JANUARY 2024

1. Chamon Metayer, TE , Cincinatti

Metayer enters the 2024 season with the Buffs standing at a strong 6’5 245 pounds. Metayer's size will indoubtedly beef up the Buffs front 5 while also adding a special layer of playmaking ability. Metayer adds an extra push within the run game with his blocking ability and with the loss of Mikey Harrison- leaving the team to join Former OC Sean Lewis at San Diego State University- Metayer helps fill a big hole left open from last season. Metayer's speed and strength allows him to over power linebackers and safeties down the field, while also providing a safety blanket in the pass game. He is going to play a huge role in setting up the passing game up the middle of the field; I have Metayer as the most underrated pick up from the portal this off-season and I expect him to play a huge role in offensive production this coming season. 

2. Tyler Johnson, OL , Houston, Texas

Tyler Johnson comes to Colorado with two years of eligibility left as a former Houston and Texas commit, respectively. Coach Prime's promise to rebuild this O-Line to protect Shadeur Sanders is coming into fruition after landing 5 Star tackle Jordan Seaton to go along with the well-recruited transfer, Tyler Johnson. In his time playing college ball, Johnson has earned himself All-American honors and you can likely expect the big Junior to have similar access during his time in Boulder. He stands at 6’5 325 pounds and is a true power 5 lineman with all of the tools to help achieve goals in the passing and rushing game for the buffs. Expect to see Sanders with plenty of time to make throws and decisions this coming season. 

3. Quency Wiggins, DL , LSU

Wiggins joins a defense that ranked 12th in the nation last year in takeaways. This defensive unit had plenty of bright spots but all said and done, the line was definitely amongst the top positions needing an upgrade. Wiggins stands at 6’5 265 pounds with an NFL frame waiting to showcase what he can do with a new offensive unit. He played in nine games over two seasons,  registering seven total tackles while at LSU with five coming unassisted and one tackle for loss. You can expect him to increase those numbers substantially in this coming season so as long he can remain healthy and earns his spot. Wiggins should end up being a starter throughout the season but Spring camp will give us a solid glimpse into how he meshes with this defense.

If you would've told me that Coach Prime would encourage some of his players to do a fashion tour versus attending their first meeting of the 2024 football season, I would've laughed in your face. But low and behold, we have ourselves an old-fashioned "what-the-hell-is-going-on-here?" This is, perhaps, one of the reasons that Colorado University has been so criticized and ridiculed in the media, but it is hard to place blame when this is allowed at a power 5 school. To 2's defense, he proved last year he has the skillset, mindset, and coaching to be amongst the great quarterbacks in college football, given he gets more beef in the O-line this season. But as a quarterback, it is crucial to establish your role as a leader on the team, and with a literal brand new offensive line unit coming in, I think it is mandatory that your team captain is there. With Coach Prime coming in, Colorado's already high expectations have translated into thoughts, mannerisms, and conversions to becoming a national championship contender. To Shilo's defense, pun intended, there is definitely some room for improvement. Last year, it seemed the Buffs defense was competing with the offensive line to be the achilles heel of this football team. While he is not a "Leader" or "Dawg" to Coach Prime and his coaching staff's standards, Shilo is a leader on this defense and was a large reason to the defensive unit's minimal success last season. Nonetheless, this decision from the two seniors was an unexpected one to say the least, and as a team that already is nit-picked for their every move, this could bite them in the rear come December.  This issue has drawn out the former collegiate athlete in myself to think; man this generation of athletes are way too privileged. I understand that players should be compensated for their name, image, and likeness, and all they contribute to their universities, respectively, but allowing players to miss team meetings for a fashion show would never fly for me, or any other athlete I know. My college coach would probably have choked me out if I were to even hint at this being an option for me, and my father's coach would have indefinitely coached him out. This is just a bad taste left in the mouths of the CU fanbase after an underwhelming final 8 games of their season. A team that started 4-1 by opening their season with a win versus the loser of last year's national championship game in the TCU Horned Frogs, ended up winning just one more game on the year, getting boat raced by conference foes and embarrassed on a national stage. The prominence of CU's downfall last season is not their fault, let's be honest the media was absolutely relentless; but you can't say that Coach Prime didn't stir the pot with his fiery personality and understanding that everything he says is going to be on X, Instagram, and Twitter within the hour. Please let it be known that I have nothing but respect and admiration for what Coach Prime has done for young aspiring football players, but I would be lying if I said I weren't beside myself that Coach Prime allowed his sons this absence. This decision only raises the question of how the teammates of the two captains are going to react, and if this is going to impact the chemistry in the locker room. Coach Prime and his staff have done a pretty remarkable job recruiting so far this year and they are continuing to re-sort an already alternating lineup, so only time will tell how well his Louis V blends with his other luggage. 

If you are a Colorado alum, or fan, or even a basketball fan, you absolutely need to dial in to these Lady Buffalo ballers. While exceeding nearly everybody's expectations, the Buffs have won 9 straight games, are leading the PAC-12, and have earned a national ranking, and they still have yet to fulfill goal of a PAC-12 championship before the school's transition to the Big-12 next season. Only the South Carolina Gamecocks and Caitlyn Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes hold higher rankings than the Buffs in the AP poll, and they have a chance to finish in the top-5 of the rankings for the first time since 1994. CU has simply been dominant in an offensive facet, and have proved they belong in the rankings as this is the year of the upsets. In nearly every game where they face a higher ranked opponent, the Buffs have been underdogs according to Vegas, and boy were they wrong as the Lady Buffs have one loss so far this season with less than a month of regular season play remaining. CU looks poised for a long run in March if they can remain in the top 5, avoiding early meetings with other really good teams, but this sort of matchup has not bruised the Buffs yet. The Lady Buffaloes play another powerhouse in the UCLA Lady Bruins this Friday, January 19, in Boulder.