DENVER (KDVR) — The University of Colorado Boulder football team missed out on a spot in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, despite a strong showing last year and heavy recruitment during the offseason.
The Buffs were always going to have an uphill battle in replacing eight NFL-level players, including a Heisman Trophy winner. Players who were drafted or signed with an NFL team include:
- Travis Hunter, WR/CB, drafted by Jacksonville Jaguars
- Shedeur Sanders, QB, drafted by Cleveland Browns
- LaJohntay Wester, WR, drafted by Baltimore Ravens
- Jimmy Horn Jr., WR, drafted by Carolina Panthers
- B.J. Green II, DE, signed as UDFA by Jacksonville Jaguars
- Shilo Sanders, S, signed as UDFA by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Will Sheppard, WR, signed as UDFA by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, S, signed as UDFA by Jacksonville Jaguars
The loss of these eight players will be heavily felt in the Buffs’ locker room, while these are the biggest names, at least 15 other players have entered the transfer portal, graduated or retired due to medical injuries.
Plenty of outgoings meant that the team’s scouts had to put their noses to the ground and find some replacement talent.
CU had 31 new commits through either the transfer portal or from high schoolers making the leap to college.
The highly-touted recruitment class is headlined by 17-year-old freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who is one of the best recruits in the nation after he played only three years in high school, and reclassified to the 2025 class to get a head start in college.
Joining five-star Lewis are three other four-star commits from the ESPN Top 300, as well as four more four-star recruits who just missed out on a Top 300 spot. Six three-star freshmen also joined the team, and the rest of the 31 commits made the swap through the transfer portal.
The Buffs finished last season in the final spot of the Top 25 and received a single vote for a spot this preseason. The AP Top 25 preseason poll features:
| Rank | School |
| 1 | Texas |
| 2 | Penn State |
| 3 | Ohio State |
| 4 | Clemson |
| 5 | Georgia |
| 6 | Notre Dame |
| 7 | Oregon |
| 8 | Alabama |
| 9 | LSU |
| 10 | Miami (FL) |
| 11 | Arizona State |
| 12 | Illinois |
| 13 | South Carolina |
| 14 | Michigan |
| 15 | Florida |
| 16 | SMU |
| 17 | Kansas State |
| 18 | Oklahoma |
| 19 | Texas A&M |
| 20 | Indiana |
| 21 | Ole Miss |
| 22 | Iowa State |
| 23 | Texas Tech |
| 24 | Tennessee |
| 25 | Boise State |
Plenty of eyes will be on the Buffs, led by media darling Deion Sanders, as the team attempts to reclaim a spot in the AP Top 25.
The first step in their journey is the season opener at Folsom Field against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
