While it is far too early to say how good this CU team really is, there are things we have seen that are good predictors for future success. As much as college football has changed over the years, there remain some things that are predictable indicators of future success. The Buffs have already shown us a few of those things this year. These points are not exhaustive by any means, as I could have included a couple more items, but for the sake of brevity I will leave those until next week.
A dominant offensive line
While acknowledging again that it’s early in the season, the Buffs have played twice, and both times the offensive line has dominated the line of scrimmage. Even better is that they have done it in a violent fashion that has worn down and demoralized opposing defenses. Neither team we have played has come close to stopping our run game. Only our own mistakes have stopped us when we decide to run the ball. Teams that can run the ball when they want to run it typically win a lot of games. The Buffs at this point have essentially six starters on the O-line, with Demetrius Hunter and Sean Kinney still fighting for the starting center spot. The starting guards are both young but both playing at a level far beyond their current years.
They are surrounded in the three other spots by veterans of multiple years of college football to add gravitas and experience. If the current level of play continues, every starter on this line is a potential All-Conference player. That kind of O-line play generally leads to winning seasons.
Dominant play from the two starting edge players
One of the most challenging and least understood positions on defense is the edge, which is a modern word that combines what used to be outside linebackers and defensive ends into one group. Playing Edge effectively has always meant being both a stout run defender and a very good pass rusher. The name Edge itself comes from the term “setting the edge,” which means being able to stop outside runs and turn them back inside for the linebackers to clean up. Teams that have strong edge play win more games, and CU need look no further than 2024 when B.J. Green, Arden Walker, and Keaton Wade helped the Buffs lead the Big 12 in sacks and do a decent job holding the edge on the run in helping win nine games.
So far this season, the combination of Toby Anene and Lamont Lester has dominated both opponents in both setting the run and rushing the passer. The two of them so far have between them five sacks, five QB hurries, seven tackles for loss, and 13 total tackles in just two games. They have been equally effective as bookends and show no signs of slowing down. Having two really good Edge players means opposing offenses can’t just run one way to avoid one guy. They have to account for both sides. If these two continue the pace they have set in two games through the entire season, they will beat the 2024 group and may be challenging the numbers of two of CU’s best ever, Alfred Williams and Kanavis McGhee.
Outstanding linebacker play
Most fans think that stopping the run is primarily about dominant defensive linemen, and certainly if you have them that is a great start to run defense. But for most teams, it is Linebacker play that determines whether they can stop the run or not. In 2024, CU got stellar linebacker play from Nikhai Hill-Green and Lavonta Bentley and they racked up nine wins. In 2025, the linebacker play was abysmal, and the win total was as well.
The good news this year is that CU’s three starting linebackers are all playing outstanding football, and it shows in the game statistics. So far CU is giving up only 86.5 yards rushing per game. And one of those games was against what will likely be one of the toughest running attacks and one of the best running backs in the conference, Georgia Tech and Justice Haynes. The value of the CU linebackers is enhanced by the versatility and different roles the three bring to the field, with each having a different forte. All three are near the top of the tackles leaderboard, and Gideon Lampron has become an enforcer on the other side of the line of scrimmage already with three tackles for loss and four QB hurries in two games. Add to it the emergence of Carson Crawford with his violent style in game two, and the linebacker position for CU looks like a real strength.
A QB who knows what different color jerseys mean!
So far, JuJu Lewis has thrown the ball 144 consecutive times, including attempts last season, with zero interceptions! Add that to his impressive outing passing this week, and he becomes a real weapon. A QB who does not turn the ball over is a real advantage at any level of football, and JuJu Lewis appears to be coming into his own and grasping the offense that Brennan Marion has given him. If his no-interception streak continues to grow, it bodes well for the Buffaloes' success this season.
