This week means more to Colorado’s new star cornerback
The Colorado Buffaloes are facing a pivotal game to cap off their regular season slate. CU needs a win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys to stay alive in the Big 12 title race, with their hopes of making it to a conference championship game for the first time since 2016.
For one Buffalo, the stakes are even higher. This game means more to starting cornerback DJ McKinney, who played two seasons in Stillwater for the Cowboys before transferring to Boulder for Coach Prime.
When asked if this game means a little extra to him, McKinney answered:
“For sure. Games like that against your old teammates, old friends, some of the guys you grew up with, I feel like there’s more passion behind it.”
Last season at Oklahoma State, McKinney was a key defensive player on a team that made it to the Big 12 title game, playing in all 14 of the Cowboys’ games in 2023. Now, he’ll get the opportunity to play head-to-head against his old teammates, who he battled alongside only one year ago.
“[This week] should be fun,” McKinney said. “That’s all I know, just playing against the guys I came to college with, grinded with, and just competing at the end of the day. It’s gonna be fun.”
Now, McKinney finds himself in a similar situation with his new team. Colorado is within striking position of a Big 12 title game birth, in no small part due to McKinney’s play.
Since coming to Boulder, McKinney has started every single game alongside Travis Hunter at cornerback. When you have a player of Hunter’s caliber playing on the opposite side of the field of you, you’re going to get a lot of targets, which is something that’s held true for McKinney.
“You know they’re definitely gonna want to target me more with [Hunter] on the other side of the field,” McKinney said. “I’m just ready for everything that comes with that.”
Saying that McKinney has been ready for that increased traffic may be the biggest understatement of the season. So far this year, McKinney has 56 total tackles and 8 pass breakups, tied for 5th best in the Big 12.
McKinney isn’t phased by the stats he racked up though. He’s been taking the season one snap at a time, hoping to win every rep to put his team in a spot to win football games.
“I don’t really pay attention to the stats that much,” said McKinney. “I’m just so into the moment, to the game, and everything that I don’t realize how many tackles I had after the game.”
Occasionally, McKinney does get a chance to marvel at his stat lines postgame. When that opportunity arises, the magnitude of the moment isn’t lost on Colorado’s rising star defensive back.
“When I do get a chance to pay attention to [my stats], I’m like ‘wow, man,’” McKinney said. “This is everything I worked for, paying off.”
The stats don’t lie either; McKinney has been one of the most underrated defensive backs in all of college football. Perhaps it’s because he plays on a star-studded roster or the fact that he plays in the Big 12 and not the SEC or Big Ten, but Deion Sanders insists that he’s anything but overshadowed within the locker room.
“You guys don’t mention [McKinney], but we mention him every moment we can,” said Prime in a presser in October. “I mention him every day to scouts and they ask about him every single day we practice.”
Coach Prime and McKinney have formed a special relationship since his arrival in Boulder. Upon joining the team, Sanders issued a challenge to McKinney to be one of the top defensive backs in the entire country. Safe to say, McKinney has lived up to that challenge.
“[My favorite part of playing in Boulder] is just the experience of playing under Coach Prime and everything that comes with it,” said McKinney. “The hate, the love, the gear, the knowledge from the coaches and staff, it’s been great.”
One of the coaches in particular has left an impact on McKinney: defensive coordinator Robert Livingston. In only his first year coaching the Buffaloes, Livingston has turned the Buffaloes from a constant liability in 2023 to one of the team’s biggest strengths this season.
A large part of that transformation has been the trust that Livingston has built with his players, especially in the secondary. Livingston trusts players like Hunter and McKinney to play man coverage for the entire game, essentially putting them on their own island. McKinney has once again accepted that challenge and excelled, allowing Colorado to allocate more resources to stopping the run.
“That was the first thing when [Livingston] came in, was trust,” McKinney said. “He wanted us to make him earn our trust. We’ve just been watching film, spending time with him and getting to know each other.”
That trust has turned this Colorado defense into something special. The 2024 Colorado defense is easily the best unit we’ve seen since Jim Levitt was in town in 2016, and they aren’t done yet.
When asked what makes this defense so special, McKinney answered:
“We’re hungry. Everybody is. The coaching staff, my teammates, me, the fans, everyone is just hungry. We want to be the best and go out there and prove it every time we’re on the field.”
Regardless of what happens against Oklahoma State and beyond, this Buffaloes team has surpassed all expectations and left their mark on Colorado football and the Boulder community. The contributions from players like McKinney have made this year special and something CU fans will never forget.
“It’s been amazing just to be able to play a part in something like this,” said McKinney. “I feel like this [season] is definitely gonna go down in history, so it’s just been amazing to play a part in it.”
The legacy that McKinney has left in Boulder will be felt going forward, especially by future defensive backs that have yet to step onto Folsom Field wearing black and gold.
To those future DBs thinking of playing in Boulder in Coach Prime, McKinney leaves you with this message:
“If you want to be developed by one of the best at your position, Hall-of-Famer, gold jacket, I feel like this is the best place for you to come.”