Plenty of Colorado players have made multiple stops during their collegiate careers. Itap the new normal in college football.
None of them, however, have logged miles quite like offensive lineman Yahya Attia.
When Attia says, “I don’t get comfortable,” itap more than just a nod to the precarious position of any of the Buffaloes’ offensive linemen as they begin the battle for playing time this spring. Attia’s comment was also a tip of a cap to a journey that has taken him from one side of the globe to another as he further cements his place as one of Colorado’s leaders.
“The biggest thing for real, I feel like I’m growing as a man,” Attia said. “Not that I wasn’t a man before, but now like with every month, I feel like I’m getting, not the unc status yet, but like getting older and everything gets a little more serious. I can’t sit back no more, people rely on me, coaches, players. I’ve been here, so if anybody comes from another school, got any question, how everything goes here or how we play this and that, I gotta have an answer for it. So it’s really the responsibility part.”
Attia was born in Egypt and spent much of his youth in Austria. A product of the NFL Academy in London, Attia joined the Buffs in 2024 and almost immediately became a favorite of head coach Deion Sanders thanks to an engaging personality and tireless work ethic. Attia played only five offensive snaps as a true freshman, ultimately taking a redshirt year, but his continued development led to a bigger impact last season.
Attia played in 10 games, logging four starts, while displaying an impressive level of versatility for a player who only started playing American football in 2022. Attia spent time at both guard spots, center, and even tight end when the Buffs needed an extra blocker.
Attia wasn’t charged with a single sack allowed in 326 snaps on the offensive line.
“He’s a Swiss Army knife, man,” CU offensive line coach Gunnar White. “Whatever you need him to do, he’s gonna do. And he’s not gonna buck you, he’s not gonna do anything crazy, he’s gonna do exactly what you tell him to do. And if he does mess up, he’s in my office I’d say almost every day unless he’s got a tough exam or paper or something like that. And we’re always on the same page and getting him cleaned up and corrected and he’s good to go.”
Attia is one of the few holdovers on a CU line that once again has been retooled on the fly, and itap a unit still trying to adjust to the transfer of standout left tackle Jordan Seaton.
While the Buffs brought in eight transfers along the offensive line, several with starting experience, Attia’s experience as a Buff trails only Larry Johnson, who made eight starts last season, and Phillip Houston, who made nine starts in 2024 but didn’t play in 2025 while recovering from injury.
Attia’s versatility will be an asset as he battles for a starting guard spot alongside Johnson, Houston, Chauncey Gooden and two transfers — Jayvon McFadden (Ohio State) and Jose Soto, who played for new CU offensive coordinator Brennan Marion at Sacramento State. Attia is also getting reps at center, along with transfers Demetrius Hunter (Houston) and Sean Kinney (Lafayette).
“I really loved the process. I didn’t only enjoy it, I loved it,” Attia said. “I knew my time was coming, I’m glad it wasn’t too early because I didn’t just like want to mess my opportunity up. I had to sit back, I had to learn, I tried to learn from everybody, like no matter who it is. So I wasn’t in my feelings at all, no matter what position I was in or what rank.”
