{"id":19442,"date":"2026-05-27T09:09:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/colorados-potential-to-transform-damian-henderson-ii-into-an-nfl-draft-pick-sports-illustrated\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T09:09:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:09:46","slug":"colorados-potential-to-transform-damian-henderson-ii-into-an-nfl-draft-pick-sports-illustrated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/colorados-potential-to-transform-damian-henderson-ii-into-an-nfl-draft-pick-sports-illustrated\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado's Potential to Transform Damian Henderson II Into an NFL Draft Pick – Sports Illustrated"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this story:
The Colorado Buffaloes\u2019 running back room has a certain theme to its parts. Most of the players in the room are shorter, shiftier running backs with great speed, who fit the quickness of Brennan Marion\u2019s \u2018Go-Go\u2019 offense.<\/a>
However, Sacramento State transfer running back Damian Henderson II is a different archetype from his peers. His unique but proven skillset can allow him to stand out in 2026 as he looks to build a resume for the NFL Draft.
Henderson transferred to the Sacramento State Hornets from the Colorado State Rams in 2025 <\/a>to join a program led by then-head coach Brennan Marion. He has since taken over as Colorado\u2019s offensive coordinator and brought Henderson with him. But the running back displayed his talent in the scheme throughout 2025.
Despite being the second option in the backfield behind star running back Rodney Hammond Jr., Henderson made the most of his carries. He rushed the ball 91 times for 565 yards and five touchdowns for an impressive average of 6.2 yards per carry. This included a dominant 137-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Central Arkansas Bears in which he had a breakaway 85-yard touchdown run.
Colorado made it clear that Henderson will get a high volume of carries in 2026, as he led the spring game with five rushes in a pseudo-workhorse role.<\/a>
Henderson\u2019s skill set is what allows him to take on that type of role. He is a running back unlike any other in the Buffaloes\u2019 backfield, as he stands 6-2, 205 pounds. Rather than winning with shiftiness or quick cuts, though he does have some serious speed, Henderson is a true power back. He uses his frame to his advantage and usually breaks the first tackle attempt when he has a full head of steam.
Henderson is a nightmare to tackle one-on-one, making him almost impossible to stop if he gets past the second level of the defense.\u00a0
This play style will make for a dangerous change of pace in Colorado\u2019s offense, and subsequently make Henderson jump off the screen on film to NFL scouts.\u00a0
Henderson possesses more than ideal size for an NFL running back, which alone makes him an intriguing prospect at the very least. The one factor that has primarily kept Henderson from becoming a sought-after prospect is the level of play he\u2019s faced.
Henderson struggled to see the field at Colorado State before taking on FCS opponents for a year at Sacramento State. His 2026 season at Colorado will give him the chance to prove himself against Big 12 opponents and piece together film in more semi-pro situations.
Henderson has proven his power as a running back, and it would certainly translate to the NFL level. His speed and shiftiness are not as frequently showcased, but they are attributes Henderson possesses nonetheless.
Henderson has all the tools at his disposal to prove himself to NFL teams. All he has to do is employ them to their full potential, albeit against stronger opponents than he\u2019s used to seeing. If he can, though, Henderson could shock most of the football world and turn into a highly touted NFL Draft prospect in the spring.
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Liam Howard is a Colorado Buffaloes On SI beat reporter and a men\u2019s basketball beat writer and sportscaster for Sko Buffs Sports. A Longmont, Colorado native, he has built a diverse portfolio across sports media, with experience in broadcast production, graphic design, and documentary storytelling. Known for his detailed coverage of college athletics, Howard is also the founder and host of SBS Football Live, where he provides thoughtful analysis and original reporting.
\u00a9 2026 <\/span> ABG-SI LLC<\/span> – <\/span>SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In this story:The Colorado Buffaloes\u2019 running back room has a certain theme to its parts. Most of the players in the room are shorter, shiftier running backs with great speed, who fit the quickness of Brennan Marion\u2019s \u2018Go-Go\u2019 offense.However, Sacramento State transfer running back Damian Henderson II is a different archetype from his peers. His […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}