A linebacker position that started last season as a glaring weakness for Colorado ended up being a big strength in Robert Livingston’s defense.
Nikhai Hill-Green and LaVonta Bentley became two of the best players on the CU defense and were a massive reason why it was very hard to run the football on that group. The two transfers formed one of the best downhill linebacker duos in the Big 12 and their physicality and toughness permeated throughout the rest of the defense.
Hill-Green is off to Alabama and Bentley has graduated, so the Buffs must replace that production in the middle in order to continue the upward trajectory that their defense made in 2024.
Colorado has already gone into the transfer portal to get some reinforcements at linebacker, but Deion Sanders may not be done adding to that room. Last spring, Hill-Green was one of the last additions to the Colorado roster, so there are still diamonds in the rough to be found.
One likely starter at the position is already on the roster next season in UTEP transfer Martavius French. In 13 games last year, French made 80 tackles and led the American Athletic Conference with 17 tackles for loss and feels like the type of player who can make the same plays going downhill that the core did last season.
Outside of French, there is a lot of both uncertainty and opportunity. Jaylen Wester showed flashes last season in limited snaps, specifically making a few very nice plays at the end of Colorado's win against UCF. However, his inexperience and undersized frame will raise questions about his viability as a starter.
Jeremiah Brown should also be back after rejoining the team for the Alamo Bowl, but he has started just one game in two seasons at CU after spending his last season at Jackson State as a pass rusher.
Reginald Hughes is arguably the most intriguing option at linebacker due to his versatility. The Jacksonville State transfer is a big, thumping presence who has some pass rushing chops and spent some time getting after the quarterback last season. Hughes finished the year with 83 tackles and 4.5 sacks on his way to First Team All-Conference USA honors.
