Deion Sanders provides update on Van Wells injury, depth

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders provided an injury update Tuesday on starting center Van Wells. Wells left last week’s victory over Nebraska with an injury, and he was replaced by a true freshman Hank Zilinskas.

“Healing,” Sanders said during his Tuesday press conference. “The thing about it, this is a game, it’s next man up. Guy came in and did a great job and we didn’t miss a beat. That’s the thing. When any of these running backs go out, when those receivers go out, the defensive line has a tremendous rotation and we’re trying to find those two linebackers that we feel are suitable. We have rotations in some of the dime packages and the nickel packages as well. We have the depth that we need. We could always use more, but I feel like we’re okay at that position. We’re okay. But hopefully Van gets better soon.”

Wells was one of a small number of players to stick around at Colorado through the coaching change this pas offseason. He played in nine games for the program last season as a true freshman. Coming out of Houston C.E. King, Wells was a three-star recruit.

The Buffaloes might not need Wells against a Colorado State program that hasn’t won more than four games since the 2017 season but the team’s schedule does pick up after their annual rivalry game versus the in-state Rams.

The success Colorado has had throughout the first few weeks of the season has the early story of the college football season. Sanders has his Buffaloes, which bottomed out last year at 1-11, looking at achieving only their second winning record since the 2006 season.

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt, himself a former Colorado quarterback during the program’s last run of consecutive winning seasons, said the story at his alma mater is one that is transcending sports.

“Here we are, it’s 2023. Deion Sanders is the head coach of the University of Colorado. They’re 2-0, they’re No. 18 in the country, and they’ve got the best players in the country walking in, calling them to take visits to Folsom Field and to visit Boulder, Colorado,” Klatt said. “A year ago today, basically this week? They’re coming off a 31-point loss to Air Force! A team in their own state! And, now, you’re getting the No. 1 player in the country in 2025 to come visit your school, you’re 2-0.”