ESPN's Bill Connelly ranks CU 89th in returning production

As the 2025 college football season creeps closer, ESPN's Bill Connelly’s Returning Production rankings have once again ignited debates across fanbases. For Colorado, the numbers don’t paint the rosiest picture, as he ranked the Buffs 89th nationally with just 50% returning production. But if the past two seasons have taught us anything about Coach Prime’s program, it’s that these rankings don’t always tell the full story.

Connelly’s metric measures how much of last year’s team production is coming back, and for Colorado, it breaks down like this:

• 44% returning on offense (99th nationally)
• 55% returning on defense (66th nationally)

Much of this is due to the Buffs heavy roster turnover, including of course the loss of our Heisman superstar Travis Hunter. But CU has built its identity around the transfer portal, making these traditional metrics less predictive than they would be for a more conventional program like Clemson.

While the Buffs rank low in returning production, that doesn’t mean they lack talent. Quarterback play, for example, is essentially a net zero in these rankings because incoming Liberty transfer Kaden Salter and freshman JuJu Lewis have no prior stats in Boulder.

Similarly, key transfers on the defense and offensive line won’t count toward the returning metric but could provide a massive boost in 2025.

It’s worth noting that other Big 12 teams are faring much better in these rankings. Arizona State, for instance, sits at 79% returning production (2nd nationally), while Texas Tech (4th) and Baylor (11th) are also near the top.

But as we’ve seen in previous years, returning production doesn’t always correlate with success—just ask Oklahoma State, which ranked highly last year only to struggle mightily in the Big 12.

One area where CU does retain some exciting pieces is in young talent that flashed last season. Players like Colton Hood (DB) and Omarion Miller (WR) didn’t rack up huge numbers but showed elite potential. On the defensive line, the return of Taurean Carter provides a veteran presence in the trenches, and Anquin Barnes could emerge after showing flashes last season.

On defense, though, the losses are significant—six of CU’s top 10 tacklers from last season are NFL-bound. That makes it even more imperative for the new wave of talent to step up quickly.

For a traditional program, a ranking of 89th in returning production would be cause for concern. But for Colorado, where Coach Prime is redefining roster management through the portal, it’s more of a footnote than a headline.

CU fans should take these rankings with a grain of salt. If the Buffs can build chemistry quickly and Salter (or Lewis) delivers at quarterback, this team has the potential to outperform the metrics yet again.