Defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo came to Colorado a year ago for the opportunity to learn from NFL-experienced coaches who could help him get to the league.

“They’ve been a great help of showing me how things are, how things will be in the league,” Nwankwo told BuffZone last August.

Since the end of the 2024 season nearly two months ago, a lot has changed in the defensive line room, but two things remain: Talent and a whole lot of NFL experience on the staff.

Earlier this week, CU and head coach Deion Sanders hired Domata Peko, a former 15-year NFL veteran, as the defensive line coach. He replaces Damione Lewis, a former 10-year NFL veteran, who left CU to return to his alma mater, Miami.

As Lewis did, Peko will work with Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, a D-line assistant who played 13 years in the NFL.

The players that Peko and Sapp have to work with are different than a year ago. Nwankwo and Shane Cokes, who started 10 games each in 2024, are now preparing for the NFL Draft. Rayyan Buell, who missed most of the 2024 season with an injury, has transferred.

Peko and Sapp still have an intriguing group this season. On paper, in fact, it’s currently a deeper group than it was a year ago.

CU had seven defensive tackles on the roster a year ago and currently has nine for the 2025 season. That group includes four returning seniors: Anquin Barnes, Taurean Carter, Amari McNeill and Tawfiq Thomas.

Barnes and McNeill each started three games last year, filling in for Nwankwo and Cokes at different times when those veterans were injured.

McNeill, in fact, played more snaps (441) than Cokes (391) and only 14 less than Nwankwo. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound McNeill finished the season with 25 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. In two seasons with the Buffs, he’s recorded 13 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.

Thomas (233 snaps) and Barnes (220) were also key players in the rotation. A transfer from Louisville, Thomas, who is listed at 6-4, 300, had 18 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a sack. Barnes, an Alabama transfer listed at 6-5, 315, posted 13 tackles and an interception.

Carter, who transferred to CU from Arkansas last year, played in only two games (28 snaps) before a season-ending injury. The 6-3, 303-pounder played 33 games at Arkansas, though, recording 25 tackles in 2023.

That foursome is the foundation since they are returning players, but the Buffs have bolstered the line this offseason.

Alabama transfer Jehiem Oatis, listed at 6-5, 320, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 5 defensive lineman in the transfer portal this offseason. He was a teammate of Barnes’ for two years with the Crimson Tide, starting 13 of the 29 games he played while posting 52 tackles and three TFLs.

In two seasons at Texas State, Tavian Coleman (6-1, 300) started all 26 games, recording 53 tackles, 13 TFLs and 6 sacks. At Utah State in 2022, he had 26 tackles and 4.5 TFLs.

Gavriel Lightfoot (6-3, 300) played three seasons at Fresno State, starting 27 of his 35 games. He recorded 66 tackles, five TFLs and a sack, including 37 tackles in 2024.

Three-star recruits Christian Hudson (6-1, 290) and Alexander McPherson (6-4, 250) add youth and depth. McPherson, who joined the Buffs in December, has already turned some heads.

Overall, it’s a group loaded with experience, and a group that’s sure to glean from the 28 years of NFL experience that Peko and Sapp bring to the room.