5 most pivotal Colorado football defensive players in 2024, including Shilo Sanders

It would be nearly impossible for the Colorado football defense to be worse in 2024 than it was last season.

Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes allowed 34.8 points per game, which ranked 121st among FBS teams, worse than schools like Louisiana Tech, Tulsa and Kent State. Opponents scored at least 35 points in six of Colorado’s 12 games a year ago.

That’s an easy way to lose the final six games of a season.

The Buffaloes were ran on (176.4 rushing yards per game, second worst in Pac-12) and thrown against (276.9 passing yards, third worst in Pac-12) with relative ease.

Things should be much different for Colorado this fall after recruiting a handful of productive and experienced transfers to Boulder. In fact, the Buffs have the personnel (on paper) to deploy one of the Big 12’s best defenses in their return to the conference.

Here are the five most pivotal Colorado football defensive players in 2024:

Chidozie Nwankwo

It all starts up front for Colorado football in 2024. The Buffs’ defensive line was a major weakness last season and that’s why Nwankwo is so valuable to this team. Over the last four seasons at Houston, the 5-foot-11, 290-pound DL racked up 94 tackles (13 tackles for a loss) and five sacks across 40 games (33 starts). Nwankwo’s ability to shed blocks and diagnose plays at or near the line of scrimmage makes him an elite interior disruptor.

More: Why Colorado football’s Chidozie Nwankwo is the ‘Block Bully’: ‘Can’t double-team him’

His strength and physicality have also helped him earn the fitting nickname “Block Bully.” If Colorado can significantly improve its run defense in 2024, Nwankwo will be a major reason why.

Oct 22, 2022; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Houston Cougars defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo (10) reacts after stopping the Navy Midshipmen on fourth down at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

B.J. Green

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-most-pivotal-colorado-football-121517478.html

Author : The Coloradoan

Publish date : 2024-07-30 12:15:17

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