BOULDER — Deion Sanders said something new this week.

It was revealing.

“The ‘O-line’ is not a problem,” Coach Prime said ahead of the Buffaloes’ matchup at TCU this Saturday (5:30 p.m. Fox).

The proof is right there on the stat sheet. 

After averaging fewer than 70 rushing yards per game in 2023 and 2024, the Buffs are averaging close to 150 through five games in 2025. The pass protection is better, too. Per TruMedia and Pro Football Focus data, CU is allowing 4.7 seconds before pressure on the quarterback, which leads the country. The Buffs are also allowing just 2.4 sacks per game, down from 3.3 last season and 4.6 the year before that.

Yes, the personnel is different. Alongside stud sophomore left tackle Jordan Seaton, who leads the nation with a 91.4 pass blocking grade per PFF, CU added four veteran transfers to the offensive line. That’s not exactly a new formula, even for Coach Prime, but they believe there’s a reason it’s working much better this time around.

“We made sure that guys were gonna click and gel together with different geographical areas and personalities and whatnot,” offensive line coach Gunnar White said. “You can’t have a room full of hot heads and a room full of soft-spoken people. You’ve got a good mix of the social guys and the nonsocial guys and everybody does their part and their job and it clicks very well.”

Guards Xavier Hill and Zylon Crisler showed why they were all-conference caliber players at their previous stops, while center Zarian McGill has been solid despite making a jump up in competition. Tennessee transfer Larry Johnson III seems to have settled in at right tackle after some struggles in the first three games.

There are even plenty of reserves at the disposal of the coaching staff. They’ve used them with redshirt freshman Yahya Attia, a native Egyptian who came to CU from the NFL Academy in London. He’s been used as a sixth offensive lineman to help in the run game, while also filling in at right guard.

“He’s too good not to put him on the field,” White said. “He’s busting his tail at guard, at center, at tight end, the whole 9 (yards). You gotta reward kids that do well and do everything you ask and two, (he’s) one of the best guys in the unit. If we could keep six (offensive linemen) out there, I would love to, but that’s not the way that it works. He’s doing a fantastic job and I’m super proud of him.”

But it’s not just about the players in the room. It’s about who’s coaching it now, too.

White was promoted to his current role after Fountain-Fort Carson grad Phil Loadholt departed for a similar role at Mississippi State. White has been with Sanders since Jackson State and began as an analyst with the Buffs. Coach Prime also wanted additional voices other than just White’s as a first-time full position coach.

Longtime NFL players Andre Gurode, a CU alum and former All-American, and George Hegamin were added as assistant offensive line coaches to create a trio leading a group that needed to take a step forward this fall.

“That’s why he hired me,” White said. “That’s why he hired (Gurode) and that’s why he hired George. He knew what we wanted and what we brought to the table. We try to hit things in different manners and different ways than other people have. Nothing against them, but I’ve been around so many different offensive line coaches that I can pick the good things that I like and not do some of the things I didn’t and mesh them all together.”

So far, the unselfishness among the offensive line coaches has translated to the players on the field and the results are showing.

“We try to instill that into the guys and once they see us do that on the same page and keep egos out of it, the proof’s in the pudding,” White said.