Colorado offensive line remains the biggest questions entering 2026
· Yahoo Sports
Colorado football enters 2026 with more depth and more optimism than a year ago, but the recurring concern is still the offensive line. Deion Sanders and his staff have rebuilt the roster in several spots, yet the unit up front still looks unsettled as summer workouts continue.
Line battles
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Colorado brought in nine new linemen and returns six more from last season, which means the starting five could look very different by the time the opener arrives. At tackle, the leading options appear to be Bo Hughley, Taj White, Jayven Richardson, Leon Bell and freshman Xavier Payne.
Guard is just as crowded, with Jayvon McFadden, Jose Soto, Yahya Attia and Chauncey Gooden all in the mix. At center, Demetrius Hunter brings Big 12 experience from Houston and may have an edge over Sean Kinney, but nothing has been locked in.
That kind of uncertainty matters more on the offensive line than anywhere else. The group has to communicate quickly, build chemistry and handle different looks with little time for mistakes.
Brennan Marion and Julian Lewis
The timing is not ideal. Brennan Marion is installing a new offense, and Colorado is expected to hand the job to redshirt freshman Julian Lewis. That gives the Buffs a young quarterback learning a new system behind a line that still has to figure itself out.
Marion's offense is built on tempo and movement, but it only works if the blocking is clean. If Colorado is still shuffling linemen in August, Lewis could be asked to play in a tougher setup than the staff wants.
Early season tests
There is reason for hope as several of the linemen Colorado added have played in power conferences, and that experience should speed up the process. Still, the Buffs have road games against Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Baylor early in the season, and those matchups will show whether this group is ready.
Colorado does have talent up front, but the question is whether they can turn that talent into a reliable group before the schedule starts getting really difficult.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football offensive line battles continue ahead of 2026