“We have a long way to go”: Colorado OC Pat Shurmur offers honest assessment of the Buffs’ preparedness

Pat Shurmur has been the Colorado Buffaloes' offensive coordinator since 2024, and he oversees the attacking game plan for Deion Sanders' team. Shurmur is preparing for an important 2025 season in which the program aims to improve on last year's 9-4 record.

The former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants addressed the press after a training session, clearly sharing his thoughts ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Shurmur said,

"You have to recreate your team at all levels every year with new pieces that are out there. So that's where we are at."

The offensive guru continued,

"That's what spring is for. It's been productive. We just have a long way to go before we play Georgia Tech and we got two more opportunities as there's all the other stuff that you do during the summertime that allows you to improve as an offense."

Pat Shurmur and the Buffaloes enter the upcoming college football season without key members of their offense set for the NFL. Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, LaJohntay Wester, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Will Sheppard are a handful of Buffs prospects likely to hear their names called in this month's draft.

How are the Colorado Buffaloes gearing up for the 2025 season?

The Colorado Buffaloes are locked in and training hard for Coach Prime's third season with the program. They're also using the opportunity to teach recruits the game plan and develop the upcoming season's depth chart.

Julian Lewis, Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub are competing for the starting quarterback job that NFL-bound Shedeur Sanders vacated. We are probably a couple of weeks away from knowing which of the three would start for the Buffaloes in their season opener versus the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Furthermore, Pat Shurmur will likely need to develop a new offensive game plan that relies less on generational talent Travis Hunter, who is also heading to the NFL. All four of the Colorado Buffaloes' starting wide receivers have declared for the NFL draft, so the program must establish a viable rotation for 2025.

Drelon Miller, Omarion Miller, and Joseph Williams have demonstrated promise during spring training camp, and they will face returning members of the program. Former Northwest Missouri State tight end Zach Atkins is also a player to watch, as he should provide a safety net for whoever starts at quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2025.

Coach Prime's side will look to build on their 9-4 record in the 2025 season. The aim will be to win the Big 12 Championship and potentially punch their ticket to the expanded college football playoffs.