Colorado may have accidentally revealed one of its biggest offensive secrets for 2026. Not through Deion Sanders or OC Brennan Marion. It came from RB JaQuail Smith, a transfer who followed Marion from Sacramento State to Boulder and knows the system better than almost anyone in the building. The Buffs plan to keep a lot of RBs involved.
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“The Go-Go, it’s two backs,” JaQuail Smith said during an appearance on Thee Pregame Network. “So really we could be playing five backs a game. But it’s really just waiting your turn, just keep being patient because at first I didn’t play like the first couple games and my chance came.”
Colorado is entering a new era on offense under Brennan Marion, whose Go-Go offense scheme has built a reputation for confusing defenses. It uses unusual formations, multiple backfield looks, and constant personnel movement. While much of the attention around the Buffs has traditionally centered on the passing game, JaQuail Smith’s comments suggest the RBs could become the centerpiece of the attack this fall.
Brennan Marion’s offense isn’t built around finding one star RB and feeding him 25 carries. The system thrives when several backs with different skill sets rotate through the lineup. One can pound between the tackles, another can stretch the field, while a third can line up outside and create mismatches.
For Colorado, that’s good news because the room is packed. JaQuail Smith joined a group that includes Damian Henderson II, Richard Young, Micah Welch, and DeKalon Taylor. None has officially claimed the lead role, and that competition may continue right up until the opener against Georgia Tech.
JaQuail Smith knows how that process works. He had to wait for his chance at Sacramento State last year. When it came, he ran with it. 511 yards and five touchdowns on 76 carries, averaging 6.7 yards. That helped shape how he now talks to his Colorado teammates.
“Everybody, opportunity is going to come definitely because it’s a long season,” he said.
His familiarity with Brennan Marion’s system could also make him one of the most valuable players in the room. While Colorado’s other backs are still learning the details, he already understands the timing, formations, and pace required to make the offense work. Now, JaQuail Smith is describing the experience from a player’s perspective.
“It’s just different,” he said. “You don’t know what’s happening. There are exotic formations, two running backs, three receivers; you never know what’s coming.”
That’s the vision Brennan Marion brought to Boulder. The formation alone can create hesitation. And hesitation is what the offense wants. RBs coach Johnnie Mack echoed the importance of having different styles available.
“Just in the Go-Go offense, we do a variety of different things, which sometimes requires different types of backs,” he said.
Colorado still hasn’t named a No. 1 RB, and maybe that’s because the job won’t belong to just one player. If Smith’s comments are any indication, the Buffs are preparing to unleash a group rather than a feature back. The opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3 will provide the first real look at the plan.