Zy Crisler says that he, along with the other big guys up front, are hungry.
That might be bad news for Colorado’s nutrition department, and the folks who run the kitchen at the Champions Center. But for a Buffaloes program starved for consistency up front, the sort of hunger that stirs competition could be one of the biggest keys to CU’s 2025 season.
Crisler, a 6-foot-7, 340-pound transfer from Illinois, is one of the most critical cogs along the Buffs’ retooled offensive line. Finding the pieces that will fuse cohesively alongside sophomore Jordan Seaton, who is entrenched at left tackle, is one of the priorities of the preseason for a CU attack breaking in a new quarterback along with an abundance of new talents at receiver and running back.
The good news, according to Crisler, is the competition up front means the guys that line up for the season opener at home against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29 will have earned the jobs.
“There’s competition every day,” Crisler said. “You never know what’s going on. You never know who you’re playing beside every day. It’s competition every day. Everybody want it. They’re hungry. I like competition because that means I ain’t going to get comfortable and then somebody going to take my spot. And that’s how I look at it.”
A native of Perkinston, Miss., the transfer to CU actually marked the third stop of Crisler’s collegiate career, which began in 2021 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he earned second team all-conference honors.
Crisler transferred to Illinois and evolved into a consistent Big Ten starter under head coach Bret Bielema.
Crisler played 37 games in three seasons at Illinois, making 28 starts. Most of those (26) were at right guard, though Crisler also made two starts at right tackle. Crisler believes the regular NFL-caliber competition he faced at Illinois has prepared him to take the next step with the Buffs, and he earned a pair of honorable mention all-Big Ten honors (by the coaches in 2022 and the media in 2023).
“Being at Illinois helped me a lot. They threw me in the fire as a young bull,” Crisler said. “It got me to where I’m at today. Right now I’m ballin’, doing my thing. I feel like it helped me, throwing me in the fire and playing against older guys who are in the league right now.”
The Shedeur Sanders-led attack of the past two seasons, which also featured Heisman Trophy-winning receiver Travis Hunter and three other receivers currently in NFL camps, was able to put up big numbers despite the struggles of the offensive line. CU surrendered 99 sacks the past two seasons, the most in the nation, and also ranked last in rushing both years.
With no readily-apparent NFL talent to bail out the Buffs on a regular basis once again this season, improved play up front will be all but required for CU to be a factor in the Big 12 race. Along with Crisler, the Buffs are likely to open the season leaning heavily on other experienced transfers like Xavier Hill (Memphis), Larry Johnson III (Tennessee) and Zarian McGill (Louisiana Tech).
“We’re trying to score,” Crisler said. “No sugar-coating nothin’. We just want to score the ball. We’re going to do our thing. We’ve got a big ol’ line now. It should be fun to see.”