Head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs are just one month into the offseason and they’ve already made plenty of changes to the roster as well as the coaching staff.

Four former analysts and George Hegamin, who previously served as the director of leadership and engagement, were elevated to new assistant roles on the Buffs' coaching staff while three former assistants departed from the program. In the winter portal window, CU added 17 new transfers to address 18 former starters leaving the program to pursue the NFL, join other CFB programs or were simply out of eligibility.

Much of Colorado’s personnel was retooled to meet the offseason needs in order to bring an optimal product on the field come fall. Still, seven months remain before the Buffs suit up again at Folsom Field, and there are multiple areas that Colorado must continue to address to assemble a competitive team for the 2025 season.

From individual performances to position composition, here’s what CU Sports Report staff writers Troy Finnegan and Nikki Edwards are monitoring as the offseason progresses.

Troy: The running back room will have to be more consistent in 2025. Isaiah Augustave, Micah Welch and Dallan Hayden will all be called upon to contribute more at all aspects of the position. They must be effective running between the tackles, reliable in pass protection, and available as a pass catching option for a quarterback who will not be the same kind of polished passer that Shedeur Sanders was.

If it ends up being Kaidon Salter at quarterback, the threat of the QB run will help the backs be more productive on the ground. None of these backs have the explosiveness that the Buffs will be looking for, so a change-of-pace back that can hit home runs in the open field would still be worth seeking out in the spring transfer window. Regardless, the running back group must be willing and ready to carry a bigger load this fall.

Nikki: For two years now, Sanders has advocated for Colorado’s commitment to the run. However in both years under Sanders, the Buffs finished as the worst rushing offense out of 133 FBS teams averaging around 60 rushing yards per game. There’s significant room for improvement, and the Buffs can begin to build a better semblance of a rushing attack this offseason.

Outside of the running backs, Kaidon Salter could likely be the Buffs' leading rusher as he helped lead Liberty in 2023 to become the No. 1 rushing offense (293.3 yards per game) in FBS with his 1,089 yards on the ground. Salter also rushed for 587 yards in 2024. Not one of Colorado’s running backs, even the speedy Dylan Edwards, has come close to amassing 500 rushing yards. The current five scholarship running backs, Charlie Offerdahl, Micah Welch, Isaiah Augustave, Dallan Hayden and Brandon Hood, have not shown enough evidence that they can really run the ball.