After a brief break from the gridiron, the No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) have their eyes set on facing the No. 17 BYU Cougars (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
At Tuesday’s press conference, head coach Deion Sanders, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston addressed the transfer portal and the end of the season for the Buffs—the three aim to finish the season strong and see young talent against the Cougars.
With the portal opening, starting linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and a few other contributors are transferring out. The Buffs have countered with the addition of new commits and transfers of their own. Sanders wished his former players well but recognized that this is the new landscape of college football. He ensured the Buffaloes would be aggressive in the off-season.
“The transfer portal should be no surprise…you got to have rapport, you got to do your studies, you got to understand business. I’m prepared for that,” Sanders said. “The portal has never been a surprise for us.”
Livingston is looking forward to the chance of seeing new players on the field against BYU. Although he did not name specific individuals, the expectation is that there will be a rotation at the linebacker position.
“Welcome to college football [in] 2024, these conversations are happening everywhere across the country…we’ll adapt and adjust, it’s next man up,” Livingston said. “They don’t care who's wearing the helmet, they just see the Colorado logo.”
After signing 2025 quarterback Julian Lewis and others, Shurmur feels the team can improve even more. The Buffaloes will need to find replacements and depth at a multitude of positions, with a plethora of seniors set to leave for the NFL. All three coaches have alluded strongly to being at Colorado for next season.
“We're going to do everything in our power to make sure we’ve got the best players and the best room possible to represent Colorado football,” Shurmur assured.
Outside of the transfers, Colorado plans to play all of its starters from the regular season. The seniors will have a final opportunity to put plays on film for scouts. As the season nears an end, Sanders reflected on where his team had shown the most improvement. There has been an emphasis on this final game for the Buffs.
“Just believing, overall believability that what we possess inside of our locker room is good enough to win. We got to go in there and do what we are capable of doing without having any letdowns,” Sanders said. “Play our game, especially when we can run the football and give Shedeur [Sanders] the time he needs to have a little more balance.”
This will be the first bowl game (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) that the Buffaloes have played in since 2016. The excitement amongst fans, students, coaches, and players is eminent throughout Boulder. Colorado will do its best to end with a win.
“It's our way to finish off the year. Our rallying cry is to get it to 10 (wins). I’m excited for these guys and it's all about the seniors,” Livingston said. “It's their last time in a Colorado jersey and I’ll do everything in my power to send them off the right way.”
The Buffaloes will travel to San Antonio on Monday and partake in a week of bowl-related activities leading up to the game. The Alamo Bowl kicks off at 5:30 p.m. MT on Dec. 28 and will be broadcast on ABC.
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