Deion Sanders explains why pressure is not entirely on Colorado offensive line

Many are excited to see what’s in store for Colorado in 2024. Boasting one of the most dynamic offensive duos in college football in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, many believe fans will see an improved Buffaloes squad on the gridiron this season despite their struggles last year.

Colorado was statistically among the worst offensive lines in the country in 2023. The Buffaloes were 132nd out of 133 teams in terms of sacks allowed after giving up 4.67 sacks per game. The Buffaloes were also ranked 133rd in rushing offense, with 68.9 yards per game on the ground.

Despite this, head coach Deion Sanders is calling on everyone on the offensive side of the ball to step up. It’s not just on the offensive line.

“You can’t negate the defensive front. Those guys got to be forceful. They got to pressure the quarterback. They got to stop the run,” Sanders told ESPN’s Pete Thamel during an exclusive interview during Big 12 Media Days. “This conference is not as pass happy as the Pac-12. They can run the heck out of the football, so we gotta be able to stop that. But we love what we have in-house as well, because you gotta — I keep saying, ‘We gotta stop this, we gotta stop that.’ They gotta stop us, too.

“And we’re excited about — well, I’m excited about what I see. You gotta understand, we got there last year in December, and we inherited this and we flipped this and we changed that. Now, we’ve had a full year and some change to find what we want and develop it, and we’re excited about it. And those guys in the portal, all those guys have — the majority of them — have playing experience.”

Colorado’s offensive line is already looking up in 2024. Of course, Deion Sanders reached into the NCAA transfer portal to secure some of his blockers for the upcoming season — one of those being Indiana transfer Khalil Benson. He’s proven to be a strong impact player on the field, and has even shown his athleticism on the water, shredding some gnar at a lake in Colorado. Former Clemson OT Zechariah Owens, former Texas OT Payton Kirkland and others may also fit into the mix for Colorado this season.

The Buffs will begin the 2024 college football season against North Dakota State on Thursday, Aug. 29. Non-conference matchups against Nebraska and Colorado State will follow before beginning Big 12 Conference play in Week 4 against Baylor.