BOULDER — Throughout the entire 2023 season, Colorado was searching for someone — anyone — to seize the cornerback spot opposite Travis Hunter.

The void was a persistent issue that led to defensive struggles that contributed to a six-game losing streak to close the season.

In the offseason, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes completely reshaped the cornerback room around Hunter. Through eight games, CU has found not one, not two, but three players in the secondary who have helped elevate the overall performance of the defense.

CU (6-2 overall, 4-1 Big 12) plays at Texas Tech (6-3, 4-2) on Saturday.

Oklahoma State transfer DJ McKinney is third on the team in tackles and has six pass breakups in coverage to go with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Liberty transfer Preston Hodge has two interceptions and six pass breakups as the team’s starting slot corner.

Auburn transfer Colton Hood has played a limited role, but even he had a pair of interceptions while filling in for an injured Hunter.

“I feel like we’re always trying to one-up each other,” McKinney said Tuesday. “Me, Preston, Travis, Colton, it’s always like a little competition. I feel like we’re just pushing the bar higher and higher for our secondary. I feel like we’re the best secondary in the nation.”

Hunter is poised to be chosen early in the 2025 NFL draft, but Coach Prime believes there’s more than one future first-round draft pick playing cornerback for the Buffs.

“I think DJ definitely has the potential to be a first-round draft pick. Colton Hood is another person who has that potential as well,” Sanders said. “Preston Hodge has done a wonderful job and we have others that just haven’t gotten that opportunity yet. Those type of guys attract other guys that like to play in that style and the thing that they have in common, but all those guys are long and lanky like I like ’em. I love that about the corners.”

McKinney and Hood both will likely return for the 2025 season and give the Buffs a potent starting duo.

Sanders and the players credit cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis for helping their growth.

“He’s coached at every level from youth, 7-on-7, high school, (at) Jackson (State), everywhere with me. He’s my guy,” Sanders said of Mathis. “His attention to detail is second to none. He holds those young men truly accountable and he’s smart.”

Playing for Sanders and Mathis was one of the big reasons why McKinney, Hodge and Hood transferred to CU last offseason. They could be the first wave of top corners making their way to Boulder.

“If you want a coaching staff that’s gonna be honest with you, if you want to be around players that’s as hungry as you, if you really want to go to the next level, if you want to be around that style of play and NFL guys who have seen it and done it and know what to look for, I feel like this is the destination,” McKinney said. “This has been the best decision of my life.”

Notes

—Coach Prime will divert from his usual pregame routine Saturday and say hello to his counterpart on the Texas Tech sideline, coach Joey McGuire, whom Sanders has known for a long time. His oldest son, Deion “Bucky” Sanders Jr., played for McGuire at Cedar Hill High School in Texas.

“Tremendous friend of mine. I loved him ever since he was at Cedar Hill. He was dominant, won state titles, well-respected in the community, well-respected amongst his peers. He ran everything, man. He was always upstanding and forthright,” Sanders said.

“I don’t know how many young men he’s responsible for getting and assisting them to get to college from the teams that he had at Cedar Hill. Just a pillar of consistency (and) commitment. I consider him a true friend and someone I can call and lean on to understand how this college thing works at times. I’m sure he’s gonna have those young men ready.I’m just happy I’m getting the opportunity to be on that stage with a man that I’ve respected for quite some time.”

—Sophomore Isaiah Augustave is likely to start at running back a third-straight week. He’s coming off a game against Cincinnati in which he had a career-high 22 carries, but Coach Prime says the team will continue to rely on the hot hand in a given week. “Who gets the start is not important, it’s who gets the finish,” he said.

—The Buffs’ defensive line depth has taken a hit with injuries as starting defensive tackle Shane Cokes’ status for Saturday is up in the air. Cokes suffered an injury against Cincinnati, while defensive tackle Taurean Carter is out for the season. Defensive end Dayon Hayes may be out for the season as well after a recent surgery.