Welcome back to another edition of our position-by-position breakdown for Colorado’s 2025 season, trying to figure out what the strengths are, what the weaknesses might be, and just how this team stacks up before the opener against Georgia Tech on August 29.
This chapter is about the defensive line — not the edge rushers, that’s its own category. This is the big uglies, the hog mollies, the war daddies up front. And honestly, this is a position group we’re really excited to break down.
For about 25
years this has been a weak spot for the Colorado Buffaloes. But that’s not going to be the case this year.
Out of the 10 groups — five offense, five defense — this one’s pretty obvious in terms of where we’ll rank it. Number one. Easy. There’s not another answer here.
When evaluating position groups, two things matter most: returning production (if you know what you’re getting, you value that highly) and pro potential (guys who are NFL-caliber usually make a major impact at this level).
The defensive line has both. There’s insane depth, strong returning production, and multiple guys with clear NFL futures. Add in a couple key transfers, and this is hands-down the best group on the team.
What We Know For Sure
Let’s break down the personnel:
Anquin Barnes established himself last year — a monster inside. He’s 6’6″, 330, moves well, and has slimmed down. He looks terrifying.
Amari McNeil is an even bigger dog, ferocious on every snap. He’s maybe our favorite player on the roster. He’s not as huge as Barnes, but he plays with violence and disruption. Every snap he’s shedding blockers, and when Barnes eats two guys, McNeil is the one crashing through.
Jaheim Otis is the Alabama transfer, and maybe the biggest offseason get outside of Juju Lewis and Caden Salter. Starting as a freshman for Nick Saban? That basically never happens. Everyone wanted him, and CU got him. He’s bigger, faster, and stronger than Barnes. He has first-round potential and is a future star.
The beauty is CU doesn’t need him to be perfect for this group to be elite — they already are. If he hits, this group is scary.
Tafwiq Thomas, Taurean Carter, and Tavion Coleman are steady, rotational guys who played well last year.
Gavriel Lightfoot is a transfer from Fresno State who’s underrated but will make an impact.
Behind them you’ve got Coleman from Indiana, Lightfoot from Fresno, and Christian Hudson — a freshman who’s 6’4″, 310 and might not even crack the two-deep. That shows you how deep this room is.
Don’t forget the coaching situation. Robert Livingston’s back for year two as DC, most of the staff stayed, and the players are comfortable in the system. Add in Warren Sapp, who is still a GA working with the line, and Domata Peko, who played 15 years in the NFL, also coaching them. That’s absurd.
CU did lose Chidozie Nwankwo, who was really good last year, and Shane Cokes, who was reliable and smart. Both mattered, but what CU added is even better.
This group isn’t just best in the Big 12 — they could be one of the best in the country. “Best in the country” might be a stretch, but top 10 nationally? That’s definitely on the table.
The depth is the thing. You want to run the ball? Good luck. You want to sit in the pocket and dink and dunk? Good luck. This group is going to win games.
If you’re a Big 12 offense, you should be terrified. These guys are deep, mean, and NFL-ready.
The Bottom Line
This is the group we’re most excited to see against Georgia Tech. Worst case, they’re still very good. Best case, they’re a top-10 unit nationally, CU leads the league in sacks and tackles for loss again, and they set up the rest of the defense to thrive.
This unit answers the question “Is CU going to be good this year?” The answer is yes, but in a different way. And the defensive line is the reason.
It’s going to be fun. Season’s almost here.
