Robert Livingston’s Defensive Strategy Under the Spotlight as Colorado Prodigy Sets Expectations Straight With Bold Verdict

Woah! That’s what you call teamwork. Deion Sanders seems to be one lucky coach. As much as he is putting in effort, the players, too, are trying their best to help Coach Prime reach his goal. This season Deion’s Colorado comes up with back-to-back surprises. And guess what? Colorado’s secondary is just more than a one-man show. While Travis Hunter being the dual-threat is always in the limelight, that’s not the case. 

All thanks to two absolute phenoms and prized transfers- Liberty’s Preston Hodge and Oklahoma State’s DJ McKinney who just made Buffs’ new defensive coordinator, Robert Livingston’s work easier while also pushing him under critical spotlight. Meanwhile, the Buffs alum, Matt McChesney, also had to share something about the defensive backs in Colorado.   

Livingston’s high hopes as Buffs’ secondary ready to dominate

Things are turning in favor of Deion Sanders this season, it seems. With Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders leading the team from the front, you would be at a great loss if you ignore the secondary. After all, the Buffs’ defensive backs are the top dog in the whole country. Who said that? Of course, the players, Hodge and McKinney. As posted by Rivals.com when questioned, “What should fans expect out of the Colorado secondary this season?” Hodge claimed, “The best secondary in the nation” to which McKinney happily agreed and repeated the same.  

You might be thinking that the players are oozing with confidence. But wait! Even coach Livingston has pinned his high hopes on them. “I think we’re deep I think there are guys here that are backups that could be starters.” When there are Hunter and Shedeur, what makes Hodge and McKinney stand out? It’s their power to dream big. While the Oklahoma transfer aims for 10 pbus and 40-50 tds, McKinney will leave no stone unturned to get a pick-six. Their confidence and talents paired left McChesney mesmerized. 

McChesney’s raises alarm highlighting the strengths of the Buffs’secondary 

On July 29, McChesney appeared on his podcast Zero 2 Sixty with Matt McChesney highlighting on some key points about Livingston’s squad. While there might be sometimes when Hunter’s talent would fall short. But the Buffs roster has nothing to worry about when they have a phenomenal secondary. “I can see (Hunter’s) numbers maybe not being great at corner because no one wants to test him, but I don’t think they can get away with that because the rest of the secondary is pretty nice,” confirmed McChesney. 

He then raised a warning for the Colorado rivals, “So if you’re going to act like the rest of the guys can’t play, then they’re just going to pick you off and make you look stupid.” On the other hand, the first-time coordinator in Boulder, Livingston is keeping things simple. 

The ex-Cincinnati Bengals mentor is making use of his prior knowledge and taking full responsibility to bring out the best potential of the players. “It’s our job as coaches to put these guys in positions to be successful.” Livingston’s core philosophy is to move players around and find matchups that best suit everyone on the defense. Time to wait and watch how it turns out in four weeks from now as Deion’s Buffs hits the season opener against North Dakota State.