Buffs’ injury report stacked ahead of BYU clash

The Colorado Buffaloes are gearing up for the biggest test they will have faced so far, as the No. 25 BYU Cougars are slated to make the trip to Boulder for a conference showdown on Saturday. They’re going to need all hands on deck if they want to pull off the upset, and the inaugural injury report of the week was not a good sign for Coach Prime’s squad.

Prime has harped on the fact that this Buffs team is loaded with depth at multiple positions, and that depth is going to be tested this week. Twenty-one different players found their name on the week’s first report, and there are some names that Buffs fans don’t want to see on there.

First availability report of the week for Colorado vs. BYU. Several #cubuffs are out, but no surprises. But RJ Johnson being out and Makari Vickers being doubtful seems to be a problem. pic.twitter.com/Y8RBxO169C

— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) September 25, 2025

On the other side, the Cougars only have 10 players listed.

The good news for the black and gold is that star left tackle Jordan Seaton is not one of the 21 players on the list after he exited Saturday’s win early with a hamstring issue. Coach Prime said after the game that Seaton and running backs Simeon Price and DeKalon Taylor were “cool” and seemed confident that they would play against BYU. That sentiment ended up being false for the two running backs, as they both were listed as out on Wednesday.

That means that Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch should carry most of the load out of the backfield, but Prime said on Tuesday that he’s looking to rearrange the backfield, which could result in Drelon Miller becoming a part of the rotation.

Quarterback Kaidon Salter is also on the list, but he’s listed as probable, which means that he has at least a 75% chance to play. His presence on the list should not be concerning.

Another area of concern for Colorado is at the cornerback position. They’ve been working to figure out who should be the No. 2 cornerback opposite of D.J. McKinney, and last week’s win over Wyoming made it seem like Makari Vickers earned that spot as he got the nod for the second straight week. He’s now listed as doubtful. RJ Johnson, another player who’s spent some time working in at that No. 2 spot, is listed as out, while Teon Parks is listed as probable. Preston Hodge, who plays inside as the nickel, is also listed as probable.

These injuries could open the door for Tyceus Davis to potentially get some work in. He played a bit in the season opener but hasn’t seen much playing time since he surrendered a costly holding penalty on a third down that would’ve gotten the Buffs defense off the field.

The defensive line group will also have to dip deep into the bag, as that unit will seemingly be stretched thin with three key players out for the whole game and Anquin Barnes Jr. slated to be out for the first half due to a targeting penalty. Amari McNeill and Brandon Davis-Swain being listed as probable is a good sign, as they’ve been two of the best players on that unit through the first third of the season.

A new report for the Buffs will come out at 8:00 p.m. MDT on Thursday and Friday before a final pregame report on Saturday, which has to be released no later than 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

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