Colorado’s defense had its fair share of problems in 2023, many of them involving the front seven. The Buffs got after the quarterback at a decent rate, recording 27 sacks over 12 games, but didn’t quite have the feared pass rush that impacts opposing quarterbacks.

The most productive of that bunch was Jordan Domineck, who led the team with 12 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2023. He was the most impactful force in the Colorado front seven last season, but CU lacked the overall depth and talent to boast an elite unit week in and week out.

Now, Domineck is gone and the Buffs know that they need to take things up a notch on the edge if they want to compete with the Big 12’s elite. Deion Sanders attacked the offseason with that goal in mind, diving into the transfer portal and bringing in loads of new pass-rushing talent to pair with a few returners in an effort to create a vicious pass rush that can take his defense to the next level in 2024.

The new crop of pass rushers is arguably the most accomplished of any position group that CU revamped this offseason. Many of the players the Buffs brought in — Samuel Okunlola, Dayon Hayes and B.J. Green II, to name a few — have already shown that they can be productive edge rushers at the Power Five level. Now, it’s about putting everything together to give the Buffs the boost they need up front.