With a room full of upperclassmen on the defensive line, Warren Sapp has a simple message for them - take care of business every day.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer-turned-Buffs defensive line coach has never had much time for the foolishness as a player or a coach. He continues to demand maximum effort from his players, and now he wants them to hold each other accountable and set the example.
"I really didn't know what I had in the room until Prime said, 'Who's a senior?' And they all raised their hand. I said, 'My God, I got to start recruiting!"
— Nikki Edwards (@nikkiedwardsss) August 5, 2025
Warren Sapp talks the expectations he's setting early from his senior DL room 🦬 pic.twitter.com/bFvPPYDik5
There might not be a more experienced defensive line room in the country. The Buffaloes projected two deep features six seniors and two juniors. Go deeper than that, and you'll find another group of seniors itching at the opportunity to get on the field.
​And Sapp says now that they are all grown up, it's time to take care of themselves and each other. The coach says, "when you're a pack of dogs, the pack takes care of itself, the lone wolf dies."
""When it's a senior-led group, I'm going to put it on y'all, I'm going to demand a lot of myself yelling and screaming at y'all. You're going to make sure they're on time. You're going to make you're in the meeting, treatment and all the stuff you have to do.""Defensive line coach Warren Sapp
With veteran DL, Sapp eyes long-term recruiting
With so many seniors on the defensive line, this is going to be a peak year for Colorado in 2025, but it also poses the question of what the future is going to look like.
Currently, the Buffaloes have the 82th-ranked recruiting class in the nation. That's sure to change quite a bit before the Early Signing Period, but retooling the defensive line is likely going to be a mixture of high school recruits and getting experienced bodies out of the transfer portal. Last year, the Buffaloes pulled projected starting nose guard Jaheim Oatis (Alabama) and depth pieces Tavian Coleman (Texas State) and Gavriel Lightfoot (Fresno State) from the portal.Â
Sapp acknowledged that he'll have to make some moves to ensure the Buffaloes' defensive line is set up for future success.
"My God, I've got to start recruiting," he joked.