Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes were the third-most watched team in college football last season.

A high-flying offense led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders scored at least 36 points in each of its first three games, but a 1-8 finish to the 2023 campaign meant wholesale changes were needed. Colorado will have a new offensive coordinator , offensive line coach and wide receivers coach this fall.

More importantly, the Buffs will have an entirely new starting offensive line after Shedeur Sanders was the most sacked QB in FBS last season (52). Up front isn't the only spot where Colorado has infused new talent.

With that in mind, here’s a look at a potential Week 1 lineup for the Colorado offense as the Buffs host North Dakota State on Thursday, Aug. 29, including references to important depth pieces throughout.

Note: A preview of the defense will be published on Coloradoan.com early next week.

Projecting Colorado's 2024 starters on offense

Left tackle — Jordan Seaton (6-foot-5, 285 pounds, freshman): The consensus five-star prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle in the country has lived up to the hype so far as an early enrollee. Starting at left tackle for Colorado's spring game , Seaton allowed the lone sack of Shedeur but showed that he's physically capable of protecting his QB's blindside. A Freshman All-American season is a strong possibility.

Depth: FIU transfer Phillip Houston (junior) should provide quality tackle depth after the 6-foot-5, 250-pound OL started all 12 games for the Panthers last season. He was the team's highest-graded offensive lineman (66.6), according to Pro Football Focus.

Left guard — Tyler Brown (6-foot-3, 310 pounds, junior): Brown has played his way into the starting lineup after being ruled ineligible for the 2023 season due to the former two-transfer rule. The former Tiger started 13 games on the offensive line for Deion Sanders at Jackson State in 2022, earning AP third-team FCS All-American honors.

Depth: Kareem Harden (senior) played in 11 games (four starts) for Colorado last season at tackle but has kicked inside to guard this year. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound OL saw action on 326 snaps in 2023 and started four of the last six games.

Center — Hank Zilinskas (6-foot-3, 285 pounds, sophomore): Zilinskas survived the offseason OL turnover and has been rewarded for his hard work and resiliency. The Englewood native (Cherry Creek High School) played in 11 games (two starts) for Colorado last season, showing promise as a true freshman. He didn't allow a single quarterback hit on 104 pass-blocking attempts, according to PFF, nor was he penalized on 142 offensive plays.

Depth: Yakiri Walker (junior) was the first transfer to commit to Colorado after the 2023 campaign in which he appeared in all 12 games for UConn, playing a total of 797 snaps. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound center gives the Buffs an experienced option at the position.

Right guard — Justin Mayers (6-foot-4, 320 pounds, graduate transfer): Mayers chose Colorado over Mississippi State, Pitt, South Carolina, Texas Tech and others after entering the portal. The UTEP transfer started all 12 games at left guard for the Miners in 2023 and has over 1,700 snaps of experience (36 games) under his belt.

Depth: Tyler Johnson (graduate transfer) was the No. 4 interior lineman in the transfer portal after spending the last two seasons at Houston as the Cougars' starting guard. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound OL has allowed just two sacks across 890 career pass-block snaps, according to PFF .

Right tackle — Kahlil Benson (6-foot-6, 305 pounds, junior): Benson started all 12 games at right tackle for Indiana in 2023 and has 17 career starts under his belt. He allowed just one sack last season on 424 pass attempts.

Depth: Wyatt Hummel (graduate transfer) transferred to Colorado this spring after five seasons at Villanova. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound OL, who has appeared in 30-plus games during his college career, played 402 snaps last season and allowed just three pressures. The former Wildcat can play center, guard and tackle. Ethan Boyd (junior) committed to Colorado on May 2 after playing in all 12 games (three starts at right tackle) for Michigan State in 2023. The 6-foot-7, 326-pound OL logged 313 total offensive snaps in the Big Ten last fall.

WR (“X”) — Will Sheppard (6-foot-3, 205 pounds, senior): Sheppard has yet to arrive in Boulder but the Vanderbilt transfer will be a reason why Colorado has one of the nation's best WR corps in 2024. He racked up more than 2,000 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns over the last three years in the SEC, including 684 yards and eight touchdowns last season. If he can quickly grow rapport with Shedeur Sanders the way Xavier Weaver (Colorado's leading WR in 2023) did a year ago, Sheppard should be among the most productive pass catchers in the new Big 12.

Depth: Omarion Miller (sophomore) would be a sure-fire starter on most FBS teams but he will still be heavily involved for the Buffs this fall. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound WR put the college football world on notice last season when he caught seven passes for 196 yards and a touchdown during Colorado's 48-41 loss to USC on Sept. 9. He didn't have another game with multiple catches for the rest of his true freshman season, but Miller's talent is undeniable and a strong spring should set him up for a more consistent sophomore campaign.

WR (“F” or “slot”) — LaJohntay Wester (5-foot-11, 167 pounds, senior): Wester was recruited to Colorado by Shedeur Sanders on social media and the early returns have been promising. "He's exactly what he was on film," Shedeur said of Wester two weeks ago. FAU's all-time leader in receptions (252) caught a career-high 108 passes (second in FBS) for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns last season en route to first-team All-AAC honors. Wester led the Buffs in receiving (66 yards and a touchdown) during their spring game and will be one of Shedeur's favorite targets in 2024.

Depth: Kamron Mikell (freshman) is one of a few true freshman who could make an impact right away at Colorado. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound athlete played all over the field at Statesboro (Georgia) High School — quarterback, running back, wide receiver, kick returner, corner, safety — and found success at each position. As a receiver, he caught 19 passes for 414 yards (21.7 yards per catch) and two touchdowns last season. The four-star recruit's elite speed might make him a nightmare for opposing defenses in the slot.

WR (“Z”) — Travis Hunter (6-foot-1, 185 pounds, junior): The consensus All-American and 2023 Paul Hornung Award winner is ranked as the No. 1 player in college football ahead of the 2024 campaign. Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns for Colorado last season, becoming the first Buff to earn first-team All-American honors since 2010. The projected top-10 draft pick led Colorado in receptions at the spring game (four) and appears primed for another big season.

Depth: Terrell Timmons Jr. (sophomore), the cousin of Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen, is another transfer addition who could play his way onto the field for the Buffs in 2024. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound WR played in all 12 games for NC State last season, catching 11 passes for 195 yards.

WR (“Y”) — Jimmy Horn Jr. (5-foot-10, 175-pound, senior): The Buffs will have four wide receivers (instead of three receivers and a tight end) on the field more times than not and Horn Jr. will almost always be one of them. He caught 58 passes for 567 yards and a team-high six touchdowns in 2023. The arrival of Wester might cut into Horn Jr.'s playing time in certain situations, but it doesn't mean he won't play a pivotal role in Colorado's offense for the second consecutive season.

Depth: Dre'lon Miller (freshman) is Colorado's second-highest-ranked high school commit (behind Seaton) in the Class of 2024 and figures to be an immediate contributor . The 6-foot-1, 195-pound WR accounted for 4,409 yards of total offense (3,571 receiving, 778 rushing, 60 passing) during his HS career.

Shedeur Sanders (6-foot-2, 215 pounds, senior): Sanders will play this season as one of the top QB prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. He set Colorado's single-season passing yards record (3,230) and threw 27 touchdowns to just three interceptions in 2023 despite being the most sacked QB in FBS (52). A popular Heisman Trophy candidate during the Buffs' 3-0 start last season, Sanders could be among the favorites to win it this time around with an improved offensive line and additional weapons.

Depth: Ryan Staub (freshman) started Colorado's 2023 season finale vs. Utah and played relatively well against the No. 13 defense in the country , completing 17 of 24 passes (70.8%) for 195 yards and a touchdown (zero interceptions). The 6-foot-1, 200-pound QB was the first signal caller to take reps after Sanders at the spring game and is in pole position for the backup job. Walter Taylor III (sophomore), a Vanderbilt transfer, and Destin Wade (sophomore), who transferred in from Kentucky, will compete with Staub for backup QB duties.

Rashad Amos (6-foot-2, 234 pounds, junior)/Dallan Hayden (5-foot-10, 205 pounds, sophomore): Colorado lost each of its top four leading rushers from last season but reloaded the position with a pair of explosive backs. Amos, who flipped his commitment from Mississippi State to the Buffs last month, rushed for 1,075 yards (5.1 yards per attempt) and 13 touchdowns last season at Miami (OH). Hayden played in 13 games over the last two seasons for Ohio State, totaling 663 rushing yards and six touchdowns during that span. Amos and Hayden, along with a re-shuffled OL, should help improve Colorado's rushing attack, which ranked dead last in the Pac-12 last season (68.9 yards per game).

Depth: True freshman Micah Welch arrived on campus as an early enrollee and has proven to be a valuable piece for the future. "He's the guy we thought he would be as far as downhill and aggressively seeking the end zone," Colorado running backs coach Gary Harrell said of Welch last month . The 5-foot-9, 205-pound RB rushed for 3,759 yards and 47 touchdowns throughout his high school career. Charlie Offerdahl (junior) has impressed so much this spring that the former walk-on was put on scholarship by Deion Sanders last week. "You want dudes out there that you can trust and Charlie's one of those guys," Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said of Offerdahl on April 25.