“I don’t know if I reached out to him (first), or he reached out to me,” the legendary former CU Buffs quarterback recalled to me by phone a few days ago. “I know (when) I reached out to him, he asked me if was in town. I said, ‘Yes, I’ll come up there.'”

This was late March or early April. The new Buffs athletic director and CU icon spoke for about 45 minutes on campus. Lovo laid out his vision for CU. They talked about Hagan’s legacy in Boulder, on and off the field.

“It went well,” Hagan said. “It was an opportunity to go up there and meet the new guy. He was awesome. It was good.”

It was cathartic, too, at least on Hagan’s end. At 56, still takes on life with a forward lean, still loves kids, still loves teaching. Darian’s heading into his third season as running backs coach at San Diego State, where former CU offensive coordinator Sean Lewis went 9-4 last fall with the Aztecs.

But for a couple years now, Hagan hasn’t exactly been sure where he stood with his alma mater. After two decades with CU football, the Buffs’ great wasn’t retained on the staff by new coach Deion Sanders. The university transitioned him to a non-coaching role when Coach Prime was hired in December 2022. Hagan had felt a little shut out when Sanders’ inner circle took charge and left CU to join Lewis’ staff in December 2023.

When the Buffs retired quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ No. 2 jersey in the spring of 2025, an honor that had bypassed great CU signal-callers such as Hagan and Kordell Stewart, it opened up old wounds again. So Lovo welcoming Hagan back to campus, a year later, Hagan felt, was a refreshing gesture.

“He’s a great dude,” the ex-Buffs QB said of the new Buffs administrator. “He made me feel good about CU.”

And when it comes to mending fences, that’s as good a start as any.

‘There shouldn’t be this contentious relationship between Buffs fans’

As Coach Prime heads into his fourth season in Boulder, CU football alumni remain divided. Not in their love for the Buffs. Not in their appreciation for what Sanders has done to elevate a program into the national conversation after Pac-12 irrelevance for more than a decade threatened to bury it.

It’s a perception thing. With the exception of a statue unveiling for former Buffs football coach Bill McCartney last year, a ceremony that wasn’t open to the public, many Buffs football alums feel as if CU athletics’ official position is that football at Folsom Field didn’t exist prior to Coach Prime. Which is funny, given that the Buffs won eight or more games 13 times from 1985-2005, a feat the current coaching staff has accomplished to date just once.

“Some of these new Buffs fans act as if CU didn’t play football before Coach Prime showed up,” said Brown, who was a second-team All-American linebacker at CU in 1992, when the Buffs went 9-2-1.

“And (yes), maybe CU wasn’t on the radar. But obviously, we’ve won national championships. We were among the top 15 (programs) in wins, all-time … and unfortunately, and with social media, as is often the case, things often turn ugly. So I’d love to see (Lovo) find a way to bring everybody together.

“Because we’re all Buffs fans. There shouldn’t be this contentious relationship between Buffs fans. And if I’ve got criticisms of Coach Prime’s program now, not only am I told I’m a terrible Buffs fan … but also, I’m asked, ‘What did I do for the program for the last 20 years?’ And I’m like, ‘Wow. Let me see. I’ve funded a scholarship. I’ve gone and I’ve talked to the team. I’ve done private coaching with players.’ The list is long. So the massive disconnect (on social media), I think, is unfortunately turning a lot of older fans off and away from the program. And that’s the exact opposite of what we need.”

The decision to retire 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter’s jersey before he had graduated, or even begun his NFL career, raised the eyebrows for several ex-CU football players from the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s. The jersey retirement for the program’s first Heisman winner, Rashaan Salaam, had taken years to come to fruition before its unveiling in 2017, not long after Salaam took his own life.

“It certainly didn’t help it at all,” Brown said. “Not only from an alumni standpoint, but (with) people within the building. If you can’t get a consensus within the building, that lets you know that it’s not being handled right. I don’t think anybody had any issue with a Heisman winner (Hunter) getting his number retired. But again, how it was handled, the timing of it, the pushing of it out there, even within (CU circles) over there, was not unanimous.”

Hagan, who was 28-5-2 as a Buffs starter and quarterbacked CU to a national runner-up spot in ’89 and to the program’s last national title in ’90, admitted to feeling hurt last year with the Hunter/Shedeur number retirements.

“Am I bitter or (anything) that my jersey’s not been retired?” Hagan reflected. “No. I’m not bitter at all. It would have been a nice gesture, but that doesn’t define who I am as a person. But, definitely, it would be awesome to walk in that stadium and see my name on a wall with other retired numbers.”

How can Lovo repair Buffs bridges that were recently burned? Former CU wide receiver and offensive coordinator says the Buffs A.D. would be wise to include more ’80s and ’90s football alumni in decisions such as retiring numbers going forward. And to more legacy tributes beyond a statue that’s tucked into one quiet corner of a practice field.

“I would tell (Lovo), it’s not about damage control at this point,” said Chiaverini, . “It’s about doing right by the guys who’ve earned the right to be up there.

“To me, there are deserving players like (Eric) Bieniemy and (Alfred) Williams and Hagan — the list goes on and on. Countless All-Americans that were on 10-win and 11-win teams that, as an alum of CU, they need to (do it) the right way. Alums should be involved in this conversation. They should be included in this conversation. Nothing against Travis or Shedeur. They’re both great players in CU history. I’m a fan of them both. And I’m actually a fan of Deion. My thing is … I think there’s got to be some transparency in the voting process.”

‘You can’t erase that history’

Hagan said he was told that former Buffs greats had to be All-Americans or national award winners.  That they had to wait a decade to be recognized.

He’s still waiting.

“What makes me feel good is, a lot of people say, ‘Man, I wish they would do the right thing and retire my number,'” Hagan laughed. “People tell me that all the time, but I’m not bringing up the subject.

“But I’m definitely for a committee to get these things right. (And) not just for myself — for Eric Bieniemy, Alfred Williams, Kanavis McGhee, Kordell Stewart. Somehow, they’ve got to get it right. And do it the right way. I think that would appease a lot of people.”

Former Buffs want more outreach, not less. Hagan walked away from his meeting with Lovo feeling that the new caretaker of CU athletics gets it, at least. And that meant a lot, given the previous 20 months.

“I can’t speak for everyone. I can speak for myself,” Hagan said. “I’m a little biased. But at the same time, that’s my alma mater, I love my alma mater, I want to see them do well.

“But I think what (Lovo) needs to do is galvanize some things to make the guys (who played at CU) feel special. Make them feel like what we did is still relevant. We accomplished some great things there, that I think, at some point, need to be recognized and (revisited) again. Because the things that we accomplished, you can’t erase that history.”

One place the Colorado coach won’t go — gambling on the college game, the likes of which has generated a scandal inside the very conference his team resides. Wagering has jumped to the forefront of college football as won a court order early last week that restored his eligibility and set aside a ban by the on pro and college sports. Colorado plays Big 12 rival Texas Tech on Oct. 3 as part of homecoming festivities.

“Somebody’s gambling on a sport they’re playing? You don’t think something’s wrong with that?” Sanders said in a recent interview with The Associated Press and before the latest court ruling with Sorsby. “Just say that to yourself: This guy on my team is gambling on the sport, in the competition, that we’re about to go out there and have. Something’s wrong that.”

Sanders has plenty of thoughts on refining in this day and age of the volatile transfer portal and lucrative name, image and likeness deals. His takes include a salary cap in an effort to even the NIL playing field, hiring a retired coach as commissioner (a ), instituting some sort of an age limit, teams and, of course, a hard pass when it comes to betting (he’s talked to his squad about this topic).

“The game is still the game,” Sanders said. “The game is just positioned differently. Money’s involved, and any time money’s involved people tend to migrate to what they think they can get out of it, instead of what they could put into it — and that����ap unfortunate.”

Bladder cancer diagnosis

A year ago, Sanders was going through , which included having a section of his intestine reconstructed to function as a bladder. This being Men’s Health Month, he’s working with Depend underwear to encourage regular checkups (and launching a program titled “Depend Wake Up Calls” that allows consumers to receive video messages from Sanders through June).

Earlier this spring, Sanders for a few days as he dealt with blood clots. But he said he’s “feeling great. I’ve got my old swagger back.”

Along with it, a new outlook, which includes actually taking vacation time. Sanders recently partnered on a beachfront property in St. Croix with his entering his second season as a quarterback with the Cleveland Browns.

“I never would’ve done that, because I don’t go anywhere,” the 58-year-old Sanders said. “I’m stepping out, just living life.”

Sanders missed football camps last summer in Boulder as he went through cancer treatments. The Buffaloes finished with a 3-9 mark a year after making a bowl game behind Shedeur Sanders and .

This offseason, a more hands-on version of Deion Sanders.

“I have everybody in that locker room because we said we want them,” he said. “Because I sat there and watched tape on them and said, ‘That����ap who I want, that����ap what I want. Let����ap go get them.’”

The new landscape of college football

Sanders found it funny that his heavy reliance on the so many raised eyebrows.

“Now, everybody’s doing the same thing that I did,” he said. “But it was crazy back then, right?”

He’s seen and heard the plans from conferences — and the legislation proposals from lawmakers — on how to adapt college football in this new landscape. It����ap a lot to untangle, which is why he advocates for an authoritative figure to help oversee the sport.

“A guy like Coach Saban and some of the other coaches that have walked away from the game not because they can’t coach anymore but because they were fed up with how things are operating,” he said.

Sanders also would be in favor of implementing a salary cap (see: NFL).

“So you can really have a consistency with the game,” Sanders said. “The thing about the pro game, everybody gets to spend the same amount of money. It����ap who is crafty in regard to business. College football isn’t like that. You may have a team that����ap spent $40 million playing against a team who spent $10 million. You darn well know the outcome in that game.”

That leads him to his next point — .

“You can’t have a 30-year-old man playing against a 21-year old man and think it����ap fair,” he said. “Should be a transfer rule as well. You’re teaching kids not to fight through adversity when you’re having kids able to transfer two or three or four times.”

As for NIL, he momentarily pondered if anything might have been different for him had a similar system been in place when he was at Florida State.

“It probably wouldn’t have (changed),” said Sanders, a college and pro football hall of famer. “I’ve had a pretty good run. I’m still running, too — still high stepping. I’m probably in the third quarter of this game (of life) and we’re winning. We’re up by about 21. I’m loving life.”

___

AP college football: and

CU hosts Texas Tech on October 3. Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby has no business inside Folsom Field, unless he’s bought a ticket. Presumably with blood money from a three-team parlay that hit a few days earlier.

Sorsby is 22. He’s young. We’ve all done dumb stuff when we’re invincible during those young, dumb isolated moments. Sorsby, though? He’s a repeat offender, dodging accountability as if it were a blitzing linebacker.

According to court documents, the Texas native placed at least 40 wagers on Indiana football while he was a member of the Hoosiers. He reportedly used others’ online sportsbook accounts to place bets totaling roughly $90,000 over four years. He gambled in Bloomington. He gambled as a member of the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Basically, Brendan is the Art Schlichter of Generation Z. Remember Art? One of the great wasted careers in NFL history. Ohio State star. Drafted No. 4 overall by the Colts in 1982. Got the gambling bug as a teenager in small-town Ohio, an addiction that would ruin his life at almost every stop.

If only he had Sorsby’s lawyers. Or some friendly Texas judges.

On Monday, one of those justices, a man named Ken Curry, ruled that the NCAA would be causing “probable, imminent and irreparable injury” to Sorsby if it prevents him from playing this fall. Curry granted the young man a preliminary injunction that prevents NCAA brass from punishing Sorsby for violating — again, repeatedly — its rules on sports betting.

Now let’s get this out in the open first: The NCAA is a rotten, wage-fixing cartel that’s deserved, for years, to feel the wedgies that it’s been getting lately from the courts.

Just not this one. The NCAA was wrong to create the idea of a “student-athlete” as an indentured servant who would have to work sports as a full-time job while never being technically paid for that time and commitment.

Yet it was right to take a hard line on sports wagering, given the audience and devotion to its entertainment product. Much of the NCAA’s enforcement has been selective, arbitrary and occasionally silly. But if you don’t enforce competitive integrity, you might as well give up the ghost.

Now Texas Tech is haunting CU and the rest of the Buffs’ Big 12 peers. Oh, sure, Red Raiders officials will say they’re backing Sorsby to bring awareness and outreach to the cause of mental health, and how dare you shame an addict. Horse hockey. The Red Raiders are digging in their heels because said addict is a 6-foot-3 gunslinger who tossed 27 touchdowns at Cincy last year against just five interceptions while sporting a 140.8 lifetime passer rating as a collegian. If Brendan didn’t have NFL arm, Bubba Bootstraps would shrug and look the other way. Only now that it’s running with the blue bloods, Texas Tech wants back in the College Football Playoff again — and Sorsby is one of those keys that unlocks the penthouse.

“The injunction issued (Monday) regarding Brendan Sorsby is troubling,” new CU athletic director Fernando Lovo said in a prepared statement released earlier this week, “as his admitted actions are a clear violation of long-held standards of integrity in college athletics … this injunction is a clear affront to the competitive principles that have been the foundation of college sports for more than a century. We will continue to engage with the Big 12 Conference and our peers on this issue.”

Why? Tech didn’t consult with any of you when it came to picking up Sorsby, skeletons and all. Last July, the Red Raiders signed a five-star lineman, Felix Ojo, for what was reportedly a three-year, fully-guaranteed $5.1-million contract. Context: The No. 11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is slotted to make $5.26 million this fall.

If I’m Lovo, I don’t wait around for Big 12 commissioner Brent Yormark to grow a spine. I cancel anything I’ve got scheduled with Texas Tech, in all sports, until Sorsby is off the roster.

Then I call CSU athletic director John Weber.

How’s this for a twist in the tale? Instead of playing a dirty, tainted Red Raiders squad on Oct. 3, the Buffs should host rival CSU on Oct. 10. Bring back the Rocky Mountain Showdown three years early.

CU keeps that home game — now with potentially a bigger home gate, to boot. New CSU coach Jim Mora gets to tangle with his old pal Deion Sanders and gets a chance to shock the world, and put his stamp on the Front Range, in Year 1.

Before you laugh, look at the calendar. CU and CSU both have concurrent bye weeks on Oct. 10. The Buffs host Utah on Oct. 17. CSU visits Texas State on Oct. 15.

Now, granted, that’s a lousy turnaround for the Rams, given a Thursday nighter on the road. Ah, but lookie here: The Bobcats don’t play a game between Oct. 16 and Oct. 24. As recently as March, Texas State athletics presented the CSU tilt as a flexible date, Surely, CBS Sports Network can find something else to fill that prime-time Thursday night window.

Why not here? Why not now? The Buffs and Rams wrapped up a home-and-home, two-year mini-series in ’23 and ’24 that made Colorado the center of the college football universe. Studio shows from ESPN and FOX were tripping all over themselves for Front Range real estate. The games themselves featured biting coach-on-coach smack talk, sellout crowds and epic performances (Shedeur Sanders in ’23; Travis Hunter in ’24).

Which is why it’s a shame that there isn’t another CU-CSU football game on the docket until September 15, 2029, in Fort Collins. That’s a five-year gap — which would be the longest in the history of the rivalry since it was renewed in 1983. The Buffs and Rams have tussled 34 times in the last 43 years, with CU winning 26 of the matchups.

It’s too good, too juicy, to keep mothballed in the attic for this long. If activist judges are going to burn college football to the ground, you might as well dance in the ashes with the time it’s got left.

Utah, Arizona and Arizona State all shredded the Buffs en route to dominating victories.

Overall, the Buffs ranked 13th in the Big 12 in points allowed (30.5 per game) and last in yards allowed (425.7 per game). Nationally, CU was 135th out of 136 FBS teams in rushing defense, giving up 222.5 yards per game on the ground.

The good news? There’s been a total reset on defense this offseason, including new coordinator Chris Marve, several new assistant coaches and a host of new players. Of the 44 players on the defensive roster, just eight were with the Buffs last year and three of those are walk-ons who didn’t play much.

Led by Marve and 29 transfers, the Buffs are hoping to be a much better unit this year, with Marve setting the tone in the spring.

“We’ve made it crystal clear who we want to be and how we want to do things,” he said. “We want to be violent and aggressive. We’ve defined and gave visible examples of what being violent and aggressive looks like. We want to play extremely fast. So, that����ap on the players to be aggressive to the ball, but also on the coaches, specifically me, in terms of making sure we don’t call things or do things that slow them down. We have to play smart, can’t beat yourself.”

As Marve looks to establish those standards, here’s a position-by-position look at the defense and special teams:

Defensive line

Scholarship: Malachi Brown, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, Jr.; Ezra Christensen, 6-2, 280, Sr.; Santana Hopper, 6-2, 265, Sr.; Dylan Manuel, 6-1, 300, Jr.; Josiah Manu, 6-5, 295, Fr.; Tyler Moore, 6-0, 290, Jr.; Sedrick Smith, 6-4, 320, Jr.; Samu Taumanupepe, 6-3, 375, Jr.; Quency Wiggins, 6-5, 255, Sr.

Walk-ons: None

Outlook: The only player in this room who was with the Buffs last year is Wiggins, who was a defensive end in 2025. He has since bulked up to move inside and could be a key player on the line. Hopper was first-team all-conference at his previous two schools (Tulane and Appalachian State) and had a great spring for the Buffs. Manuel had a good year at App State a year ago and played well in spring. Moore, Smith and Taumanupepe are all aiming for key roles after playing as backups in previous stops. Brown was a late addition from the junior college ranks and brings size and experience. Manu, a Thompson Valley High School graduate, was brought in as an offensive lineman but moved to defense in the spring. He could be counted on for depth. Christensen was first-team All-Conference USA last year at New Mexico State and has the potential to be a starter for the Buffs, but as a former JUCO player he needs a court ruling to gain an extra year of eligibility, so his status is unclear.

Defensive end

Scholarship: Toby Anene, 6-4, 260, Sr.; Immanuel Ezeogu, 6-1, 239, So.; Sam Gadie, 6-3, 235, Jr.; Balansama Kamara, 6-3, 257, Sr.; Lamont Lester Jr., 6-2, 230, So.; Domata Peko Jr., 6-4, 235, Jr.; Kylan Salter, 6-2, 230, Jr.; Yamil Talib, 6-2, 240, So.; Vili Taufatofua, 6-3, 259, Sr.

Walk-ons: None

Outlook: There is plenty of talent here, which should allow the Buffs to improve upon their 13 sacks from a year ago (which tied for 14th in the Big 12). Anene, Kamara, Lester and Taufatofua all earned all-conference recognition last year at previous schools and they played well in spring. Salter, the lone returner from last year, moved from inside linebacker and made some plays in the spring game. Peko Jr. missed the spring with injury but has good potential to help. Gadie, who is a summer addition, Ezeogu and Talib provide good depth.

Inside linebacker

Scholarship: Rodney Colton Jr., 6-1, 225, Fr.; Carson Crawford, 6-4, 220, Fr.; Colby Johnson, 6-2, 195, Fr.; Gideon Lampron, 6-0, 220, Sr.; Liona Lefau, 6-1, 227, Sr.; Tyler Martinez, 6-2, 225, Sr.

Walk-ons: Gage Goldberg, 6-0, 210, So.; Bo LaPenna, 6-1, 235, Sr.

Outlook: This was a major weakness for the Buffs a year ago, but they believe it����ap a strength now, with Lampron, Lefau and Martinez forming perhaps the best trio of inside linebackers CU’s had under head coach Deion Sanders. All of them were highly productive full-time starters and leaders at previous schools. Colton, Crawford and Johnson are all talented, but they are true freshmen. They’ll be counted on to get up to speed in a hurry in case they are called upon.

Cornerback

Scholarship: Preston Ashley, 5-11, 185, Fr.; Boo Carter, 5-11, 200, Jr.; Justin Eaglin, 6-0, 177, Sr.; Emory Floyd, 6-1, 195, Sr.; RJ Johnson, 6-2, 185, Jr.; Paul Omodia, 6-2, 198, Jr.; Donavan Stephens, 5-10, 170, R-Fr.; Jason Stokes, 6-2, 184, So.; Cree Thomas, 6-1, 190, R-Fr.; Makari Vickers, 6-1, 190, Jr.; Maurice Williams, 5-11, 170, Fr.

Walk-ons: Kole Mathis, 5-8, 140, So.

Outlook: Late in spring, Sanders said Thomas, a transfer from Notre Dame, had emerged as the top corner in the room. At the time, the Buffs were utilizing Carter in more of a nickel role, but that might change, as he could be a starter at corner. Carter and Thomas could form a talented duo in the starting spots. Eaglin and Floyd were All-Sun Belt players last year, while Johnson and Vickers both started games for the Buffs. They’ll all compete for playing time. Ashley, who could play nickel, and Williams are among CU’s better freshmen on the roster and both could play key roles. Omodia, Stephens and Stokes are talented players that add depth.

Safety

Scholarship: Braylon Edwards, 5-11, 180, Fr.; Ben Finneseth, 6-2, 205, Sr.; Randon Fontenette, 6-2, 220, Sr.; Naeten Mitchell, 5-10, 175, Jr.; Jaydan Hardy, 5-10, 180, Jr.; Jah Jay Boyd, 5-11, 173, So.

Walk-ons: None

Outlook: As long as this group stays healthy, it could have a major impact on the Buffs’ season. Mitchell, who was all-conference at New Mexico State last year, is in the mold of former CU star Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and could be a big-time playmaker. Fontenette was a two-year starter and captain at Vanderbilt, and Finneseth is an experienced starter at CU who is one of the team’s best leaders. Hardy (Oklahoma) and Boyd (Indiana) both came from winning programs and they’ll bring good depth, while Edwards is one of the best young players on the team.

Special teams

Scholarship: Damon Greaves, 6-1, 190, Sr.; Joshua McCormick, 6-0, 205, Sr.

Walk-ons: Elliott Arnold, 5-10, 165, R-Fr.; Aiden DeCorte, 6-1, 300, So.; Daniel Gerlach, 6-0, 160, Jr.; Luke Whiting, 6-4, 225, So.; Trey Young, 5-11, 210, So.

Outlook: Greaves returns after a solid season last year as the Buffs’ punter. He’s also a team leader. With Alejandro Mata graduating, the Buffs will have a new placekicker for the first time since 2022. Arnold, who displayed a powerful leg in high school, will have that job going into the season and the Buffs are confident in him. McCormick was brought in as a kickoff specialist, while Gerlach is a capable backup at punter and kicker. DeCorte, Whiting and Young are battling for long-snapper duties.

It was hardly a year away from the game, however.

For Marve, the 2025 season was spent learning. He did internships with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. He visited other college programs to pick the brains of colleagues. And, he reviewed what went right and wrong during his three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech.

The Colorado Buffaloes could benefit from Marve’s season of growth. Hired in December to coach linebackers, Marve was promoted by head coach Deion Sanders to defensive coordinator Feb. 25 when Robert Livingston left to take a job with the Denver Broncos.

Throughout the spring, Marve often reviewed his notes from last year.

“They’ve applied every single day,” he said last month, “in terms of the way that I approach leadership and how I manage and communicate and collaborate with the defensive staff, my pedagogy in terms of when I’m in front of the room teaching the defense and teaching the linebackers.”

It����ap also helped, he said, in the meeting rooms, knowing when it����ap time for a tense teaching moment or a more laid-back approach on a given day.

“It����ap about communicating the information, extracting information from players,” he said. “But then also making sure that we can outfit and deploy defense that is elite and successful and aggressive. And so, it����ap been a combination of those things, man. I refer to those notes almost daily.”

A three-time second-team All-SEC linebacker at Vanderbilt from 2009-11, Marve had a three-year run (2022-24) as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Virginia Tech.

Marve’s defense with the Hokies had some success, giving up less than 25 points per game in each of his three seasons. The Hokies allowed 24.7 points in 2022 (54th nationally), 23.9 (51st) in 2023, and 22.8 (39th) in 2024.

By comparison, CU has allowed less than 25 points per game just twice in the past 19 years (2016 and 2024).

Several times in 2024, however, Marve’s defense coughed up late leads, contributing to a disappointing 6-7 campaign for Virginia Tech. That led to Marve being dismissed by head coach Brent Pry after the 2024 season.

Sanders is hoping Marve, as well as new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, can kickstart the Buffs, who struggled on both sides of the ball last year.

Marion’s offenses have traditionally scored 30 points per game or more. If the offense can average 30-plus and Marve’s defense can hold the opposition under 25 per game, the Buffs will almost surely improve upon last year’s 3-9 record.

“First of all, these guys are really good,” Sanders said of Marion and Marve. “They’re really detailed. The best gift that I believe that they have is not just Xs and Os; it����ap how they relate to the players. We have a situation now where these kids aren’t just coming and desiring to play for me. They want to please their coordinators, as well, and I’m happy and I’m elated about that.

“These guys know how to motivate and use the personnel that they have available. They have exceeded all expectations that I have for them, not just as football guys, Xs and Os, but the men that they are.”

Whether success in the spring translates to the fall remains to be seen, but Marve replaced a popular coach in Livingston and made a good impression of his own on players.

“I love coach Marve, I love his scheme,” said safety Ben Finneseth, who was out with an injury during the spring but is one of the Buffs’ top leaders. “Our standard is excellence, and we’re going to be a violent and aggressive team. We’re gonna be fast, we’re gonna be smart, and we’re gonna have relentless effort. That����ap what I’ve seen on tape.”

Considering the defensive players had just a few days to adjust from Livingston to Marve at the start of spring, Finneseth felt there was a great deal of “buying into the standard he’s trying to build.”

That standard includes violence, aggression and playing “extremely fast,” Marve said.

“I think we really established an identity this spring,” he said. “I think the guys bought in to what we were trying to preach and what we believe in.”

“Apparently, I looked lonely or something, but two kids came up to me and said, ‘Come over and be with us and our friends,'” Brock recalled with a laugh. “I’m the only graduate with compression socks on and they’re wondering, ‘How in the heck did you get here?’

“My stoles said ‘student athlete’ and so they asked, ‘What sport were you in?’ I told them football. And then they were really confused. Like, how’s an old guy like you a student athlete?”

Brock, 71, was who went on to an accomplished NFL career with the New England Patriots. After that, he found success in broadcasting, served for 25 years as the founder and president of the Patriots Alumni Club, was a software entrepreneur, and was also involved in the mortgage industry.

But one “unchecked box” in his life brought him back to Folsom Field on May 2, when he graduated with a bachelor’s degree The feat came exactly half a century after he left CU, when the Patriots selected him in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft.

“My degree was something I started and never finished, and it’s bothered me for a long time,” Brock explained. “There was a time when, after my rookie year with the Patriots, I bought a home in Longmont so I could go back to school. But it didn’t come to fruition. Then, life happened, and it never got it done.”

Brock explained this backstory to his newfound group of friends on graduation day, and they were stoked for the former offensive lineman. Especially considering Brock stuffed the 42 credit hours he needed to graduate into a single year, starting with 12 hours last summer, 15 in the fall and three in a compressed winter-break course before finishing with 12 this spring.

Brock’s wife, Emily Brock, sees parallels between her husband’s football achievements and his determination to finish college.

“He learned that discipline when he was a pro football player and he carried that through his whole life, no matter what he’s done, in any endeavor he’s taken on,” Emily Brock said. “It’s that discipline from those years that has carried him through to the greatness that he is, including accomplishing this degree 50 years after he should’ve finished it in the first place.”

CU great, ‘Mr. Versatility’

When the Patriots selected Brock with the No. 12 overall pick in ’76, it was at that time the highest a CU offensive lineman had ever been drafted.

Brock, a first-team selection to CU’s All-Century team in 1989, played for He played in 154 NFL games, with 88 starts, and “Mr. Versatility” saw time at every position on the line, including tight end, long snapper, and wing back. Most of his starts came at center, where he played in New England’s loss to the Chicago Bears.

was highlighted by several accolades, including the Patriots’ Unsung Hero Award in 1979, the Jim Lee Hunt Award for best Patriots lineman in ’84, the Ed Block Memorial Courage Award in ’85 after coming back from midseason knee surgeries and the Miller Lite NFL Lineman of the Year in ’86. All of that led to Brock being named to the Patriots’ All-Decade Team for the 1980s.

“Pete was one of the all-time great players in CU football history,” said Cherry Creek High School head coach Dave Logan, a wideout who was in Brock’s class at CU. “And you don’t play that long in the NFL unless you’re a hell of a player. Incredibly smart, very tough, a good athlete who could move around. Look at how many different things the Patriots asked him to do — that speaks to his football acumen.”

With the Buffs, the Portland, Ore., native was a pillar on the 1975 team as a senior when CU went 9-3, was ranked inside the Top 10 and lost to Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Brock was one of 12 in ’75, including three in the first round. But there’s one game from that season he wants back — a 21-20 road loss to No. 1 Oklahoma, the defending national champions who went on to repeat.

“With about three minutes to go, we got the ball down 21-14 and we drove the length of the field just pounding them,” Brock recalled. “That was a tough defense, and we flat wore them out, we ground them down. When we put it into the end zone to make it 21-20, I’m thinking, ‘These guys are done. Let’s go for (two).’

“And out trots the kicker. I wanted to call a timeout and go discuss this with anyone who would listen to me. We missed the extra point. If it were up to me, we would’ve called a (smashmouth run up the middle) and I still believe we would’ve won the game on that play.”

Brock’s younger brother, Willie Brock, played on CU’s O-line with Pete that season. They were two of four football-playing Brock brothers, three of which (Pete, Willie and Stan) went on to the NFL. Three Brock sisters were also prosperous — two were executives at Nike, and one has run a daycare center for about 40 years — so Willie says it’s no surprise that Pete felt compelled to finish his degree.

“There’s a lot of grit and determination in the Brock family,” Willie Brock said. “Once he set his goal and once he told the family that he was going back to school, we knew it would get done. I just didn’t think it would get done that fast.”

An ‘above-and-beyond’ student

Pete Brock, who lives in Kingston, New Hampshire, finished his degree over the last year by taking classes online. He took advantage of the for retired players, so the league paid for his classes.

, who taught Brock in an introductory geology course this spring, noted online classes are “generally all about distance” with little or no interaction between the professor and the students. But that wasn’t the case with Lester and Brock, as the professor found his senior-citizen pupil eager to engage.

“He went above-and-beyond to interact in this class, whether it was chiming in with cool discussion posts or just talking about geology with me,” Lester said.

“… You go to college because you get exposed to a lot of different subjects and it helps you learn how to think. And it’s all about perspective. That’s what I think was driving Mr. Brock when he went back to get his degree. He wanted the (degree) to put on his mantel, of course, but he really wanted to dip his toes into a bunch of different knowledge.”

, who taught Brock in tropical marine ecology over the fast-paced, condensed winter semester, also says Brock stood out in her course for his paper on an anthropogenic effect on the ocean. He studied “the dual value of oyster aquaculture in both food production and ecosystem improvements.”

“He had such a passion for the project that it was a pleasure to work with him and fascinating to read the final product,” Furman Dougherty said.

Efforts like that led to a 3.57 GPA over the last year, a stark improvement from his approach in the classroom at the end of his CU playing career, as Brock lamented how he “goofed off and blew off my senior spring” while skipping classes and letting his GPA slide. His academic prowess at age 71 raised his cumulative GPA to 2.5.

“I didn’t go into this to (show off) or to evangelize the world of an education,” Brock said. “But I hope that it might inspire somebody like me, someone who is maybe thinking it’s too late to finish college, to do this.”

Now what?

Brock, who is retired, has no intention to use his degree in the workforce. But what is for sure is you won’t find him loitering in his recliner anytime soon.

In recent years, he’s become a budding carpenter and has recently built a greenhouse in his backyard. Brock plans on spending lots of time in there this summer, planting a vegetable garden and helping his wife cultivate a collection of annual flowers. He’s also got big plans for trips into the wilds of New Hampshire with his “best friend,” a German Wirehaired Pointer named Jäger, hunting upland birds.

“He had never built anything before in his lifetime before he built that greenhouse, and that’s only the start,” Emily Brock said. “He’s going to build a bed for the spare bedroom. He’s going to build shutters for the home. That’s just how he’s wired — you put it in front of him, he’ll do it.”

Two Eagles announced their commitments to top-tier college football programs on Monday morning. Wideout Jackson Coleman is and shortly after Coleman’s recruiting news broke, offensive lineman Reis Russell

The duo is two of the top five recruits in Colorado in the Class of 2027, They are also major reasons why Valor Christian could have the firepower and depth to topple Cherry Creek, the two-time defending big-school champion that has won six of the last seven crowns and has appeared in eight straight title games.

Valor Christian lost to Cherry Creek in the semifinals each of the last two years, including a narrow 21-13 defeat in 2025. Following that loss in which the Eagles led early in the fourth but couldn’t finish off the upset despite four Cherry Creek turnovers, Valor Christian head coach Mike Sanford declared his program had “closed the gap” between themselves and the vaunted Bruins after the latter smoked them in the semifinals in ’24, 42-17.

“Our 2026 schedule is not for the faint of heart, and that’s by design,” Sanford said. “We have a special core of players, our seniors next year are fantastic in so many ways, and our (junior-to-be) class has a bunch of depth. I really like our team for this upcoming season.”

Valor Christian no doubt to prepare the Eagles for an inevitable clash with Cherry Creek late in the playoffs. The Eagles open their season at home on Aug. 21 against Kinkaid, a private-school powerhouse in Houston, then host Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas) the next week.

After that, the Eagles travel to take on California juggernaut Mater Dei on Sept. 4, and following a bye, host Cherry Creek on Sept. 18. Valor Christian could also be tested in its league by Legend (Oct. 2 at home), Pine Creek (Oct. 17 in Colorado Springs) and Regis Jesuit (Oct. 30 in Aurora). Coleman’s game-breaking ability at wideout and Russell’s blocking at left tackle will be critical factors in Valor Christian’s success amid that grueling regular-season slate and into the playoffs.

Coleman, who caught 45 passes for 975 yards and nine touchdowns last season, combines speed and size that is difficult for defensive backs to cover. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder, who is also a track standout, ran 10.67 in the 100 meters as a sophomore, and Sanford says he intends to get Coleman more targets this fall.

“One significant mistake I made in 2025 is (Coleman) probably should’ve touched the ball a little bit more,” Sanford said. “His volume was OK, but when you realize he essentially averaged nearly one-fourth of a football field (at 21.7 yards per catch) every time he touched the ball, it goes to show he’s got incredible explosiveness, top-end speed, big-play playmaking ability. So he’s got to be a huge focal point to what we do offensively this year.”

Russell boasts a strong football pedigree

Meanwhile, Russell will start at left tackle in 2026 after playing right tackle as a junior, center as a sophomore and all across the line as a freshman. Russell had 35 Division I offers, but chose Washington over other finalists in USC, Miami and Georgia.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder is the second notable blue-chip Valor Christian offensive lineman to head to Seattle in recent years, following Roger Rosengarten, who starred for the Huskies and now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Russell’s storied family athletic legacy was a driving factor in the lineman’s development.

Russell’s dad, Matt Russell, is a CU Hall of Famer who won the 1996 Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. After a brief NFL career, Matt Russell was a scout for the Patriots and Eagles, then worked for 12 years as a Broncos’ front-office executive. He’s been a senior personnel director/advisor to the GM for the Eagles .

Russell’s mom, Sonja Russell (née Nielsen), was a first-team All-Big 12 volleyball player for the Buffs at the turn of the century. The lineman’s sister, Delaney Russell, was a volleyball star at Valor Christian, where she was the 2023-24 state Gatorade player of the year . And the lineman’s cousin, Brady Russell, just won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks as one of Seattle’s

“Growing up having all those mentors in sports really impacted me a lot,” Reis Russell said. “That was the main driver to me being able to get this far in the game. I’ve got a long way to go, but having people who’ve done it before me at a high level has really helped me throughout this process.

“Leaning on my dad and what he’s done through football, and my mom and my sister’s successes in volleyball, it’s always showed me the way, especially with their work ethic. It’s really created a picture of what it takes to be able to perform at that level.”

Loaded for a state title run

Russell will be key in protecting the blind side of Valor Christian QB Titus Huard, who already has heading into his junior season. Other critical returners for the Eagles include junior-to-be offensive lineman Davis Moon, junior-to-be linebacker Evan Ingalls, senior-to-be defensive back Brandon Wright, and senior-to-be tight end Noah Pacheco.

Plus, Valor Christian is also getting a boost via the pending transfer of running back Kashus Clarvoe, who starred for Broomfield as a freshman. Clarvoe announced last month.

The running back has yet to be cleared in the transfer waiver process, but Sanford says Clarvoe has already been admitted to Valor Christian as a student for the 2026-27 school year and that he expects Clarvoe to receive full eligibility from CHSAA via a bona fide move.

Clarvoe, the lone freshman to earn CHSAA last year, burst onto the high school scene by rushing for 1,815 yards and 18 TDs. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry and posted nine games with 100 yards or more on the ground. If he’s cleared, Clarvoe will fill an immediate need for Valor Christian, which graduated its two top tailbacks from last season in Chase Hanosh and Channing Fox.

Considering the aforementioned talent across both the line and skill positions, Russell believes Valor Christian is in a strong position to pursue the program’s ninth title, its Cherry Creek remains loaded, with four of the top recruits in the Class of 2027, headlined by the state’s No. 1-ranked player in offensive lineman and UCLA commit

“We came up one possession short of beating Creek last year,” Russell said. “This year, coming in with that motivation is huge for us. And we’re going to hopefully be able to flip things around and go for it all this year and get that ring.”

when she reaches for her CU shirt. And now she’s starting to criticize little things Deion Sanders does.

“We’re not anything new and shiny anymore,” Stephan, a CU sophomore, told me as the 2026 Black & Gold scrimmage kicked off Saturday at Folsom Field.

“We’re just kind of a mediocre team that somehow still makes headlines because of our coach.”

Talk about a mic drop

On a pleasant, overcast Saturday afternoon along Colorado Avenue, The Coach Prime Era at CU officially shifted from the honeymoon phase to the reality phase. Especially with the undergrads in the crowd.

“I think the honeymoon is definitely not going anymore, personally,” said Stephan, a Minneapolis native and one of those out-of-staters whose parents dug her going to CU, in part, after watching the Sanders Effect from afar. “I think the honeymoon phase has ended. And they’re really struggling to try to keep it up, in my opinion.”

You know the signs. The passion fades. The glow dims. Little things you used to overlook start to get on your nerves. Expectations don’t always line up. Communication can be blunt and awkward.

Saturday wasn’t awkward, but compared to previous Aprils in Prime Time, it was remarkably … normal. No national TV. No Hollywood A-listers — although ex-Broncos great Aqib Talib did show up to talk shop.

The event was ticketed, but free. CU reported a crowd of 27,772 in “claimed” attendance. In person, it looked more like 17,000-18,000, up close.

Which is, you know, fine. Not great. Fine. And pretty close to last year’s reported attendance of 20,430. CU announced a spring crowd of 28,424 in ’24, well down from 47,277 in ’23, Coach Prime’s first public exhibition as the Buffs’ boss.

“As someone who came from a Big Ten-school culture, there’s a lack of culture here in general for football,” Stephan continued. “It kind of feels like, for me, (for) students, it’s like, ‘Show up, it’s a fashion show, smoke, drink, leave.”’

“So,” I countered, “it’s sort of like the SEC?”

“Yeah, but the thing is, they win. And even if they lose, they do a ton of pregame activities. They have more lights, and just … everything.”

The lower bowl of Folsom’s east side was pretty much full; the upper section of bleachers, not so much. Mind you, that was also by design — the west side of the stadium was roped off entirely, so that 50% of capacity was scrunched into one half of the building.

And the eye test made it seem smaller. Like, a lot smaller.

“That’s not just us,” Sanders said after the scrimmage. “No one’s valuing spring (football games) anymore. You’ve got several major colleges not even having spring games. The only thing that would bring it back is if we compete against another school …

“Winning also helps increase that (interest). But people get tired of the same-old, same-old, at a certain point … Things are so different in college football right now with kids moving, kids leaving … so it’s hard for the fan base to get to know all these kids and to buy in and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to support that, (and now) he’s gone.’ So I understand it, wholeheartedly. But we have a tremendous fan base. We have a tremendous student body. We still have a lot of people out there that (are) crazy about CU football. And I’m excited about that.”

On one hand, he’s right. Nebraska, which would fill Memorial Stadium in Lincoln for a “Magic: The Gathering” tournament if it meant setting some kind of record, drew just 27,188 for its spring game late last month. That was the smallest crowd for a Big Red football exhibition since 2000.

“And so to come here and walk in, there’s like 10 people,” said Omaha native Jess Wozniak, a Folsom first-timer whose son played alto sax in the pep band Saturday. “When we first got here … I was like, ‘Wow, there’s not many.’ Now it’s filling up. Now it’s looking better.’

“I think the hype (for Sanders) is still there. I feel like it’s filling up — so the hype has got to be here, still, somewhere, right?”

“It’s also a free ticket,” I noted.

“Oh, true,” she laughed. “I didn’t think about that.”

Garrett Tyrrell of Durango, sitting to her right, piped up.

“Put it this way,” he said. “The old man is still watching.”

So are the kids. Stephan and fellow CU sophomore Colin Chow hiked it up to the top of Section 213 to get an aerial view of Ralphie’s run. Not long after, Buffs QB Julian Lewis opened the scoring for the day with a 13-yard scoring touch pass in the back of the end zone to Danny Scudero, the former San Jose State star and arguably the jewel of Coach Prime’s transfer haul.

“I think (2026) could be better than (last fall),” Stephan reflected. “I don’t think it’s going to be better than (2024) with Shedeur (Sanders) and Travis (Hunter). That was an insane year. A lot of culture. It was really fun. Everyone was excited going into every game.

“But (2025), not so much. There were a couple of games we went into, and we were like, ‘(CU) is going to lose, might as well show up.'”

Stephan stayed for the Buffs’ home finale against Arizona State last fall — all the way to the bitter end of a 42-17 defeat. Her dad, a Badgers alum, taught her to never leave early.

“And I was like, ‘This (stinks),'” she laughed.

“That was the only game I left halfway through,” Chow, a Golden native, added.  “I mean, they were competitive in (’23 and ’24) — even if (CU) didn’t win, everyone was excited. People had expectations for weird games or sudden victories. But (last year), it was like, ‘Well, we’re down 30, no one on this team is going to pull that out.'”

Chow grew up nearby. But Stephan’s parents were so enamored of the Coach Prime Experience that they flew down to attend games, just to see Sanders up close.

“I think part of it, too, is (that) Deion isn’t really as new or as (much of) a novelty now,” Stephan said. “He’s been here as long as a lot of students who go to the games.

“That’s cool, but it’s not the same as Deion coming in and ‘saving it’ from what it was earlier. So it’s just a different feel when new students come in. There are expectations now instead of (it being) the new cool thing.”

At 11:35 a.m., about 90 minutes before the scrimmage, a 20-something in a blue t-shirt looked at the line forming across the street and waved at me.

“Excuse me,” he asked, nodding back to Folsom behind us. “So, what is the event today?”

“CU’s Black & Gold game,” I replied. “Spring football.”

“OK, thanks.”

He shrugged, turned on his heel and walked away. Never saw him again. Sometimes, reality bites.

“I truly thank God every day that I’m here because it����ap truly a blessing to be a part of such a fun culture and in a beautiful place,” the Colorado receiver said after the Buffaloes’ annual Black & Gold Day at Folsom Field. “Colorado is a beautiful place, and Folsom Field is … I couldn’t get enough.

“I had to take a moment and just kind of look around and kind of be proud of myself for where I was and where my feet were. So, it was definitely a blessing to be here.”

A senior transfer from San Jose State, Scudero provided one of the few highlights in a spring game that was vanilla by design. His 13-yard touchdown reception from quarterback JuJu Lewis was the only touchdown of the abbreviated scrimmage, won by the Gold team, 7-6.

It was a scrimmage, however, that got the job done, in terms of completing a session of 15 spring workouts that sets the table for the 2026 Buffs.

“You accomplish things, and we need to better ourselves in a multitude of aspects,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “We got some good things going on. I think you can see the fruit thereof.”

Offensively, there weren’t many fireworks, other than Lewis’ sensational pass to Scudero for the lone touchdown, but there were some efficient and productive plays.

Lewis, projected as the starter at quarterback, unofficially completed 6-of-11 passes for 60 yards. The redshirt freshman looked more comfortable than he did in last year’s spring game.

“He was a lot better,” Sanders said. “And I think that����ap very easy to obtain when you got Danny Scudero on your side. He is a dawg, and having a comfort level with the playbook and the way (offensive coordinator Brennan) Marion communicates on the set. You gotta understand that was the first time that all the coaches got an opportunity to communicate (on the headsets).”

Isaac Wilson, who is competing for the job as well, was unofficially 6-for-12 for 65 yards and was intercepted by freshman cornerback Mojo Williams Jr. on the last play.

Scudero had two catches for 25 yards, running back Damian Henderson had 39 rushing yards on five carries, and Quentin Gibson caught four passes for 38 yards.

Defensively, end Toby Anene had a sack and batted down a pass, defensive tackle Santana Hopper made several plays at the line of scrimmage and defensive back Boo Carter was active all day.

“The hardest thing to measure when you’re measuring the spring game is if the offense does well, that means the defense is not doing well. And vice versa,” Sanders said. “You hope to see the quarterbacks not throw interceptions like we did on the last play. You hope that they move the ball down the field. You hope that defensive backs are aggressive and physical.

“It����ap a multitude of things, but the main thing is you don’t want to get anybody hurt.”

Sanders said two players suffered “strained MCLs,” but not tears, so he said, “We’re going to be OK with that.”

Coming off a disappointing 3-9 season in 2025 and rebuilding with 59 new players this spring, CU didn’t draw a lot of buzz for this year’s spring game.

It was the first of Sanders’ four spring games to not be televised, although it was streamed on YouTube.

Unlike the previous three years, CU didn’t charge for tickets. Officially, 27,772 tickets were claimed, which would make it the third-most “attended” spring game in CU history, behind the 2023 and 2024 games. However, BuffZone estimates that roughly 10,000 tickets were used.

Around the country, many programs have cancelled spring games and Sanders said that plays a role in the decreased interest in CU’s game.

“No one’s valuing spring anymore,” he said. “The only thing that would bring that back is we compete against another school, and I’ve been saying that for the last several years.”

CU’s disappointing season in 2025 played a role, too, though.

“Winning also helps increase that, but people get tired of the same old, same old at a certain point and you want more,” he said.

He also acknowledged it����ap tough for fans to get to know players when there’s so much movement in the transfer portal every year. Yet, he was appreciative of the thousands of fans who did show up to watch and enjoy Black & Gold Day.

“I understand (the other factors) wholeheartedly, but we have a tremendous fan base,” he said. “We have a tremendous student body and we still have a lot of people out there that����ap crazy about CU football. And I’m excited about that.”

Ponder, 23, was killed early on March 1 when he lost control on a curve and hit a guardrail. The car he was driving, a 2023 Tesla, struck an electrical line pole and rolled down an embankment.

His blood alcohol level was .167, according to the autopsy report. The limit is 0.08. There is a lower limit, of .05, for driving while ability impaired.

Ponder was pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy report lists “multiple blunt force injuries” as the cause of death and “accident” as the manner of death.

Deion Sanders remembers late CU Buffs quarterback Dominiq Ponder

On Tuesday, the Colorado State Patrol said it����ap “conducting a comprehensive investigation which would take a look at factors such as speed, impairment, distracted driving, and more.”

Ponder’s mom, Catrina Hughes, released a statement, saying “what matters most to me is who Dominiq was as a person. He was a determined student-athlete, a leader, and someone with a huge heart who fiercely loved his family, his teammates, and the game of football.

“If anything good can come from this loss, it����ap the conversations it can start about responsible decision-making, supporting young adults, and making good choices even in ordinary moments. One bad decision can alter everything.”

Ponder’s family has started a GoFundMe page and a foundation called “Dominiq Ponder 7/22.” His foundation will support student-athletes, children’s hospitals and families dealing with medical challenges, and help assist with responsible decision-making.

“A big part of his legacy will be to encourage young people to please make responsible choices and if possible to have the courage to step in for their friends when one of them isn’t thinking clearly for themselves,” Hughes wrote. “Kids need to know that it����ap OK to intervene, do anything you can do, one small decision can save a life. Don’t be afraid even if it����ap uncomfortable. A difficult conversation is easier than a lifetime of loss.”

Ponder played in two games for the Buffaloes last season. The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Florida began his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring.