Colorado football 2023 state of the position: Outside linebacker

Colorado’s OLBs room holds many of the Buffs’ best pass rushers

Position classifications get tricky in college football, and the Colorado Buffaloes are no different this season. Most will see a player labeled “outside linebacker” and assume they will be dropping in coverage and playing the run. But when you look at the names that have been assembled at the position for the Buffs, they will also be getting after the quarterback.

Colorado has gathered a boatload of pass-rushing talent and almost all of them are listed as OLBs on the official roster. On obvious passing downs, expect to see one or more of these OLBs on the edges ready to get after the QB.

Here’s a look at Colorado’s primary “outside linebackers:”

CU players who are landing on award watch lists ahead of the 2023 season

Take a look at which Buffs players are landing on award watch lists

It’s award watch list season and multiple Buffaloes are being recognized as contenders for some of college football’s biggest individual honors. While I’m sure these players would prefer Colorado to win a team trophy, it’s still encouraging to see a few Buffs earning some national respect.

Additionally, of the four Buffs we’ll highlight below, three of them are new to the program, which is another testament to the level of talent that head coach Deion Sanders brought to Boulder via the transfer portal.

Take a look at which Buffs players have landed on individual award watch lists ahead of the 2023 season: