The transfer portal left a real mark on Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, with 34 players heading out the door. However, Colorado isn’t backing down. The program promoted some within the Colorado camp while also welcoming some new hires. Among the new ones, Deion Sanders counted on someone who has worked extensively with Gus Malzahn, serving as a key staff member at Arkansas State, Auburn, and UCF.
“Former UCF defensive ends coach Kenny Ingram will assist Dante Carter with Colorado’s defensive line,” DNVR Buffs analyst Scott Procter reported on X. “Previously a D-line coach at Arkansas and Cincinnati with two stints at Auburn as director of player development/relations.”
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When Gus Malzahn left the Auburn Tigers in 2021 to coach the UCF Knights, his trusted lieutenant, Kenny Ingram, tagged along. In February 2021, he joined Malzahn’s new UCF coaching staff as a defensive assistant.
And now, the Buffaloes were in desperate need of a defensive turnaround. They limped to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Buffaloes totaled just 13 sacks in 2025, ranking 129th nationally and averaging 1.08 sacks per game. You can’t have the defensive backs running solo; stretch them out, and the quarterbacks are going to feast with deep shots and scrambles.
Colorado addressed the issue with transfer portal additions like edge rushers Toby Anene and Vili Taufatofua. But they would need someone to guide them, and Ingram seems to be the right choice.
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Under Ingram, the Knights hit nine wins and a bowl in 2022, with UCF’s defense taking a major step up. On the edge, Tre’mon Morris-Brash led the team with 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. The lone junior captain, Josh Celiscar, was not far behind. He produced 54 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, five quarterback hurries, and three forced fumbles. That combo made the Knights’ defensive line a terror for offenses.
The Buffs’ new addition walks in with disciplined schemes and consistent execution that is reflected in the stats. With Ingram calling the line, UCF’s edge went beast mode, with 8.1 tackles for loss and five sacks per game over their final six wins.
The Knights finished seventh nationally in pass efficiency defense and 26th in tackles for loss. Colorado’s latest hire also lifted UCF 70 spots in total defense and chopped 122.5 yards per game off opponents’ totals from 2020.
Colorado needed someone who had already proved himself in his field to assist Dante Carter, who has been recently promoted to be the defensive line coach. When Domata Peko bounced, Deion leaned on Carter to take the wheel.
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After all, Carter has already proved himself in this field, and with Ingram, they are bound to terrorize the other side of the line. Carter came to Colorado after a standout year coaching Texas College’s defensive line. Back then, his unit racked up 39 sacks and landed fourth nationally in the NAIA, proving he knows how to turn pressure into production.
While strengthening the defensive line, the Buffaloes also made sure the safety room got a glow-up. So, Deion handed the keys to Vonn Bell, a proven NFL player with stops at the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Cincinnati Bengals. However, he will be kicking off his coaching journey with Colorado.
Yet amid all the additions, one promotion stood out the most.
Why Deion Sanders is all in on Chris Marve
Colorado might have counted on their trusted staff, Carter, and hired Malzahn’s acquaintance Ingram, based on their proven resume. But what made Deion promote Marve? When Marve joined Colorado this offseason as a linebackers coach, he hardly knew that a promotion was awaiting him.
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Thanks to the NFL Giant Denver Broncos. They landed a big blow to the Buffaloes by poaching away Robert Livingston. Deion knew he did not have to look outside of the Boulder camp to fill the spot. The first name that crossed the Colorado head coach’s mind must have been Marve.
“Chris Marve was hired with the knowledge that he could one day advance, considering his history and experience, if the opportunity was presented,” Coach Prime explained the move. “He’s a teacher, a motivator, and a man of great character.”
From 2022 to 2024, he had the defensive controls at Virginia Tech. In 2023, his unit cracked the nation’s top 20 in total defense. It also finished second in the ACC, while tying for 10th nationally with 39 sacks. In that way, the Colorado Buffaloes already have a certified vet in the building to level up Carter and Ingram’s game plan.
