Projecting Colorado’s 10 highest rated players in EA College Football 25

The internet threw a fit when EA Sports released their offensive, defensive and overall rankings for teams in College Football 25 last week. Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Buffs will be ranked 8th on offense, 20th on defense and 16th overall when College Football 25 goes live on July 19th. Coach Prime and the Buffs are poised to surprise millions of people around the country this season after dramatically improving their roster.

This list may have been inspired by a video game but in essence, it’s a list of Colorado’s best players. However, the scale of Colorado’s roster improvement is lost on many. Let’s break down some of the best players on CU’s roster in an attempt to project the Buffs’ top 10 players in College Football 25.

Honorable mentions

Before breaking down the top 10, here are five players who missed the cut but should still be highly rated in College Football 25.

G, Justin Mayers

WR, Jimmy Horn Jr.

DL, Chidozie Nwankwo

LT, Jordan Seaton

EDGE, Quency Wiggins

10. Will Sheppard

USATSI 21596139 168402054 lowres — Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Will Sheppard (14) makes a catch over Florida Gators cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (3) for a touchdown during the first half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 7, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

Over the last two seasons, Will Sheppard established himself as one of the most consistent and underrated wide receivers in the SEC. With Xavier Weaver off to the NFL, Sheppard projects to be a plug-and-play starter at X receiver for the Buffs this fall.

Sheppard had only played with one quarterback who completed over 60% of his passes in a season since arriving in Nashville in 2020. Despite that, Sheppard instantly became one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal once it opened in December. Totaling 107 receptions, 1460 yards and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Sheppard led the Commodores in every major receiving category while matching up against the SEC’s best cornerbacks.

9. Samuel Okunlola

Colorado’s defense struggled to generate pressure and only charted 27 sacks as a team in 2023. Coach Prime’s response to those facts resulted in Samuel Okunlola, one of the portal’s best young pass rushers, becoming a Buff. After committing to Pittsburgh as a 2022 three-star recruit out of Brockton, MA; Okunlola broke out for the Panthers as a redshirt freshman in 2023 with 19 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, five sacks and one forced fumble.

Okunlola played in a limited role for Pittsburgh last season and is projected to build upon his 2023 breakout and enter the two-deep rotation for the Buffs on the edge this season. The four-star transfer has performed as advertised throughout spring football and summer workouts this offseason to be a key factor in Colorado’s 2024 defensive improvement.

8. Nikahi Hill-Green

USATSI 21385733 168402054 lowres — Sep 9, 2023; College Park, Maryland, USA; Charlotte 49ers linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green (41) reacts after stopping Maryland Terrapins offense on third down during the first half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Nikhai Hill-Green was a seven-game starter for the Michigan Wolverines at linebacker in 2021 before an injury ended his season. Hill-Green ended up sitting out the entire 2022 season before entering the portal and having a breakout year for the Charlotte 49ers in 2023. After re-proving himself at the Group of 5 level last year, Nikhai Hill-Green chose Coach Prime and the Buffs as the 2020 four-star recruit has his eyes set on the 2025 NFL Draft.

Hill-Green’s 73 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss, two sacks, three passes defended and one forced fumble earned him Third Team All-American Conference honors in 2023. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound linebacker instantly fills the void in the middle of Colorado’s defense and will be one of the team’s leaders in 2024.

7. Dayon Hayes

Dayon Hayes was one of many veteran college football players who decided to take their talents to Boulder this offseason with hopes of elevating their stock ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Although Hayes committed to Colorado in April and missed spring football in Boulder, the fifth-year defensive end means business this fall.

“I’m gonna be the best defensive end here,” Hayes said in his introduction to the team in May. Hayes had the best season of his career in 2023 with 45 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble.

6. B.J. Green

After being completely overlooked as a 2021 three-star recruit out of Powder Springs, GA, B.J. Green decided to walk on at Arizona State. As a true freshman, Green instantly emerged as one of the Sun Devils’ best pass rushers and earned a scholarship after the season. 2023 was a breakout season for Green who earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 honors with 39 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks and one forced fumble.

Green was initially committed to the Washington Huskies before Kalen DeBoer left to fill Nick Saban’s shoes at Alabama. In the wake of DeBoer’s decision, Green re-entered the portal and linked up with his former youth football coach, Coach Prime, in Boulder. He will be one of the top-ranked Big 12 edge rushers in College Football 25.

5. Shilo Sanders

Shilo Sanders is the tone-setter for Colorado’s defense. As Colorado’s roster was torn down and rebuilt last offseason, Shilo was wrapping up his degree at Jackson State. Once the Headache Gang CEO joined his family and teammates in Boulder, he immediately became the unquestioned leader for the Buffs on defense.

Shilo consistently landed crushing blows and created turnovers to keep the Buffs in multiple games as Colorado’s offense began to sputter out toward the end of 2023. Coming off of a career-best season where he charted 70 total tackles, half a tackle for a loss, three passes defended, four forced fumbles and one pick-six; Shilo has the potential to be one of the highest-rated safeties in the Big 12 and one of the hardest hitting players in College Football 25.

4. Preston Hodge

Liberty was the best Group of 5 teams in the country last year and cornerback Preston Hodge was one of the reasons why. Hodge has truly earned his opportunity at Colorado and has raised his level of play every season since starting at Navarro Community College in 2021.

Despite being snubbed from the Conference USA All-Conference Teams, PFF graded Hodge as the top G5 cornerback in the country. In 2023 he had 48 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, eight passes defended, two interceptions and one forced fumble. On arrival, Hodge immediately made Colorado’s secondary more versatile with his ability to play in the slot and outside. The Texas native was one of the standout players of spring football for the Buffs and showcased his sticky coverage with two passes broken up in April’s spring game.

3. LaJohntay Wester

LaJohntay Wester was Florida Atlantic’s best player and earned First-Team All-American Conference honors as a wide receiver and returner in 2023. Wester was one of the most productive receivers in the country last year with 108 receptions for 1168 yards and eight touchdowns. Once the portal opened and Wester entered, Shedeur Sanders took it upon himself to recruit one of the nation’s best available receivers to Boulder.

Before Wester’s commitment to Colorado, the Buffs already had one of the Big 12’s most lethal receiving corps in Travis Hunter, Will Sheppard, Omarion Miller and Jimmy Horn Jr. With Wester, Shedeur is armed with an abundance of riches as Colorado re-enters the Big 12 to form one of the best offensive attacks in the entire country.

2. Shedeur Sanders

Shedeur Sanders solidified himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2023 throwing 27 touchdowns and a Colorado record 3230 passing yards and only three interceptions. Despite being the most sacked quarterback in the country and sitting out the majority of the game at Washington State and the season finale at Utah, Shedeur completed 69.3% of his passes and rarely put the football at risk. Shedeur has an outside shot at being the highest-rated quarterback in College Football 25 but is a virtual lock to be a top three-rated quarterback alongside Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers.

Coach Prime and Colorado attacked the transfer portal and brought in proven, experienced offensive linemen as well as Jordan Seaton, the top tackle in the 2024 recruiting class, to protect Shedeur this fall. The stage is set for Shedeur to light up scoreboards across the country this season as he remains the odds-on favorite to be selected first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

1. Travis Hunter

USATSI 21330651 168402054 lowres — Sep 2, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Jaylon Robinson (13) cannot catch a pass while defended by Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) in the second quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Hunter is not only the best player on Colorado’s roster, he is the best player in the country and has a legitimate shot at the fabled 99 club in College Football 25. After suffering a cheap, late hit against Colorado State in Week 3, Hunter’s 2023 season was shortened by three games. Despite missing games against Oregon, USC and Arizona State, Hunter earned First-Team All-American Honors as an all-purpose player and won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in the country.

Arguments on Hunter’s role in the NFL will continue as long as the Earth orbits around the sun but he will continue to be Colorado’s Swiss army knife in 2024. Hunter has put in serious work in the weight room in his two years at Colorado and has worked at slot corner throughout spring football. While Colorado’s 2024 season will largely be dictated by the success of Shedeur Sanders and CU’s offensive line, Travis Hunter is the player the Buffs’ roster is built around.