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Roster turnover is now annually a big thing in college football, with the Transfer Portal and confusing rules about eligibility and redshirting adding up to a sometimes baffling mixture. And when you add staff turnover into that mix, things can start to get really messy.
That’s what the Colorado Buffaloes are living right now, on the eve of spring football practice.
Roster Turnover Was Predictable After a Poor 2025 season
For the Buffs, coming off a very disappointing 3-9 season in Deion Sanders’ third season in Boulder, roster turnover was inevitable. Sanders history with the portal is well known – large classes out, and larger classes back in. This off season was no different. The Buffs signed 43 players out of the transfer portal after losing 36 others. Among the losses were big names like D. J. McKinney, London Merritt and Tawfig Byard, all key defensive players.
Even with some star power, last season’s Colorado defensive unit wasn’t good. The Buffs ranked dead last in the conference in yards allowed per game and 13th in scoring defense. Sanders wasted little time in revamping the unit. As thigs stand now, only one starter from last season’s front seven is returning. All totaled, CU has brought in 25 new defensive players via the portal.
A New Defensive Unit Will be Lead by a New Defensive Coordinator
Then came the news that highly touted defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who some thought could be in line to be the next head man in Boulder whenever Sanders decides to hang it up, abruptly left for a new gig with the nearby Denver Broncos. Livingston will replace Jim Leonhard as the “Defensive Pass Game” and secondary coach. Livingston had previously worked with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joesph (who is a former CU quarterback.) All this happened just five days before the start of spring football practice.
With no time to do a full on search to replace Livingston, Sanders did the logical thing and elevated his newly hired linebacker coach, Chris Marve to Defensive Coordinator.
Marve was an All-SEC linebacker at Vanderbilt before getting into the coaching ranks. He now has a lengthy resume, starting with a stint at Vandy before moving to rival Mississippi State for a season, then moving on to Florida State to coach linebackers. That lead to a three season stint as the Defensive Coordinator at Virginia Tech before agreeing to join Sanders defensive staff in Boulder.
Along with Marve as the Buffs new DC, Sanders has had to promote grad assistant Dante Carter to replace the departed Dom Peko as the defensive line coach, Aaron Fletcher was hired to coach cornerbacks, and Kevin Mathis will coach the “nickel” backs. That’s four new assistants on the defensive side, to go along with two additional new names on the offensive side to work with newly hired Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion. After Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk left after one season in Boulder to take over the HBCU program at Southern, Sanders promoted analyst Johnny Mack as the replacement. Josh Niblett will replace Brett Bartolone as the tight ends coach.
An almost entirely new defensive unit will need to jell quickly with an almost all brand new defensive coaching staff over the next two months of spring ball if the Buffaloes are going to make another turnaround in 2026.
Mark Knudson Mark is a former MLB pitcher for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. He’s the only person ever to play high school, college and professional baseball in Colorado. Mark earned a BA in Technical Journalism from Colorado State University and has worked in radio, television and print sports media since 1994. He’s the co-author of “Pitching to the Corners” with former teammate Don August and the author of “Just Imagine,” a historical fiction novel about The Beatles.
Mark is currently a feature writer and columnist for Mile High Sports in Denver and recently joined the team at Heavy.com. Mark is also a high school baseball coach in the Denver area. More about Mark Knudson
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