CU Buffs unaware of RB Dallan Hayden’s status against Baylor

BOULDER — CU Buffs coach Deion Sanders isn’t ruling out a return for former Ohio State tailback Dallan Hayden, but how open that door is for this weekend’s Baylor game at Folsom Field remains to be seen.

“We don’t know where he is right now or what he wants to do,” Sanders said during his weekly press conference when asked for an update on Hayden, who did not play in last weekend’s win over Colorado State. “If he can play, he will play.”

Coach Prime praised the Buffs’ depth at the tailback position behind Hayden, and the compliments were justified at the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Freshman Micah Welch (65 rushing yards), sophomore Isaiah August (31 yards) and junior Charlie Offerdahl (16 yards) combined for 112 yards on 17 carries at Canvas Stadium.

As a team, the Buffs totaled 109 yards rushing against the CSU Rams. That was the Buffs’ best rushing output of the season and the most since CU rushed for 132 yards against Stanford on October 13, 2023.

In other injury news, Sanders said senior defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo’s status for Saturday’s homecoming clash with the Bears was also unclear and that his linemate Taurean Carter II, an Arkansas graduate transfer, recently underwent surgery and is “out…’out’, out.”

Nwankwo had recorded three tackles and a sack in two appearances this season, while Carter recorded a stop as part of CU’s defensive tackle rotation against North Dakota State.

Originally published: September 17, 2024 at 12:36 p.m.