Buffs' Freshman Star: London Merritt Shines for CU

London Merritt's Impact and the Freshmen Movement at Colorado

When London Merritt decided to sign with the University of Colorado, he knew that an immediate opportunity to play was waiting for him. The decision was influenced by the arrival of head coach Deion Sanders before the 2023 season, who has consistently shown a willingness to play true freshmen.

“They play the best players, and they don’t really do that seniority stuff,” Merritt said, highlighting the approach taken by the coaching staff.

Merritt, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound freshman from IMG Academy in Florida, is starting to make his mark on the Buffs’ defense. He’s one of several young players who have been given a chance to contribute based on their performance and effort.

In the Buffs’ 35-21 loss at TCU, Merritt recorded his first career sack. He also added three tackles and a quarterback hurry in his season-high 22 snaps played. This performance showcases the potential of the young talent emerging on the team.

So far this season, Merritt has tallied 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack in just 90 snaps. The Buffs (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) are set to host No. 22 Iowa State (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday at Folsom Field at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN.

“I’m coming along,” Merritt said before the TCU game. “I’ve still got a lot of stuff to improve on and things like that, but just doing my job, doing what I have to do, working hard in practice. Listening to my coach, coach George Helow. It just comes in practice and working hard every day.”

Merritt is one of six true freshmen who have played this season. His IMG Academy teammate, Alexander McPherson, who plays defensive end, has also made an impact. Merritt and McPherson, along with receiver/returner Quentin Gibson, have been among the most notable freshmen this year.

“We’ve been together since high school,” Merritt said of McPherson, who has nine tackles, half a sack, and a blocked punt in 105 snaps. “So seeing both of us playing side by side, it’s really cool. We just came here in January, we were working every day, working our butts off. And then it shows on the field.”

Merritt also acknowledged the support from the veterans in the edge room, including Arden Walker and Keaten Wade, who have helped the freshmen adapt and grow.

Dallan Hayden Steps Up

Junior running back Dallan Hayden finally had a chance to make an impact in a game and seized it. A former transfer from Ohio State, Hayden had nine carries for a team-high 61 yards at TCU. That included a 25-yard run that put the Buffs in scoring position late in the first half, although the drive ended with an interception.

Hayden was expected to be a starter this year but missed most of preseason camp and the first two games due to a hand injury. He played only 14 total snaps in the previous three weeks but was on the field for 35 of 69 offensive snaps during the TCU game. In addition to his nine carries, he caught a pass for 10 yards.

A Critical Mistake

Midway through the fourth quarter of the TCU game, the score was tied 21-21 when TCU punted. Quentin Gibson was returning the punt, but it was a short kick, and he let it drop. The ball hit CU’s Kam Mikell in the back, and TCU recovered. Three plays later, TCU scored the winning touchdown.

Coach Deion Sanders called it a “freshman mistake” by Gibson. “You gotta run up and fair catch that, get all your guys out of the way,” Sanders said. “But they got to know that that ball’s coming. We gotta do a better job of teaching what he needs to do in that situation.”

Despite the mistake, the Buffs were fortunate to be in the game. TCU had completed a 43-yard pass on fourth-and-1, but was flagged for offensive pass interference, setting up the punt. Replays showed that two CU defenders ran into each other, so the penalty should not have been called.