Have you ever seen a team win 9 games with no run game? That was Colorado last year. Deion Sanders had Shedeur Sanders slinging it like crazy, with electric wideouts like Travis Hunter, LaJohntay Wester, and Jimmy Horn Jr. lighting up secondaries. But when it came to the ground game? Might as well have been handing off to a ghost. They ranked dead last in rushing—yup, even behind winless Kent State. Now with all 3 wideouts and Shedeur off to the NFL, what does Coach Prime do after ranking dead last in rushing—behind winless Kent State?

He clapped back with a twin move to fix the mess this off season, and it starts with Kaidon Salter getting prepped to take over as QB1. On July 6, RJ Young broke it down on his Adapt & Respond podcast, saying, “Last year, we talking about again a program that really needed to depend on Shedeur Sanders to move the football because they couldn’t run it. They were dead damn last in rushing yards per game in the FBS—behind winless Kent State. They could not run the football to save their lives.” Let’s quantify that for further insight.

They averaged just 65.2 yards per game, 2.5 yards a carry, and were literally bottom two in the entire FBS. In some losses, they couldn’t even crack 8 yards total—yes, total. You almost had to squint at the box score. But Sanders clearly saw the writing on the wall: No O-line, no run game, no playoff shot. He didn’t just want to improve; he went out to fix it, permanently.

Deion Sanders didn’t sit on his hands. He went for the twin towers of change. RJ Young laid it out: “And when they even just showed a pulse, it went well for them. So what has he done? Prime has added Marshall Faulk to the coaching staff as running back’s coach. It’s going to help you recruit, going to help you develop. You’re also getting Warren Sapp, Byron Leftwich to join up in real, you know, jobs”. In February, he made headlines by pulling NFL legend Marshall Faulk into Boulder as his new running backs coach. A month later? He brought in Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as assistant head coach. Straight heat.

RJ Young gave big props to Kaidon Salter while handing him the starter nod, making it clear the run game’s about to get a serious upgrade: “With Kaidon Salter penciled in as the starter, I just know the run game is going to be better because he is a great runner. It’s a guy that’s had over 2,000 rush yards, 21 TDs, three years at Liberty, right? Threw for damn near 6,000 yards at Liberty.” That’s where Kaidon Salter enters the chat. In 2023, Salter ran for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns while passing for over 2,800 more. That’s not a QB who “can run”, that’s a QB who does run, like his cleats are allergic to standing still.

Let that marinate. Salter’s coming to a program that begged for any sort of movement on the ground. Last year, CU passed the ball on nearly 65% of their offensive plays. That’s not offensive balance, that’s offensive desperation. Shedeur Sanders threw almost 500 passes, because they simply couldn’t trust handing it off. RJ Young hit it with some real frustration.

“Here’s Wild Stat 2024: Again, they didn’t have to be anything like good at running the ball. All they really needed to do was show a pulse. I mean that. They were 8-0 last year when they ran for 50 yards or more. Fifty. And they were 9-1 when they averaged one yard per rush,” he said One yard. Not five. Not four. One. That’s how low the bar was, and they still kept tripping over it. But this year, the vibes are shifting.

Leftwich is designing more balanced gameplans, and Faulk is breathing life into a running backs room that’s seen more portal exits than production. And with Salter’s legs adding an automatic threat on every down, defenders will no longer be able to pin their ears back and crash the pocket like last season. What’s wild? Colorado didn’t need to become a run-heavy team to succeed. They just needed to keep defenses honest. When they ran for even 50 yards, they were nearly unstoppable. So imagine what they’ll be when Salter opens up the playbook with zone reads, RPOs, and designed QB runs. It’s a whole new universe of possibilities.

Buffs 2025 season running back squad

Colorado’s 2025 running back room got a glow-up. But let’s be real—it had nowhere to go but up. After 2024’s historically trash run game, Prime brought in new blood, new brains, and a new backfield. The headline hire? Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk—one of the coldest to ever do it—as RB coach. Faulk’s not just a recruiter. He’s a technician. And he’s already putting his stamp on this squad.

Micah Welch is back, and that’s a name worth circling. The sophomore showed real juice last year, including an OT game-winner vs. Baylor. He’s got burst, vision, and legit SEC-level toughness. RJ Young even shouted him out: “Micah Welch and Don Hayden Jr could make serious noise.” Speaking of Hayden, he’s a former Ohio State back who’s battled injuries but brings experience and a chip on his shoulder. If he stays healthy, RB1 might just have his name on it.

Portal additions like Simeon Price (Coastal Carolina) and DeKalon Taylor (Incarnate Word) bring depth. Taylor ran for 909 yards and 9 scores last year—the dude’s got real downhill ability. And don’t sleep on Jaivian Thomas from Cal. He averaged over 6 yards a pop last year and led the Bears in rushing. You’re suddenly looking at a backfield with real rotation potential, not just warm bodies.

Sure, it’s not Georgia’s RB room. But it doesn’t have to be. Remember: Colorado was undefeated in 2024 when they just showed a pulse in the run game. A hundred yards per game in 2025? That’d be a miracle in Boulder. But with Salter at QB, Faulk on the sidelines, and a backfield full of hungry transfers, that miracle suddenly feels very real.