Mailbag: Are the buffs any good?

With the Buffaloes bye this Saturday, we know everyone in Boulder has a football-sized hole in their hearts that needs to be filled. With the Buffs in an interesting position after defeating 14-point favorite UCF, we've been asked a lot of questions about the team. Given the extra free time the bye week gave us, we figured why not respond to them. Let's open the mailbag and see what you all want to know!

What does Deion’s future look like in Boulder?

I really wish I knew the answer to this question. I'm just as in the dark as the rest of you. Like most, I want Prime to stay in Boulder as long as possible. He has been a driving force for change in the program and brings in so much money that improves Colorado's entire athletic department.

I know Deion has said many times that he's here to stay and wants to retire as a buff. I would like that, but I don't know if I'll buy it. His words say he has no intention of leaving, but his actions don't necessarily match that. Deion rarely recruits high school seniors. Its high school recruiting classes have been tiny compared to other P4 schools over the last two seasons. All of CU's recruiting is done through the transfer portal, bringing in players with one or two left for quick fixes rather than building for the long term.

To me, all the quick fixes and reluctance to recruit high school recruits seems like he's only here for the here and now. It looks like he's trying to make the team look as good as possible while Shedeur, Shilo and Travis are here. There's nothing wrong with that. Travis Hunter may be the best football player this program has ever seen, and Colorado had some REALLY good football players and a Heisman winner. Going after top talent isn't a bad idea, but he hasn't necessarily laid the foundation for the future.

I've been worried about Deion leaving because of the job in Florida for about a year. Sometime in the next two months, the Gators will release Billy Napier, and Deion may want to return to his own state. With his children in the NFL, he may retire from coaching altogether. We just have no idea.

We need to enjoy the present and not worry about what next year will be like. This Colorado is so special. We probably have the best quarterback the school has ever seen and the Shohei Ohtani of college football on our roster. Sit back and enjoy the ride because everything will look completely different next year, regardless of whether Deion is still our head coach.

Where will Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders be selected in the NFL Draft?

At this rate, I would be shocked if Travis wasn't in the top three. Since Travis doesn't play quarterback, the odds are already stacked against him. NFL teams, especially bad ones, will jump at their chance to sign a franchise quarterback. Even though Travis isn't a quarterback, he is a once-in-a-lifetime talent and shouldn't be overshadowed. Right now, Travis has the No. 1 overall pick in most mock drafts. That could change later in the season, but we'll have to see if any quarterbacks prove more worthy.

He is Colorado's best player on both sides of the ball and that is very obvious. NFL scouts flocked to CU games and practices to see him. Pro teams are obviously very interested in Travis and many are eager to take him. Travis is a football unicorn. A player of his caliber comes along at least once in a decade. You would have to do really intense mental exercises not to jump at the opportunity to bring him into your team.

As for Shedeur, I think he will be voted into the top ten. The quarterback class looks weaker than initially thought this season, which has worked to his advantage. Shedeur is one of the three best quarterbacks in his class alongside Jalen Milroe and Cam Ward. If I were an NFL GM, which I am very much not, I would rank Milroe, Ward and Shedeur in that order. Considering how drafts have gone over the last five years, Shedeur will likely be taken in the top five if he stays in that top three range.

What happened to 2023 OC Sean Lewis and why did he leave so quietly?

Well, that's pretty simple. He was fired in the middle of the season. Deion got rid of his acting duties and gave them to someone else. This can't be very funny. I would probably assume that if your boss publicly fired you but gave you the option to stay in the office and do virtually nothing, you wouldn't stay at your job any longer than necessary.

As for why he left so quietly: Lewis is a professional. I'm sure he didn't badmouth the man who gave him the opportunity to play for one of the most watched teams in the country. And speaking badly about your former boss will result in you being excluded from the coaching world.

In the end it worked out great for Lewis. Within two years, he went from coaching at a MAC school to coaching at one of the better, cheaper G5 schools in the country at San Diego State.

He used his work in Boulder as a springboard, like many before him. His end goal was never to stay in Boulder. He didn't leave his job as a head coach at an FBS school to be an OC for an extended period of time. The plan was probably always to come to Boulder, get his name and tape announced as a theater supervisor, and then transfer to a more prestigious school than Kent State. That's exactly what happened. All's well that ends well, I guess.

Are the buffs good?

As crazy as it sounds, yes. They are the real deal. Aside from the offensive line, this team has exceeded almost every expectation we had for them before the season. Shedeur Sanders hasn't lost a step. Wide receivers one through six are serious playmakers. Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch are effective one-two punches out of the backfield.

The part of this team that puts them in the category of a really good team is their defense. These guys can play. Travis Hunter, DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge are all phenomenal cornerbacks, especially in press coverage. Cam'ron Salmon-Craig is one of the most underrated safeties in the country, while Shilo Sanders can scare any receiver with his monster hits.

Where this defense stands out is its front seven. Colorado's defensive line was suspect at best last year and completely transformed with the transfer portal and it worked wonders. Colorado has consistently been one of the better run defenses in the country all season. They shut out NDSU and held UCF, which was the nation's rushing yard leader before last weekend and averaged more than 350 rushing yards per game, to half their previous average. These guys can fill gaps and shut down the game on the ground, which is a sign of a good team.

Colorado's linebackers are among the best in the country, and that's no exaggeration. PFF ranked the Buffs as the third-best linebacker in the country for good reason. Lavonta Bently and Nikhai Hill-Green have been decisive players so far. Have you noticed that Colorado has stopped giving up those crosses in the middle of the field? This is the work of Bently and Hill-Green. You are always in the right place at the right time and have no problem laying the iron.

What is your record prediction for the rest of the season?

At this rate, I think Colorado will finish with a record of 8-4.

• We beat: Arizona, Cinci, Texas Tech and Kansas
• We lose to: K-State, Utah and Oklahoma State

This also seems to be a fairly conservative estimate at this point. Colorado could beat K-State if they force Avery Johnson to make poor decisions, and they could also beat Oklahoma State if they can shut down Ollie Gordon. The only game I think is probably a guaranteed loss is Utah, but that only applies if Cam Rising plays.

If Colorado wins eight games, Travis Hunter could very well win the Heisman. What he does is something we have never seen before and may never see again. Especially considering how disappointing the quarterbacks have looked this season, the Heisman is ripe for the taking.

What an exciting time to be a Buff!

Thank you for your questions!

I'm very pleased that we were able to answer them for you! Be on the lookout for more of these mailbags in the future! We ask questions on our Twitter/X, so follow us there!