Deion Sanders’ Colorado enters 2026 rebuilding its entire offensive line from scratch after losing all five starters. The biggest blow came when star tackle Jordan Seaton departed for LSU, an SEC powerhouse that backed up its offer with a massive NIL package. Losing ESPN’s top-ranked transfer tackle forced offensive run game coordinator Gunnar White to rethink how the Buffaloes build their front line.

He explained why the staff has been moving linemen around and testing different combinations instead of locking five players into permanent spots right away.

“You got to have the best five to play at all times,” Gunnar White said on Thee Pregame Network. “You never know what’s going to happen. It’s football. It’s a contact sport. So, people go down, they kind of got to go up, and you got to have the best combination of the five. And you don’t want their first time to do it on the field during the game. So, we’re trying to handle that as fast and as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

Colorado has plenty of bodies to work with. The Buffs brought in nine transfer OLs and also have six returners competing for roles. Bo Hughley, who transferred from Georgia, is in the mix at left tackle. Larry Johnson III gives the staff another experienced tackle option, while Rutgers transfer Taj White is competing on the right side.

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The interior is just as unsettled. Demetrius Hunter and Lafayette transfer Sean Kinney are battling at center, while Yahya Attia and Jose Soto are among the players competing for guard spots. Jayvon McFadden, a transfer from Ohio State, is another name in the mix. That competition is not necessarily a bad thing. Gunnar White said Colorado is trying to build toward having 10 to 12 linemen capable of stepping into different combinations.

“Not only that with just the five, like the interchangeable part, like you got to have about 10 to 12 that can do it,” he said. “We’re heading in that direction. We’re working towards it every day to get as many guys on board, working together in different combinations as possible.”

That approach could be what saves Colorado from the departure problem becoming a season-long issue. Jordan Seaton started 22 games at left tackle during his two seasons in Boulder and left for an LSU team. Losing him hurt, no question. The Buffs already had a rough time up front in 2025. They went 3-9, ran for just 125.6 yards a game and gave up 38 sacks. 

Now Julian Lewis is back for Year 2, and Colorado needs its line to hold up better if this offense is going anywhere. OC Brennan Marion has already gone big on the new group, calling it potentially the best O-line he has coached. That optimism will have to survive every Saturday.

Gunnar White’s message is more practical. Colorado does not need one player to become Jordan Seaton. It needs enough capable linemen that losing one piece does not send the whole front into chaos. That gives Deion Sanders a real path forward.

The Buffs may have lost their best individual lineman. They could still come out of camp with something more useful, which is a deep enough group to withstand the problems that usually wreck an O-line.