The Colorado Buffaloes had a remarkable turnaround this season, especially when compared to where they were just two years ago before Deion Sanders took over as head coach. However, their performance in the Alamo Bowl against BYU highlighted that there’s still a lot of work to be done, as they were dominated 36-14 in the final game of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders’ collegiate careers.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Buffaloes are already focused on 2025. Sanders has assembled an impressive recruiting class, both with high school recruits and transfers, and the program received some major news on Sunday evening following their bowl loss.
The Buffaloes announced they have officially signed Texas A&M transfer Aki Ogunbiyi, a move that will significantly bolster their offensive line. This position has been a glaring issue for Colorado throughout Sanders’ first two seasons, and Ogunbiyi’s addition is expected to provide much-needed stability in the trenches as the program looks to build on its success and improve for next season.
Winning in college football often starts upfront, with the offense and defensive lines playing a critical role in both protection and pressure. While Colorado made significant strides from 2023 to 2024, their offensive line still hasn’t quite reached the level needed to effectively protect their quarterbacks, particularly the incoming true freshman and five-star recruit Julian Lewis.
Lewis is set to take over from Shedeur Sanders, who, despite a record-breaking season, was the most sacked quarterback in the FBS in 2023, enduring over 50 sacks. While that number improved in 2024, with Sanders being sacked 42 times, it’s clear the Buffaloes still have work to do up front. An area of promise, however, is the addition of Aki Ogunbiyi, a transfer from the SEC who should make an immediate impact on the offensive line in 2025.
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