Fall camp is the final stage for many position groups to duke it out on the field and decide who will be running with the ones on opening night. Colorado has a few notable positions up in the air — running back, wide receiver, and defensive line — but a spot that felt secure a few weeks ago may now be up in the air.

The Buffs' linebackers have made a strong impression on position coach Andre’ Hart in camp, and the fierce competition has left him in doubt about who will be the starter when the CU takes on North Dakota State in just nine days.

Early in camp, it looked like veterans LaVonta Bentley and Trevor Woods would be the primary guys in the middle of new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston’s scheme, but that may not be the case anymore.

“Early in the season I thought it would be (Woods and Bentley),” Hart said. “And now, Nikhai (Hill-Green) and Jeremiah Brown have been making a really big push, and so we’ve been mixing these guys up. I always talk about competition keeping them up at night, but now they’re keeping me up at night because I’m trying to figure out who’s gonna be that guy for me.

"They’ve been playing really well, and I’m excited to see who’s gonna come out on top but I feel good with any four of those guys going in.”

Brown is an especially intriguing story as a player who could be a big contributor for the defense this year. The Florida native played outside linebacker and served primarily as a pass rusher and edge defender under Deion Sanders at Jackson State before kicking inside to middle linebacker in 2023 during his first season with the Buffs.