Defensive coordinator candidate who shunned Colorado football pivotal for Miami Dolphins staff
Newly-named Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Coach Prime's top Colorado football DC candidate before Mike McDaniel secured him instead, will be pivotal according to Essentially Sports' Arunima Gucchait.
"Deion Sanders identified former Ravens’ defensive line coach Weaver as the Buffaloes’ top candidate for the defensive coordinator position," Gucchait prefaced before saying, "However, despite their efforts, the Buffaloes could not secure Weaver’s commitment, and ultimately, the Miami Dolphins were able to hire him.
"Weaver brings a wealth of coaching experience to his new role, with a career spanning 12 seasons in the NFL. His tenure includes stints with prominent teams such as the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Texans, and Ravens, with notable success achieved during his time as the assistant head coach with the Ravens. In Miami, Weaver inherits a talented defense and steps into the role of defensive coordinator under the mentorship of head coach Mike McDaniel. His arrival is pivotal for the Dolphins as they embark on a new era following recent coaching changes."
Colorado football about to name Buffs defensive coordinator
Weaver is off the table, but Colorado sounds primed to name a defensive coordinator anyway soon. And Coach Prime has promised that whoever he hires will come with a wealth of NFL experience. The goal is to prepare recruits for the pros, and recruits who want to go to the pros will be of higher quality than anyone CU was getting before.
Whoever comes in will have Travis Hunter and a wealth of other high-quality secondary talent, and the hope is that the transfer portal haul in the trenches will help a defense that was oftentimes completely overmatched in 2023.
Mike Zimmer is an option, though it feels like he would've been hired by now if he was the road CU was going down. Rex Ryan and Ed Reed were flashier names mentioned, and perhaps Super Bowl Week would be a good time to announce either.
Without Weaver, though, there's no clear top candidate.