Former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky takes dig at Coach Prime's Colorado

Dan Orlovsky criticized the Colorado Buffaloes following their best full season since 2016. Deion Sanders led the team to a 9-4 record and fourth place in the Big 12.

On Thursday, the former NFL quarterback took a dig at Colorado's pass protection on X (formerly Twitter).

"Man Colorado's pass protection stunk this past season," Orlovsky tweeted.

A fan asked Orlovsky how he would rate the Buffaloes' pass protection from 1-10 (10 being horrendous). The NFL analyst replied that he would give "Coach Prime's" team an 8.5.

Last season, quarterback Shedeur Sanders had the best season of his college football career despite Orlovsky's criticism of the pass protection. Sanders completed 353 passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. The previous year, he finished with 298 completions for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns.

One of Shedeur's best performances of his senior year was the team's 28-9 victory against the Colorado State Rams on Sept. 14. He went 36 of 49 for 310 yards and four touchdowns. The Buffaloes also had the best passing yards and passing yards per game (318.0) in the Big 12.

Sanders' success was partly due to the team's improved offensive line. In the 2023 season, Colorado had 3,356 passing yards and 294.7 passing yards per game.

Deion recognized the team's issues and acquired players to help Shedeur win games last year. Offensive lineman Justin Mayers was one of the key signees that "Coach Prime" signed after the 2023 season.

On Dec. 28, the Buffaloes played their final game of the year in a 36-14 loss to the BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl. Shedeur completed 16 of 23 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

Colorado Buffaloes sign new offensive linemen for 2025 season

Coach Prime has continued to invest in his offensive line by adding key players from the transfer portal. One of the new members on the roster who could play a pivotal role in the offense is Akinola Ogunbiyi.

Ogunbiyi left the Texas A&M Aggies to join the Buffaloes for his senior year. He played in three games last season, including the Aggies' 52-10 win over the McNeese Cowboys on Sep. 7.

Offensive lineman Mana Taimani has also joined the Buffaloes roster. On Jan. 11, he shared on X that he had committed to the team after two seasons with the Ole Miss Rebels.

Coach Prime will look to his offensive line to help protect quarterback Julian Lewis, who is expected to start as a freshman next season.