off-ball, then filling in as backup PG when the star needed rest. Boyle will probably want that same role for him, only as a starter rather than coming off the bench.

Now, if the Buffs do land that starting PG and decide to keep Hammond as sixth man, it would be because they want more size and defense than the starting lineup I projected above. This would mean Bangot Dak or Assane Diop in a starting role, sliding Andrej Jakimovski from the 4 to the 3, and Trevor Baskin from the 3 to the 2. Positions don’t matter as much in CU’s five-out offense since everyone is fluid and capable with the ball in their hands. (There is the risk that Hammond transfers if he isn’t a projected starter.)

Speaking of Baskin and Jakimovski, these two senior transfers are locked in as starters. Baskin figures to be the best player on the team. He’s a 6’8 wing with legit athleticism and a well-rounded skill set. I would expect the Buffs to play through him and design their offense around his drive-and-kick game. As for Jakimovski, we saw at Washington State that he’s a glue guy who can catch fire from beyond the arc. He will contribute to defense and rebounding, hit some shots, and just generally play winning basketball.

The other locked in starter is our final transfer, big man Elijah Malone. He may struggle some with the jump from NAIA to the Big 12, but he’s a legit 6’10, strong and mobile, and has a bit of skill. The Buffs had to compete with Indiana and Notre Dame for his signature, as both those teams see him as a legit starter at this level of basketball. CU fans should be very excited for him, as he’s a better shooter and defender than Eddie Lampkin, and a world more polished than the center before him.

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As for the bench rotation, that will depend on summer training and pre-season practices. Boyle clearly trusts Bangot Dak and sees a future for him, even if he’s extremely raw on the offensive end. Assane Diop flashed his potential in his limited time on the floor and will get more chances to grow. Javon Ruffin is a solid bench guard, but the question is always health rather than ability. Those three should figure into the rotation in some capacity, assuming health and steady growth.

Returning guards RJ Smith and Courtney Anderson represent mystery boxes. Smith redshirted as a freshman, played seven games this past season, then missed the rest of the year with an injury. Anderson redshirted in 2023-24. Both of them look like typical CU guards — big and strong, diligent on defense, a touch undercooked in terms of on-ball skill — but we don’t know much more about them. This is a big summer for both, as Smith returns from injury and Anderson has to show enough development to earn minutes.

If Smith or Anderson aren’t ready to play, or if Ruffin has another injury setback, Boyle will have two freshmen guards worthy of a look. Andrew Crawford is the big name, a top-100 recruit from in-state ThunderRidge. Felix Kossaras is the hipster pick as a late-rising, high-upside recruit from Québec. Both are 6’5 combo guards who show craft and intelligence. Crawford could use a year of weight training, while Kossaras is more physically developed and perhaps more ready for in-game reps.

The final freshman is Sebastian Rancik, who is originally from Slovakia and moved to California to pursue his basketball career. The 6’9, 210-lbs. forward is skilled as a shooter, ball handler and passer. He could use some strength training and defensive refinement, as all freshmen do, but he has a fire in him that can’t be taught. It will be good for him to learn from Jakimovski, who has a similar temperament and skill set, and become something of an X-factor for the Buffs moving forward.

This is a great crop of freshmen to bring in for the long term, but it’s to be determined how much we see of them this season. Those in the know have projected Kossaras as the most likely to break into the rotation, but the guard rotation is crowded with guys who are hungry for playing time. Same for Rancik, who will compete with the defensive-minded Dak and Diop for forward minutes. This is what a healthy program looks like — everyone is talented and the ones who develop and perform will earn minutes.

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Overall, it’s clear that Tad Boyle is bringing in transfers and freshmen who fit Colorado’s defense and rebounding identity and can play in a five-out motion offense. Those guys are hard to find and Tad can sell them on a program that wins game and produces NBA talent. Landing players like Baskin, Malone and Jakimovski is a signal that this coaching staff wants to retool, rather than rebuild, and that the players themselves believe that this team will be competitive in the Big 12. (I’m not sure what competitive means in the Big 12, but something close to .500 in conference play will have us on the bubble.)

What’s more is that CU has retained all of their talented underclassmen and brought in a top-25 freshmen class. These players are staying in the program with no guarantee of playing time. They trust the coaching staff to develop them long term and that the minutes will come when they’ve proven themselves in practice. It also encourages a healthy basketball program where the team will win games in the present, foster competition and growth within the rotation, and those talented and committed will stand out as players to build around in the future.

by Sam Metivier
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Transfer cornerback Colton Hood: “I know I’m a really good receiver and I can play both sides" ... Coach Prime v. The Athletic: "Great Theater for the Fall" ... College administrators looking for more bowl games, not fewer ...

Stuart
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