BOULDER — As South Florida transfer Jimmy Horn Jr. became a standout in Colorado’s spring practices, earning the first number under coach Deion Sanders and looking like a potential star in the Buffaloes offense, all Xavier Weaver could do was sit and watch.

“I was itching to get here for sure, but when I saw (Horn) out here doing his thing, I just knew it was coming,” Weaver, who committed to CU in the spring, told The Denver Gazette. “I knew what he was coming up here to do. We’re just going to come here and do it together.”

While it was Horn who got the head start in Boulder after committing in December, it was Weaver who led the Bulls in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2022.

After totaling over 1,700 receiving yards and eight touchdowns (six of which came last season) in Tampa, Weaver is ready for the chance to produce on a big stage. If the first two weeks of fall camp are an indication, Weaver is seizing the moment.

“He’s a guy that has flashed early and has flashed often,” offensive coordinator Sean Lewis said. “He goes about his process the right way. You can tell when he does anything football related, he does it like a pro, which I think is a great thing to have. He has those daily disciplines that when he steps in between the white lines, he’s got a laser focus about him. That’s big time.”

Weaver said he’s adjusted to the elevation and working out no longer feels like he’s “running in a basketball gym.” He’s quickly become a go-to target for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

“He’s going to have a big year,” Sanders said. “I feel like all the receivers understand what’s at stake, what’s the plan (and) what we’re trying to accomplish this year.”

As Sanders said, it is a receiver-friendly offense. It’s not just Weaver and Horn that will be getting the ball. Two-way star Travis Hunter also will factor in. And Javon Antonio, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound veteran who’s gone from community college to the FCS now to the Buffaloes, is one of the more imposing players on the team.

“I feel like this is a big chance for all of us,” Weaver said. “We’re all going to throw up 1,000 (yards).”

There are 60 new players on CU’s roster, and a lot of them are making a jump up from their previous level of competition. For those like Weaver with one year of eligibility left, it’s now or never.

“It’s just a big opportunity,” Weaver said. “I feel like all eyes are on us. I feel like I’ve been under the radar for a little bit, so this is the right time to prove myself.”