Is this the year words become reality?

During all three of his first seasons at Colorado, Deion Sanders has pleaded for his Buffaloes team to be more effective running the football. 

The first two, with his son Shedeur starring at quarterback, a poor rushing attack wasn’t much of an issue.

Last season, though, as CU went Coach Prime-era worst 3-9 with a rushing attack that ranked second to last in the Big 12 and without an elite passing game to make up for it, the need for change became clear.

In the offseason, Sanders went out and hired a proven offensive coordinator with a track record of success running the football in Brennan Marion.

Even though Marion’s “GoGo” offense may sound like it’s all about bombing the ball downfield with unique passing concepts, it’s a scheme dependent on success in the running game.

Last year at Sacramento State, Marion’s offense finished second in the FCS in rushing yards per game at 262.2, over 140 yards per game more than the Buffs averaged in 2025.

The Hornets had three players rush for over 500 yards individually, with leading rusher Rodney Hammond Jr. finishing with over 1,200 yards on the ground, good for 12th nationally at the FCS level.

CU hasn’t had a player rush for over 500 yards in a season since Jarek Broussard in 2021. 

There figure to be multiple players in this year’s running back room capable of breaking that mark this fall. Let’s meet them:

The returners

Even though it’s a brand-new system, it helps that the Buffs have some semblance of continuity in the running back room. Johnnie Mack was elevated to coach the room, replacing Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, who left after one season in Boulder to become the head coach at Southern University, located near his hometown of New Orleans.

Micah Welch returns for his junior season at CU after leading the team in rushing as a sophomore. The Georgia native received double-digit carries in a game six times last year with a single-game high of 67 yards (twice) to go with his four touchdowns. The 2026 season could be the breakout campaign that Welch has shown he’s capable of, provided he stays healthy and has the trust of the coaching staff to be one of the two main running backs receiving carries.

The other returner is veteran DeKalon Taylor, who missed the final eight games of 2025 with an injury after looking like a valuable weapon early on in his first season at CU. The Incarnate Word transfer had more receiving yards (106) than rushing (83) last fall, but is a home run hitter regardless of how the ball gets in his hand and that might be enough to earn him a chance in Marion’s system.

The newcomers

Coach Prime likes to limit the running back rotation to two players heading into a given game, and with three key transfers in the fold, that leaves five players battling it out for two spots ahead of the season opener at Georgia Tech in early September.

The two players who have the biggest advantage are the pair that came with Marion from Sacramento State in the offseason. One-time Colorado State running back Damian Henderson II and sophomore Jaquail Smith came to Boulder after each rushing for over 500 yards and five touchdowns in 2025. Both impressed in the spring and showed off their knowledge of how to be effective in the “GoGo” system.

They’ll have plenty of competition, however, in the form of Alabama transfer Richard Young. The Lehigh Acres, Fla., native was once the No. 1 high school running back in the country, per ESPN, and is looking for his first big opportunity in college after receiving just 59 carries across three seasons with the Crimson Tide.