SAN ANTONIO – BJ Green II took a chance on Colorado when he opted to spend his final season of college football with the Buffaloes.
Already an established star with Arizona State, Green could have wrapped up his career with one more solid season with the Sun Devils. Instead, he chose last offseason to transfer to CU, and he hasn’t looked back.
“It’s turned out the way I expected it to,” said Green, a senior defensive end who has been one of the top edge rushers in the Big 12 this season. “Coming here was, it’s uncomfortable, but that’s what I needed, and that’s what I needed to get to the next level.”
Green is one of several players who chose to spend their last season of college football with the Buffs, and many of them have made a significant impact. The 20th-ranked Buffs (9-3) will play No. 17 BYU (10-2) on Saturday in the Alamo Bowl (5:30 p.m., ABC), thanks in part to the contributions of the one-and-done Buffs.
In addition to Green, defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo and defensive back Preston Hodge have played starring roles on a resurgent defense.
Phillip Houston (now out with a knee injury) and Justin Mayers have been mainstays in the offensive line rotation, while Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester have been stars at receiver. The group also includes walk-on Kameron Hawkins, who transferred in from Arizona and has handled long-snapper duties all season.
Each one of them came to CU with a purpose last offseason, and each has seen some benefit.
Sheppard, for one, gave up a spot as the No. 1 receiver at Vanderbilt to come to CU. Statistically, he’s been the third-best receiver for the Buffs – behind Wester and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter – but still put up great numbers.
At Vanderbilt last year, Sheppard caught 47 passes for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. Although the No. 3 option at CU, he’s put up almost identical numbers (47 catches for 617 yards and six TDs) while catching passes from the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders.
“It’s really simple for me,” Sheppard said of his decision to play his final year at CU. “Playing with Shedeur, playing under the coaches that we have here. I think that was the biggest thing I was looking for when I was in the portal was playing with an experienced quarterback that’s going to be probably the first pick in the draft, so that helps me.”
Green also felt CU could boost his stock at the next level, and the move has paid off.
This season, Green posted 30 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. He was an All-Pac-12 player at ASU, but posted his career highs in TFLs and sacks this season.
“I needed to put myself in somewhere that’s uncomfortable in order to see what I really am and what I really can do,” he said. “It really showed me what I could do and dive into the potential of what I can do. So that’s why I’m really excited to play this last game, because I can put everything together.”
In the summer, CU head coach Deion Sanders said he felt Green had potential to be a first-round choice in the NFL Draft. While already on an NFL track before coming to CU, Green felt that was boosted by CU’s coaching staff. He had a chance to learn from Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, former NFL veteran Damione Lewis and another experienced defensive coach in Vincent Dancy.
“I can’t really put that into words what they’ve done for me,” Green said. “Just having that experience and just that care for, like, they really genuinely want to see you succeed. Being able to talk to with coach Sapp every single day and being able to pick his brain. Being able to talk to D-Lew, talk to Dancy.
“I’m blessed to have three defensive line coaches I can get different opinions from. They’re all extremely different. So just being able to pick those guys’ brain and ask them different stuff every day, and being able to adjust and perfect my game off of that is something that you can’t complain and you can’t put a value on that.”
It’s all made one season in Boulder worthwhile for Green and others in his situation, who are eager to shine one last time for the Buffs on Saturday.
“There’s still one more game to go, and then after that, the sky’s the limit going to the next level,” he said.
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