A few sleepless nights over the next week might be understandable among the Colorado coaching staff.
Head coach Deion Sanders always professes that he doesn’t feel the pressure, but much is at stake for a Buffaloes program hoping to prove last year’s 3-9 finish was an anomaly and not the new normal. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball and transfers across the projected rotation, a few late-night pangs of anxiety might be in store ahead of next week’s opener at Georgia Tech.
Andre’ Hart isn’t in that boat. CU’s linebackers coach has been sleeping peacefully, and CU’s addition of Gideon Lampron, Liona Lefau and Tyler Martinez is the reason why.
After struggling on defense throughout the 2025 season, the experienced trio of linebackers is one of the biggest reasons the Buffs are confident that will change this season.
“It’s been really fun. When you have three guys like that, having that type of experience, it’s easy to coach to the whole room,” Hart said. “They’ve been there before. They’ve lived it. They’ve done it. On top of that, you have really good discussions about what the stakes are in certain defenses. Or how you can incorporate a new type of scheme or technique to make it run better. So it just raises the level of play. And then also the execution. So it’s been great. I sleep good at night.”
Lefau played 42 games with 22 starts in three seasons at Texas, starting all 12 regular games last year. The last time Lefau stepped on the field, he recorded a career-high 11 tackles in the Longhorns’ win against Texas A&M in the regular season finale. A week earlier, against Arkansas, Lefau turned his first career fumble recovery into a 52-yard touchdown return.
Read more Colorado inmate who lost leg while incarcerated at CoreCivic prison files negligence lawsuit
Lampron played three years at Dayton before spending the 2025 season at Bowling Green. He was named a team captain and earned first team All-MAC honors after compiling 119 tackles with 17.5 tackles for loss.
Martinez played only five games last season at New Mexico State before an injury cut it short, but he recorded 27 tackles with an interception and a forced fumble. He led the Aggies in tackles in 2024 while earning second team All-Conference USA honors.
CU’s revamped defense, particularly the linebackers, will be tested out of the gate by a Georgia Tech rushing attack that rolled up 320 yards last year at Folsom Field, setting a tone that ended with the second-worst run defense in the nation for 2025. The new linebackers, and their well-rested coach, believe they’re ready to set a new defensive standard.
“Anywhere you go, they’ll set the standard as soon as you walk in the building. But it takes time to adapt to the culture and the standard that’s set,” Lefau said. “Everyone’s standard is different. A lot of the good teams, they have the same standard. Which is excellence each and every day in everything you do. It’s not just on the field. It’s not just in the film room. It’s also in the classroom or what you do with your free time as well.
“It doesn’t build overnight. It takes time. All we needed was that time. We’ve been here throughout the spring, throughout the winter, and the summer as well. And then spending that time in Colorado Springs, it really helped us to build together.”
Read more Missing 13-year-old girl last seen in north Denver
