The Colorado Buffaloes’ injury bug has lingered into Week 8, as the Buffaloes were expected to be missing seven players against the Oklahoma State Cowboys per Wednesday's official availability report. While that number hasn’t decreased, they did receive some good news further down the injured list.
The Buffaloes saw two players upgraded from questionable to probable on Thursday, including one of their top defensive stars. However, they received bad news on two players who were already ruled out for their Week 8 matchup, as they may be sidelined for longer than expected.
Out
- Wide receiver Kam Perry
- Wide receiver Danny Scudero
- Defensive back Braylon Edwards
- Running back Micah Welch
- Defensive end Sam Gadie
- Offensive lineman Jayven Richardson*
- Tight end Zach Atkins*
The two major updates on the out list were to Richardson and Atkins. They were removed from the injured list on Thursday, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be playing. After already being ruled out, their removal likely means that they will be out for a substantial amount of time and it is no longer a question whether or not they’ll be playing on a week-to-week basis.
This was seen recently when center Demetrius Hunter and linebacker Tyler Martinez went down with major injuries. They were initially listed on each update to the injury report before they underwent respective surgeries. At that point, they were removed from the injury report and have not appeared on it, or much less played, since.
Colorado losing Atkins for a substantial amount of time is a major blow. He was their other primary receiving option at tight end alongside Charlie Williams, and his absence makes the Buffaloes far more one-dimensional at that position, with Fisher Clements, a blocking tight end by nature, as the only remaining tight end outside of Williams who has received meaningful snaps this year.
As for Richardson, his injury couldn’t be more poorly timed as the fifth-year Missouri Tigers transfer had finally begun to emerge as a starter for the Buffs. His meaningful playing time proved to be a blessing and a curse, as he didn’t last long before suffering a leg injury against the then-No. 11 Utah Utes in Week 7.
Probable
- Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.
- Wide receiver Quentin Gibson
- Defensive back Preston Ashley
- Defensive end Lamont Lester Jr.
- Defensive lineman Santana Hopper
- Defensive lineman Dylan Manuel
It wasn’t all bad for the Buffaloes, though, as they received good news about Ashley and Lester. They were each listed as questionable after Ashley didn’t play against the Utes and Lester only appeared for a few snaps.
With them now being upgraded to probable, the Buffaloes' defense appears to be gaining added reinforcements against the Big 12’s top offense in the Cowboys.
Lester’s return is a particularly exciting prospect, as he’s been a game-changer in the trenches when healthy this season. His sack total of four is still tied for second in the Big 12, only trailing Koron Hayward of the TCU Horned Frogs by half a sack. If Lester is able to play against the Cowboys on Saturday, he’s going to go a long way in making quarterback Drew Mestemaker uncomfortable and forcing him to make mistakes.
As for Ashley, he’ll just be hoping to pick up where he left off. The true freshman had just begun making consistent appearances at nickel before he went down with his injury, and he was providing solid depth to a position that had struggled as a whole until that point. If Ashley can return at the same level, if not better, securing a starting role at nickel is still well within reach.
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