Deion Sanders didn't mince words after his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, was hit 17 times, knocked down 13 times and sacked seven times in a loss to UCLA last fall.
“The big picture is you get new linemen,” Deion Sanders said after the loss on the Oct. 28. “That’s the picture and I’m going to paint it perfectly.”
Despite being the most sacked (52) quarterback in the country last season, Shedeur Sanders was still able to complete 69.3% of his passes (eighth-best in FBS) and throw for a school-record 3,230 yards to go along with 27 touchdowns in his first year at the FBS level. As impressive as his individual season was, the inconsistency in his protection from the offensive line hindered the overall success of this offense.
Constant pressure limited Sanders' ability to make aggressive, downfield throws and create off schedule. More importantly, leaky protection far too often resulted in negative plays: sacks, fumbles, turnovers, etc.
Deion Sanders made good on his promise of bringing in new lineman via the transfer portal, but can the Buffs significantly improve up front in just one offseason? Here's why they can.
Colorado's offensive line revamp 'was expected'
Hank Zilinskas survived the purge. Others weren't as fortunate.
The sophom*ore center is one of just three returning Colorado offensive linemen who saw action last season (Ben Reznik and Kareem Harden are the others).
Last year's starting left tackle (Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan) and starting center (Van Wells) are headed to Oregon State. Jack Bailey, who started all 12 games at left guard for the Buffs last season, has transferred to Northwestern and Savion Washington is now at Syracuse after starting nine games at right tackle for Colorado.
That group was largely responsible for Sanders getting sacked on 10.2% of his dropbacks (FBS average is 6.1%) and pressured on 36.8% of his dropbacks last season.
Needless to say, this Colorado offensive line won't look the same in 2024.
Zilinskas is the only returning offensive lineman who is projected to start this fall after he showed real promise last season as a true freshman. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound center played in 11 games (two starts) for the Buffs in 2023, allowing just one sack on 104 pass-blocking attempts, according to Pro Football Focus.
More: Colorado football center Hank Zilinskas reaping the rewards of 'old school' mentality
"Hank (Zilinskas) was here a year ago, got some reps but then he watched this winter as we brought in like six guys around him," Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said on April 25. "He didn't say anything, kept working, he was resilient, he's tough, he kept learning, he kept developing and he got bigger. He did all the things you want from a young man to develop.
"It's a credit to him and I think if we had to play a game tomorrow, he'd probably be the guy in there."
Zilinskas earned praise and a starting spot this spring despite the fact that an experienced transfer was brought in at his position.
Former UConn center Yakiri Walker appeared in all 12 games for UConn, playing a total of 797 snaps, last season and should provide stability at the position along with Zilinskas. With the addition of guys like Walker, the competition level on the Buffs' offensive line has raised immensely.
"Having guys come in and out, it was expected with the performance we had last year," Zilinskas told the Coloradoan in May. "I wasn't surprised by that or anything but I think there's a lot of good that comes from it. A lot of the guys who have transferred in have come from all over college football so they bring plenty of experience and different perspectives of what they saw where they played.
"For me to be able to learn from them and try to help them as well, I think it's very beneficial."
What will Colorado's revamped offensive line look like?
Deion Sanders and his recruiting staff haven't just added talent to this offensive line room, they've also added experience.
Perhaps Colorado's biggest transfer addition in the trenches was former UTEP guard Justin Mayers, PFF's fourth highest-graded interior OL in the Big 12 for 2024. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound graduate transfer chose the Buffs over Mississippi State, Pitt, South Carolina, Texas Tech and others after starting all 12 games at left guard for the Miners last season.
Since 2022, Mayers has allowed just two sacks across 846 pass-blocking snaps and has a pass-blocking grade of 86.3, according to PFF. He is projected to start at left guard in 2024 and will be a massive upgrade from last season's situation.
The other starting guard will either be Tyler Brown or Tyler Johnson, both of whom will make their Colorado debuts this fall.
Brown was ruled ineligible for the 2023 season due to the former two-transfer rule after starting 13 games on the offensive line for Deion Sanders at Jackson State in 2022, earning AP third-team FCS All-American honors.
Johnson was the No. 5 interior offensive lineman in the transfer portal after spending the last two seasons at Houston as the Cougars' starting guard. Across 890 pass-blocking snaps, Johnson has allowed just two sacks and has a pass-blocking grade of 84.9, according to PFF. He's the only Colorado football player who made On3's preseason all-transfer portal team.
Indiana transfer Kahlil Benson is projected to start at right tackle for Colorado and brings a wealth of game experience to this OL unit. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound junior has 17 career starts under his belt (12 in 2023) and allowed just one sack on 424 pass attempts last season.
The No. 1 offensive tackle in the Class of 2024, Jordan Seaton, will be tasked with protecting Sanders' blindside as a true freshman. His development throughout the year will help determine the ceiling of this unit.
Luckily for Seaton, he'll be surrounded by experienced upperclassmen who want to see each other succeed.
"We have a lot of guys in the offensive line room who have great attitudes toward each other," Shedeur said after the Colorado spring game on April 27. "Sometimes it's friction but we always work it out and we're always a family.
"They won't let what happened last year happen again."
Colorado's offensive line has 'a great mix of developmental prospects'
Colorado's projected starting offensive line looks strong on paper, but what happens when the inevitable injury occurs? The Buffs will be ready with reinforcements this time around.
That wasn't typically the case in 2023 and it's part of the reason Colorado limped to a 1-8 finish in the final nine games. The Buffs' recruiting staff landed a new starting OL unit via the transfer portal, but also important depth pieces for when the wear and tear of a long season kicks in.
Michigan State transfer Ethan Boydcommitted to Colorado last month after playing in all 12 games (three starts at right tackle) for the Spartans in 2023. The 6-foot-7, 326-pound OL logged 313 total offensive snaps in the Big Ten last fall.
Then there's the duo of Payton Kirkland and Zach Owens, both of whom transferred to Colorado with four years of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-6, 366-pound Kirkland spent his freshman season at Texas and didn't see any game action in 2023, but held 50-plus offers out of high school as a former four-star recruit.
Owens was also a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023 before he committed to Clemson. The 6-foot-6, 380-pound OL nicknamed "Flapjack" played in two games for the Tigers last season but preserved his eligibility by redshirting.
Either of these highly-touted prospects can be an option for new offensive line coach Phil Loadholt in the event of injury or Seaton needing more time to get acclimated to college football.
"They (Colorado) have a great mix of developmental prospects," On3's national recruiting analyst Phillip Dukes told the Coloradoan. "You look at a guy like Payton Kirkland, huge guy, developmental, you bring him in, coach him up and then you're able to get him ready for the bright lights. They have enough where they don't absolutely have to start him now. Last year, you would've had to start him. Now you have time to develop him.
"You get a guy like 'Flapjack,' another huge guy. Now think about your bookend tackles, those two guys don't have to play this year. You already have guys who are in front of them, but I guarantee you if you got those two guys last year, they both start or they're really in your rotation. Maybe both of them are your sixth or your seventh guy. Now they're your eighth or your ninth guy which makes a ton of difference when it comes to playing in a conference like the Big 12."
The talent level of Colorado's roster has improved significantly, and the Buffs' offensive line room might've taken the biggest leap this offseason. That should bode well for Shedeur's final college football season before the 2025 NFL Draft.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Why Shedeur Sanders will be better protected by Colorado football's OL
