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Transfer Portal Tracker
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Most recent headlines … (see bios for all of CU’s additions, below) …
1/18 – Ohio State offensive lineman (and Jordan Seaton’s cousin) Jayvon McFadden signs with CU … Indiana cornerback Jah Jah Boyd becomes a Buff …
1/17 – Five transfer Saturday: former four-star Alabama RB Richard Young is in … Two young cornerbacks: Paul Omodia (Lamar) and Jason Stokes (Utah) become Buffs … CU flips defensive tackle Samu Taumanupepe from his commitment to Florida … A large addition to the line: 6’8″, 330-pound offensive lineman Leon Bell (Cal) …
1/16 – Transfer commit No. 36 comes from 6’2″, 305-pound offensive lineman Sean Kinney (Lafayette) …
1/14 – Former four-star Oklahoma safety Jayden Hardy becomes a Buff … CU gets its center. Houston offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter (24 starts at center) commits to CU …
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Scholarship Transfers coming in (43) … (see bios below) …
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Quarterbacks … Isaac Wilson (Utah) …
Running backs … Damien Henderson II (Sacramento State) … JaQuail Smith (Sacramento State) … Richard Young (Alabama) …
Wide receivers … Kam Perry (Miami, Ohio) … Danny Scudero (San Jose State) … Ernest Campbell (Sacramento State) … DeAndre Moore (Texas) …
Tight ends … Fisher Clements (Northern Colorado) …
Offensive linemen … Taj White (Rutgers) … Jayven Richardson (Missouri) … Jose Soto (Sacramento State) … Bo Hughley (Georgia) … Demetrius Hunter (Houston) … Sean Kinney (Lafeyette) … Leon Bell (Cal) … Jayvon McFadden (Ohio State) …
Defensive linemen … Yamil Talib (Charlotte) … Lamont Lester, Jr. (Monmouth) … Balansama Kamara (Albany) … Dylan Manuel (Applachian State) … Toby Anene (North Dakota State) … Immanuel Ezeogu (James Madison) … Tyler Moore (Coastal Carolina) … Santana Hopper (Tulane) … Vili Taufatofua (San Jose State) … Sedrick Smith (Maryland) … Samu Taumanupepe (Baylor) … Ezra Christiansen (New Mexico State) …
Linebackers … Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green) … Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State) … Liona Lefau (Texas) …
Defensive backs … Naeten Mitchell (New Mexico State) … Justin Eaglin (James Madison) … Cree Thomas (Notre Dame) … Boo Carter (Tennessee) … Randon Fontenette (Vanderbilt) … Emory Floyd (Appalachian State) … Jayden Hardy (Oklahoma) … Paul Omodia (Lamar) … Jason Stokes (Utah) … Jah Jah Boyd (Indiana) …
Specialists/Athletes … Josh McCormick (K)(Grambling) …
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Jayvon McFadden – OL
Committed January 18th … McFadden is a 6’3″, 270-pound offensive lineman from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, who comes to CU by way of Ohio State, with four years of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about McFadden … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2025, McFadden was rated as a four-star prospect. At 247 Sports, McFadden was rated as the No. 24 interior lineman in the nation, the No. 11 overall prospect out of the state of Maryland, and the No. 391 overall prospect in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, McFadden was listed as the No. 25 interior lineman in the country, the No. 12 player out of Maryland, and the No. 363 prospect in the country.
A year later, after a year of conditioning and training at Ohio State, McFadden has been demoted to a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, McFadden has not yet been rated, while at Rivals/On3Sports, McFadden is considered to be the No. 28 interior lineman transfer, and the No. 370 overall transfer prospect in the country.
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Jah Jah Boyd – DB
Committed January 18th … Boyd is a 5’11”, 188-pound defensive back from Philadelphia, who comes to CU by way of Indiana, with three years of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Boyd … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Boyd was considered to be a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Boyd was listed as the No. 122 safety in the nation, the No. 25 player overall out of the state of Pennsylvania, and the No. 1323 national prospect. At Rivals/On3Sports, Boyd was rated as the No. 140 safety in the country, the No. 34 prospect out of Pennsylvania, and the No. 1303 player in the nation.
As a transfer, Boyd is considered to be a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Boyd is rated as the No. 98 cornerback in the Portal, and the No. 870 transfer overall.
Boyd in six games at safety as a redshirt freshman at Indiana, totaling eight tackles + a forced fumble. Boyd was originally a James Madison commit, who followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana.
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Jason Stokes – DB
Committed January 17th … Stokes is a 6’2″, 184-pound defensive back from Pflugerville, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Utah, with four years to play three … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Stokes … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2025, Stokes was listed as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Stokes was rated as the No. 54 cornerback in the nation, the No. 86 prospect out of the state of Texas, and the No. 644 overall prospect in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Stokes was listed as the No. 53 cornerback in the country, the No. 74 player out of Texas, and the No. 541 overall player in the country.
As a transfer, Stokes is listed by 247 Sports as the No. 39 cornerback in the Portal, and the No. 385 overall transfer prospect in the country.
Stokes saw action in 12 games as a true freshman with the Utes, but he was limited to 29 defensive snaps while being on the field for a total of 92 kickoff coverage plays.
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Richard Young – RB
Committed January 17th … Young is a 5’11”, 212-pound running back from Lehigh Acres, Florida, who comes to CU by way of Alabama, with two years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Young … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Young was rated as a four-star prospect by 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Young was rated as the the No. 4 running back prospect in the nation, the No. 13 prospect overall out of the state of Florida, and the No. 55 prospect overall in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Young was listed as the No. 4 running back in the country, the No. 15 prospect out of Florida, and the No. 63 player in the entire nation.
As a transfer, Young is rated as a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Young is considered to be the No. 60 running back in the Portal, and the No. 701 overall transfer prospect nationally. At Rivals/On3Sports, Young is listed as the No. 66 running back nationally, and the No. 677 overall transfer in the country.
Young saw offensive action in 15 games during his time with the Crimson Tide. He played a total of 131 offensive snaps, grading out at 64.4 on Pro Football Focus in 2023, 66.4 in 2024 and 64.5 in 2025. Overall, Young gained a total of 247 yards of offense and scoring five touchdowns on 61 touches while at Alabama.
Coming out of Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Senior, Young was ranked on the Composite as the nation’s No. 4 running back recruit in the 2023 class. He was also No. 13 on the Florida state rankings and No. 55 on the national overall rankings. Young accounted for 4,824 yards of offense and scored 43 touchdowns over 36 varsity games at Lehigh.
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Paul Omodia – DB
Committed January 17th … Omodia is a 6’2″, 198-pound defensive back from Richmond, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Lamar, with two years to play to at CU … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Omodia … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Omodia was not rated. After two years at Lamar, Omodia is now listed as a three-star transfer prospect by 247 Sports, being rated as the No. 103 cornerback in the Portal, and the No. 977 transfer in the nation overall.
Omodia was an all-Southland conference pick at Lamar as a redshirt sophomore. He recorded a total of 57 tackles, 13 pass breakups, two tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble during his time in Beaumont, Tex.
Omodia graded out at 75.6 over 442 defensive snaps in 2024, after playing 28 defensive snaps and redshirting with the Cardinals in 2023. He had a 73.8 grade over 747 defensive snaps at Lamar this past season, allowing 53.3 percent of the passes thrown his way in coverage to be caught.
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Samu Taumanupepe – DL
Committed January 17th … Taumanupepe is a 6’3″, 376-pound defensive lineman from Humble, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Baylor, with two years to play two at CU … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Taumanupepe … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Taumanupepe was listed as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Taumanupepe was rated as the No. 96 defensive lineman in the country, the No. 151 prospect of the state of Texas, and the No. 888 overall prospect in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, Taumanupepe was listed as the No. 83 defensive lineman in the nation, the No. 132 player out of Texas, and the No. 791 overall player in the nation.
As a transfer, Taumanupepe is considered to be a three-star prospect, listed as the No. 263 defensive lineman in the nation, the No. 2470 prospect in the country.
Taumanupepe was on the field for 22 defensive snaps in 2023 and 2024 at Texas A&M. He then transferred to Baylor and played 27 defensive snaps as a redshirt sophomore this past season.
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Leon Bell – OL
Committed January 17th … Bell is a 6’8″, 330-pound offensive lineman from Dickinson, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Cal, with one year of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Bell … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2021, Bell was lightly recruited, choosing instead to go the JUCO route. After a successful first-team all-conference year at Kilgore Community College, Bell transferred to Mississippi State as one of the top 20 JUCO transfers in the nation. After two years with the Bulldogs, Bell spent the 2025 season at Cal, finishing with eight starts.
As a transfer, Bell is considered to be a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Bell is rated as the No. 25 offensive tackle in the Portal, and the No. 279 overall recruit. At Rivals/On3Sports, Bell is listed as the No. 24 offensive tackle in the Portal, and the No. 325 overall transfer prospect.
Bell saw action in 10 games with eight starts at right tackle at Cal. He graded out at 62.0 on Pro Football Focus as a fifth-year junior in 2025. Bell was penalized six times and he gave up 20 pressures over 583 offensive snaps while with the Golden Bears.
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Sean Kinney – OL
Committed January 16th … Kinney is a 6’2″, 305-pound offensive lineman from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, who comes to CU by way of Lafayette, with three to play to at CU … 247 Sports bio … Rival/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Kinney … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Kinney was rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports. As a transfer, Kinney is considered by 247 Sports to be the No. 41 interior lineman in the Portal, and the No. 710 overall prospect in the nation.
Kinney appeared in all 24 games the last two seasons for Lafayette. He was a freshman All-American in 2024, and was named All-Conference this past season. An accomplished wrestler, Kinney turned down the opportunity to play football and wrestle at Penn State in order to transfer to CU.
Kinney played mostly center this past season, but has also started at both guard positions.
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Jayden Hardy – DB
Committed January 14th … Hardy is a 5’10”, 180-pound defensive back from Lewisville, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Oklahoma with three years to play two at CU … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Hardy … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Hardy was considered to be a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Hardy was rated as the No. 13 safety in the nation, the No. 30 overall prospect out of the state of Texas, and the No. 179 player overall in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, Hardy was listed as the No. 19 safety in the nation, the No. 47 player out of Texas, and the No. 282 overall prospect in the country.
As a transfer, Hardy has not yet been rated by 247 Sports, but is listed as a three-star player by Rivals/On3Sports, coming in as the No. 70 safety in the nation, and the No. 837 player overall in the Portal.
Hardy saw action in 26 games at OU. He was on the field for a total of 221 defensive snaps and 408 special teams plays.
On defense, Hardy had 17 tackles, one pass break up and one forced fumble. He was targeted 10 times in coverage over 221 defensive snaps and allowed 97 yards through the air, according to Pro Football Focus. Hardy had two interceptions with no touchdowns caught against him.
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Demetrius Hunter – OL
Committed January 14th … Hunter is a 6’2″, 310-pound offensive lineman from Orange, Texas, who comes to CU by way of the University of Houston, with one year of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Hunter … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Hunter was considered to be a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Hunter was regarded as the No. 20 interior lineman in the nation, the No. 71 prospect out of Texas, and the No. 501 player in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Hunter was considered to be the No. 33 interior lineman in the country, the No. 72 player out of Texas, and the No. 451 overall player in the nation. As of the time of his commitment, Hunter had not been rated by either service as a transfer.
Hunter started every game (24 starts) over the last two seasons at center for Houston, allowing just two sacks.
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DeAndre Moore – WR
Committed January 13th … Moore is a 6’0″, 192-pound wide receiver from Bellflower, California, who comes to CU by way of Texas, with two years to play one at Colorado … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Moore … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Moore was considered to be a four-star prospect by 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Moore was listed as the No. 19 wide receiver prospect in the country, the No. 10 overall prospect out of the state of California, and the No. 121 overall recruit in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, Moore was rated as the No. 12 wide receiver in the nation, the No. 9 player out of California, and the No. 110 player in the country.
As a transfer, Moore has maintained his four-star status. At 247 Sports, Moore is considered to be the No. 5 wide receiver in the Portal, and the No. 18 overall transfer. At Rivals/On3Sports, Moore is listed as the No. 12 wide receiver available, and the No. 52 overall prospect in the Portal.
Moore hauled in a total of 77 passes for 988 yards and 11 touchdowns the past two seasons with the Longhorns, after redshirting his first year in Austin. He graded out at 71.7 on Pro Football Focus in 2025, ranking first among the Texas receivers and No. 4 on offense among the Longhorns that played more than 400 offensive snaps.
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Bo Hughley – OL
Committed January 12th … Hughley is a 6’7″, 295-pound offensive tackle from Fairburn, Georgia, who comes to CU by way of Georgia, with two years to play two at Colorado … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Hughley … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Hughley was considered to be a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Hughley was rated as the No. 10 offensive tackle in the country, the No. 8 overall prospect out of the talent-rich state of Georgia, and the No. 81 overall prospect in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, Hughley was listed as the No. 11 offensive tackle nationally, the No. 8 prospect out of Georgia, and the No. 127 overall prospect in the country.
As a transfer prospect, after a red-shirt season and playing in ten games as a red-shirt freshman in 2024, and 264 snaps on offense in 2025, Hughley is rated as a three-star prospect by both services. At 247 Sports, Hughley is listed as the No. 27 offensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 340 overall transfer prospect in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Hughley is considered to be the No. 27 offensive tackle, and the No. 336 overall transfer in the Portal.
Hughley started at right tackle against Alabama and Auburn in 2025. Over 246 offensive snaps as a third-year sophomore, Hughley graded out at 62.1 on Pro Football Focus. He was penalized twice against the Crimson Tide, but those were the only two times he was flagged during his run with Georgia.
“Bo embodies fire, passion, and energy,” Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart told the media back in October. “The guy’s happy every day at practice. He loves football. He works his butt off. I mean, he competes. He goes out, and it doesn’t matter who’s in front of him, he’s going to go to war and fight with them.
“And he did it at the left and right tackle. He’s come in in the pinch and played well in multiple games. He’s a kid that I enjoy coaching and love being around and continues to get better. He’ll continue to get better because of the way he works and the way he practices.”
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Emory Floyd – DB
Committed January 11th … Floyd is a 6’1″, 195-pound defensive back from Powder Springs, Georgia, who comes to CU by way of Appalachian State … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Floyd … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Floyd was considered to be a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Floyd was rated as the No. 37 safety prospect in the nation, the No. 45 player out of Georgia, and the No. 425 overall prospect in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Floyd was listed as the No. 17 cornerback in the country, the No. 25 player out of Georgia, and the No. 242 prospect in the entire country. As a transfer, Floyd is listed as the No. 88 cornerback prospect in the country, and the No. 786 player in the Portal.
Floyd spent three total seasons with South Carolina but appeared in just seven games. He has two tackles and one pass deflection in his career. Floyd then transferred to Appalachian State for the 2025 season. Floyd earned a starting cornerback job for the Mountaineers this season. He played in all 12 games and had 55 total tackles with one being for a loss of yards. He had one interception and was credited with five pass breakups on the season, and was an honorable mention All Sun Belt conference defensive back.
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Randon Fontenette – DB
Committed January 11th … Fontenette is a 6’2″, 220-pound defensive back from Freeport, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Vanderbilt, with two years to play one … 247 Sports bio … Rivals On3Sports bio …
What others say about Fontenette … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Fontenette was considered to be a four-star prospect by 247 Sports, and a three-star prospect by Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Fontenette was rated as the No. 18 safety in the nation, the 40 overall player out of Texas, and the No. 235 prospect in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Fontenette was listed as the No. 14 safety in the country, and the No. 140 player in the country.
Fontenette spent his first year of college at TCU, playing 12 games as a true freshman before transferring to Vanderbilt. Over three seasons of college action, a total of 37 games, Fontenette recorded 141 tackles, including 14-and-a-half for a loss, three-and-a-half sacks, 14 pass breakups, 15 passes defended, one forced fumble and one defensive touchdown.
Fontenette graded out at 68.4 over 790 defensive snaps on PFF in 2025, and at 65.7 over 728 defensive snaps at Vanderbilt in 2024. While at TCU, over 81 defensive snaps, he graded out at 69.3.
Fontenette is expected to play a similar box safety role to what Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and Tawfiq Byard played at Colorado the past two seasons under defensive coordinator Robert Livingston.
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Sedrick Smith – DL
Committed January 11th … Smith is a 6’4″, 321-pound defensive tackle from Atlanta, Georgia, who comes to CU by way of Maryland, with two years of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Smith … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Smith was unrated. Smith, who has gained 50 pounds in the last two years, spent time with South Carolina State and Alabama A&M before landing at Maryland for the 2025 season. As a transfer, Smith is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals/247 Sports, listed as the No. 200 defensive lineman in the Portal, and the No. 1892 transfer overall.
Smith played 121 defensive snaps over 12 games and was credited with five tackles and four tackles as a third year college player with Maryland. Smith with have two years to play two at Colorado.
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Boo Carter – DB
Committed January 10th … Carter is a 5’11”, 200-pound safety from Cleveland, Tennessee, who comes to CU by way of Tennessee, with three years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Carter … A member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Carter was considered to be a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Carter was rated as the No. 5 athlete in the nation, the No. 3 prospect out of the state of Tennessee, and the No. 149 player in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Carter was listed as the No. 3 safety in the nation, the No. 3 player out of Tennessee, and and the No. 111 overall prospect in the country.
As a transfer, Carter continued to be considered a four-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Carter is considered to be the No. 3 safety in the Portal, and the No. 63 transfer prospect overall. At Rivals/On3Sports, Carter is listed as the No. 3 safety, and the No. 64 overall transfer in the country.
Carter played in 22 games in two seasons at Tennessee, with 63 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 3 passes broken up and 3 forced fumbles.
Carter was a two-year starter at Tennessee who operated primarily out of the slot in the STAR role for the Volunteers. He saw the field early due to his blend of short-area coverage instincts, run-support ability, and flashes of disruption as a blitzer off the edge. Experienced some documented football-character issues in his second season in Knoxville, ultimately prompting his decision to enter the transfer portal. When right, he projects as a good Power Four starter with the versatility and playmaking ability to impact a defensive backfield and contribute in the return game.
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Fisher Clements – TE
Committed January 10th … Clements is a 6’7″, 265-pound tight end from Meridan, Idaho, who comes to CU by way of Northern Colorado, with one year of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Clements … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Clements was rated as a two-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Clements was rated as the No. 145 tight end in the nation, and the No. 15 prospect overall out of the state of Idaho.
Clements had all of four receptions last season for the Northern Colorado Bears, going for 27 yards.
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Jose Soto – OL
Committed January 9th … Soto is a 6’3″, 312-pound offensive lineman from Tulare, California, who comes to CU by way of Sacramento State … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Soto … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Soto was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Soto was listed as the No. 202 interior lineman in the nation, and the No. 371 player out of the state of California. At Rivals/On3Sports, Soto was considered to be the No. 192 offensive lineman in the country.
As a transfer, 247 Sports has Soto rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 104 interior lineman in the Portal, and the No. 1242 transfer in the country.
Soto played in 11 games, with 10 starts, at right guard under new CU offensive coordinator Brennan Marion at Sacramento State in 2025. He did not allow a sack or quarterback hit during Big Sky play and helped an offense that led the conference with 262.6 rushing yards per game. For the season, Soto had a grade of 66.0 over 699 offensive snaps on PFF.
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Vili Taufatofua – DL
Committed January 9th … Taufatofua is a 6’3″, 254-pound defensive lineman from New Zealand, coming to CU by way of San Jose State … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Taufatofua … An member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Taufatofua started his football career at the New Mexico Military Institute. A three-star junior college recruit, Taufatofua was considered by Rivals/On3Sports to be the No. 7 juco defensive lineman in the nation, and the No. 11 overall juco transfer. Taufatofua first played for Utah before transferring to San Jose State.
As a transfer, Taufatofua is rated by Rivals/On3Sports as the No. 136 edge rusher in the Transfer Portal, and the No. 1547 transfer in the nation overall.
Taufatofau was named honorable mention all-Mountain West after recording 34 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup in 11 starts. Taufatofua graded out at 71.7 and was credited with 17 pressures over 457 snaps on PFF.
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Ezra Christiansen – DL
… Note … Christiansen was later denied a final year of eligibility, and did not transfer to CU …
Committed January 9th … Christiansen is a 6’2″, 265-pound defensive lineman from San Diego, California, coming to CU by way of New Mexico State … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Christiansen … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2021, Christensen was not rated by the services, ending up going the junior college route. After time at San Diego Mesa College, Christiansen signed on with Fresno State before winding up at New Mexico State. As a transfer, Christiansen is rated as a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Christiansen is listed as the No. 26 defensive lineman in the Portal, and the No. 353 transfer overall.
The highest graded defensive lineman in Conference USA this past season by Pro Football Focus, Christensen was credited with 40 pressures over 494 defensive snaps with the Aggies. He recorded 42 tackles and six sacks. Christensen was one of the most heavily pursued transfer defensive linemen in the Portal. In addition to Colorado, he had the following programs extend an offer after he entered the Portal: Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Iowa State, James Madison, Kentucky, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Virginia, UCF, Washington and Wisconsin.
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Liona Lefau – LB
Committed January 8th … Lefau is a 6’1″, 227-pound linebacker from Kahuku, Hawai’i, coming to CU by way of Texas, with two years to play one … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Lefau … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Lefau was listed as a four-star recruit by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Lefau was considered to be the the No. 32 linebacker prospect in the nation, the No. 2 player out of Hawai’i, and the No. 405 player in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Lefau was listed as the No. 26 linebacker in the nation, the No. 2 player out of Hawai’i, and the No. 426 player in the country.
As a transfer, Lefau is considered to be four-star prospect by 247 Sports, listed as the No. 7 linebacker in the Portal, and the No. 108 overall transfer in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, Lefau is rated as a three-star transfer, listed as the No. 14 linebacker available, and the No. 108 overall transfer.
While at Austin, Lefau was on the field for 1,014 defensive snaps and 788 special teams plays over three seasons. Lefau started 12 games for Texas, 11 at middle linebacker and one at weakside linebacker, as a redshirt sophomore in 2025.
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Jayven Richardson – OT
Committed January 8th … Richardson is a 6’6″, 313-pound offensive lineman from Gonzalez, California, coming to CU by way of Missouri, with two years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Richardson … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Richardson was not rated by the services, but his status quickly changed. After playing at Hutchinson Community College, Richardson was rated as a three-star transfer, listed by 247 Sports as the No. 3 offensive tackle juco transfer, the No. 5 recruit from the state of Louisiana, and the No. 22 overall transfer nationally. At Rivals/On3Sports, Richardson was rated at the No. 1 offensive tackle in the junior college ranks, the No. 4 prospect from Louisiana, and the No. 11 overall junior college transfer.
As a transfer from Missouri, both services have Richardson rated as a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Richardson is listed as the No. 15 offensive tackle in the Portal, and the No. 196 overall transfer. At Rivals/On3Sports, Richardson is considered to be the No. 35 offensive tackle, and the No. 455 overall transfer in the Portal.
Richardson had two starts at left tackle for the Tigers in 2025, grading out at 61.4 on Pro Football Focus. He was not penalized at all over 197 offensive snaps. Before committing to CU, Richardson considered Arkansas, Baylor and Houston.
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Josh McCormick – K
Committed January 8th … McCormick is a 6’0″, 205-pound kicker from Austin, Texas, coming to CU by way of Grambling … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about McCormick … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2021, McCormick was, like most kickers, unrated.
McCormick originally played for Oregon State (2022-23), moving on to William & Mary (2024) and, finally, Grambling State in 2025. This past season, as a part-time kicker for the Tigers, McCormick connected on six-of-ten field goal attempts, with a long of 52 yards, as well as 7-of-8 extra point attempts. He also put 34 of 49 kickoffs out of the end zone for touchbacks.
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Isaac Wilson – QB
Committed January 7th … Wilson is a 6’0″, 210-pound quarterback from Draper, Utah, comes to CU by way of Utah, with three years to play three … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Wilson … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Wilson, brother of NFL quarterback Zac Wilson, was rated as a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Wilson was listed as the No. 18 quarterback prospect in the nation, the No. 2 prospect out of the state of Utah, and the No. 280 overall prospect in the country. At Rivals/On3Sports, Wilson was considered to be the No. 19 quarterback in the nation, the No. 1 overall prospect out of the state of Utah, and the No. 264 player overall in the country.
As a transfer, Wilson is listed by 247 Sports as the No. 30 quarterback in the Portal, and the No. 344 overall prospect. At Rivals/On3Sports, Wilson is rated as the No. 45 quarterback and the No. 777 overall Portal prospect.
Wilson passed for 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2024 when he was thrust into action following the season-ending injury to Cam Rising. But after a change at offensive coordinator with the Utes heading into this season, the style and scheme changed to a more run-heavy attack.
The likes of BYU, Kentucky, Missouri, San Diego State, San Jose State and UNLV all made advances once Wilson entered the transfer portal.
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Taj White – OL
Committed January 7th … White is a 6’5″, 308-pound offensive lineman from Jersey City, New Jersey, who comes to CU by way of Rutgers with one year of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others are saying about White … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, White was listed as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, White was considered to be the No. 82 offensive tackle in the nation, the No. 16 prospect overall out of the state of New Jersey, and the 931 overall player in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, White was listed as the No. 65 offensive tackle in the country, the No. 16 offensive tackle in the country, and the No. 887 player in the country.
As a transfer, White has not yet been rated by 247 Sports. At Rivals/On3 Sports, White is considered to be the No. 12 offensive tackle in the Portal, and the No. 193 overall prospect in the country.
White graded out at 66.1 on Pro Football Focus over 755 offensive snaps and 11 starts, all at right tackle, this past season. The only game he didn’t start was due to injury.
White started nine games – five at left guard and four at right tackle – while playing 657 offensive snaps and grading out at 64.9 as a third-year sophomore. He saw limited action in 10 games in 2023 after redshirting the prior fall.
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Cree Thomas – DB
Committed January 7th … Thomas is a 6’1″, 187-pound defensive back from Phoenix, Arizona, who comes to CU by way of Notre Dame, with four years to play four … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Thomas … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2025, Thomas was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Thomas was listed as the No. 39 safety in the nation, the No. 5 player out of the state of Arizona, and the No. 494 prospect nationally. At Rivals/On3Sports. Thomas was listed as the No. 51 cornerback in the country, the No. 5 prospect out of Arizona, and the No. 512 player in the country.
As a transfer, Thomas is listed by 247 Sports as the No. 18 cornerback in the Portal, and the No. 244 overall prospect. At Rivals/On3Sports, Thomas is rated as the No. 44 cornerback and the No. 393 prospect in the country.
Before signing with Notre Dame, Thomas entertained offers from numerous Power Four schools, including Oregon, both Arizona schools, Cal, Purdue and Wisconsin. This past season, Thomas played in only three games, preserving his redshirt season, giving him four full years of eligibility remaining. Thomas played 30 defensive snaps as a true freshman with the Fighting Irish, and did not give up any receptions on just two targets. He graded out at 68.8 on Pro Football Focus in that limited action.
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Ernest Campbell – WR
Committed January 7th … Campbell is a 5’9″, 145-pound wide receiver from Refugio, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Sacramento State, with three years to play three … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Campbell … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Campbell was rated as a four-star prospect by 247 Sports, and a three-star prospect by Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Campbell was listed as the No. 66 wide receiver in the nation, the No. 69 player out of the state of Texas, and the No. 434 player nationally. At Rivals/On3Sports, Campbell was listed as the No. 78 wide receiver nationally, the No. 83 prospect out of Texas, and the No. 496 player in the country. Campbell had offers from all over the country, signing with Texas A&M after entertaining offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Baylor, Nebraska, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Penn State, and TCU.
Campbell ran the 100-meter dash in 10.02-seconds at the NCAA West first-round meet while competing with the Aggies track-and-field team, before transferring to Sacramento State. He earned honorable mention All-America honors after placing 22nd in the 100 at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
After a redshirt season with Texas A&M, Campbell transferred to Sacramento State to play for (now CU offensive coordinator) Brennan Marion. Campbell was named to the FCS Central Freshman All-American team in 2025 after leading the Hornets with 37 receptions for 755 yards and eight touchdowns. His average of 20.41 yards per reception ranks eighth in school single-season history and set the school record by a freshman. He also set the Sacramento State single-season record with six receptions of at least 50 yards last fall.
As a transfer, Campbell has not yet been rated by 247 Sports, but is considered to be a three-star transfer by Rivals/On3Sports, Campbell is considered to be the No. 100 wide receiver, and the No. 594 overall player in the Portal.
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Justin Eaglin – DB
Committed January 6th … Eaglin is a 6’1″, 175-pound defensive back (cornerback) from Fayetteville, North Carolina, coming to CU by way of James Madison, with two years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Eaglin … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Eaglin was an unrated prospect. As a transfer, Eaglin is considered to be a three-star prospect by both services At 247 Sports, Eaglin is listed as the No. 53 cornerback in the Portal, and the No. 522 player overall in the nation. At Rivals/On3Sports, Eaglin is considered to be the No. 91 cornerback, and the No. 767 player nationally.
Eaglin saw action in 26 games, with 14 starts, at James Madison. He graded out at 75.1 in 2025, and was penalized just one time, while only allowing 51.4 percent of the passes thrown at him in coverage to be completed.
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Tyler Martinez – LB
Committed January 6th … Martinez is a 6’1″, 220-pound linebacker from Albuquerque, New Mexico, coming to by way of New Mexico State, with one year of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Martinez … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2021, Martinez was not rated. Martinez went the junior college route, winding up at New Mexico State. As a juco, Martinez was rated as 247 Sports as a two-star prospect, the No. 22 linebacker juco transfer in the nation, and the No. 6 transfer out of the state of New Mexico.
Martinez played in a total of 36 games the previous three seasons with the Aggies, including 16 starts. He led New Mexico State with 96 tackles as a third year junior, earning him first-team all-conference honors. His 2025 season was cut short to four games due to an ankle injury. Despite not playing, Martinez was still a team captain.
An under-the-radar recruit coming out of Albuquerque (N.M.) Volcano Vista, Martinez had 145 tackles, including 29-and-a-half for a loss, and seven sacks as a senior there. He began his college career at New Mexico Military Institute where he appeared in 11 games and had a team-high 83 tackles.
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Santana Hopper – DL
Committed January 6th … Hopper is a 6’2″, 265-pound defensive lineman from Shelby, North Carolina, coming to CU by way of Tulane … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Hopper … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Hopper was listed as a four-star prospect by Rivals/On3Sports, and a three-star prospect by 247 Sports. At Rivals/On3Sports, Hopper was considered to be the No. 3 defensive lineman in the nation, and the nation’s No. 113 overall prospect. At 247 Sports, Hopper was listed as the No. 73 defensive lineman in the nation, the No. 15 player out of the state of North Carolina, and the No. 522 player in the country.
As a transfer, the ratings remain the same. Rivals/On3 Sports has Hopper as a four-star transfer, being the No. 3 defensive lineman in the Portal, and the No. 83 transfer overall. At 247 Sports, though, Hopper remains a three-start prospect, listed as the No. 15 defensive lineman, and the No. 227 overall prospect in the Portal.
At Tulane last season, Hopper graded out as the Green Wave’s top defensive player on Pro Football Focus, among those that played more than 134 snaps. He was credited with 39 pressures, 31 tackles, four-and-a-half sacks as a fumble recovery.
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Gideon Lampron – LB
Committed January 6th … Lampron is a 6’0″, 220-pound linebacker from LaGrange, Ohio, coming to CU by way of Bowling Green, with one year of eligibility remaining … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Lampron … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Lampron was listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals/On3Sports, but was not rated by 247 Sports. As a transfer, Lampron is considered to be a three-star prospect by both services. At 247 Sports, he is considered to be the No. 40 linebacker in the nation, and the No. 618 overall transfer prospect. At Rivals/On3Sports, Lampron is listed as the No. 31 linebacker nationally, and the No. 371 transfer in the country overall.
A team captain as a fourth-year junior at Bowling Green, Lampron started all 12 games and racked up 119 tackles, including 54 for a loss, two-and-a-half sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. He earned first-team all-MAC honors and an impressive 86.4 grade on Pro Football Focus, best among all Falcons in 2025.
Lampron previously spent three years at Dayton, with a redshirt in 2022. He was a first-team FCS All-American by the Associated Press in 2024, after notching 99 tackles, including 23-and-a-half for a loss, and six-and-a-half sacks.
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Tyler Moore – DL
Committed January 5th … Moore is a 5’10”, 290-pound defensive lineman from Locust Grove, Georgia, coming to CU by way of Coastal Carolina, with three years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Moore … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Moore was considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals/On3 Sports. Moore was rated as the No. 196 defensive lineman in the nation, the No. 221 overall prospect out of the state of Georgia, and the No. 2163 player overall in the nation.
Moore started out at Tennessee State, but wound up at Coastal Carolina. Last season, Moore recorded nine tackles, four pressures, and had a Pro Football Focus grade of 72.3 on 129 defensive snaps.
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Immanuel Ezeogu – DL
Committed January 5th … Ezeogu is a 6’2″, 225-pound defensive lineman from Suffolk, Virginia, who comes to CU by way of James Madison University, with three years to play three … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Ezeogu … A member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Ezeogu was not rated by either service. As a transfer, though, Ezeogu is listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals/On3Sports, being rated as the No. 127 linebacker in the nation, and the No. 1454 prospect overall in the Portal.
Ezeogu recorded seven tackles for a loss, one sack, one forced fumble and two quarterback hits during his redshirt-freshman year with the Dukes. He played in all 14 games and was on the field for a total of 185 defensive snaps, after playing just one defensive snap during a redshirt season in 2024. Ezeogu graded out at 65.3 on Pro Football Focus this past season, and was credited with nine pressures.
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Toby Anene – DL
Committed January 5th … Anene is a 6’4″, 259-pound defensive lineman from St. Paul, Minnesota, who comes to CU by way of North Dakota State, with two years to play one … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Anene … A member of the Recruiting Class of 2022, Anene was not rated. As a transfer, Anene is considered to be a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Arene is listed as the No. 21 edge rusher in the Transfer Portal, and the No. 187 transfer overall. At Rivals/On3Sports, Anene is considered as the No. 35 edge rusher, and the No. 280 transfer overall.
The 6-foot-4, 259-pound Anene had eight tackles for a loss, seven sacks, six passes defender, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble during his true junior season at North Dakota State. At 83.7 over 470 defensive snaps, Anene had the second-best grade on the Bison defense in 2025. Pro Football Focus credited him with a team-high 38 pressures.
In two seasons at North Dakota State, Anene was on the field for 968 defensive snaps, posting 13 sacks 14 TFLs, 10 QB hits, 71 QB pressures, and six batted passes.
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Naeten Mitchell – DB
Committed January 4th … Mitchell is a 5’11”, 175-pound defensive back (safety) from Temple, Texas, who comes to CU by way of New Mexico State … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Mitchell … A member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Mitchell was considered to be a three-star recruit by Rivals/On3Sports, listed as the No. 197 cornerback in the nation, the No. 334 player out of Texas, and the No. 2087 overall prospect in the nation.
In 2025, Mitchell led New Mexico State with 93 tackles (58 solo), four forced fumbles and three interceptions. For his efforts, Mitchell was named second team All-Conference USA.
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Dylan Manuel – DL
Committed January 4th … Manuel is a 6’1″, 300-pound defensive lineman from Stockbridge, Georgia, who comes to CU by way of Appalachian State, and will have three years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Manuel … A member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Manuel was not rated by 247 Sports or Rivals/On3 Sports.
Manuel played as a freshman at Charleston Southern, and was a Phil Steele freshman All-American. He then transferred to Appalachian State. Last season, Manuel recorded 37 tackles, including seven for a loss and three sacks, with 19 pressures and an interception as a third-year sophomore at App State in 2025. He graded out at 73.1 on Pro Football Focus.
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Balansama Kamara – Edge
Committed January 4th … Kamara is a 6’3″, 257-pound edge rusher from Philadelphia, who comes to CU by way of Albany College, with two years to play two … 247 Sports bio …
What others say about Kamara … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Kamara was not rated. As a transfer, 247 Sports has Kamara as a three-star prospect, rated as the No. 59 edge rusher in the Portal, and the No. 583 prospect overall.
Kamara initially played two years at Temple, in 2021-22, then he spent time at Hutchinson Community College, before enrolling at Albany.
While at Albany, Kamara played 927 defensive snaps: 280 in 2024 and 647 in 2025. He graded out as the Great Danes’ best player on either side of the ball, according to Pro Football Focus this past season, at 83.6. He was credited with 38 pressures, nine sacks and 41 tackles. Phil Steele had him as a third-team All-American in the FCS ranks.
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Jaquil Smith – RB
Committed January 4th … Smith is 5’11”, 171-pound running back from Orlando, Florida, who comes to CU by way of Sacramento State, and will have four years to play three … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Smith … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2025, Smith was rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, listed as the No. 70 running back in the nation, the No. 116 player out of the state of Florida, and the No. 945 player in the nation.
Smith rushed for 565 yards and five touchdowns on 91 carries over eight games, an average of 6.7 yards per carry, at Sacramento State as a true freshman. His breakout performance came at Weber State where he had 17 carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Smith was part of the first trio of Hornets to each have 100 rushing yards in a game in the same season. Smith graded out at 81.4 on Pro Football Focus in 2025. He also spent some time as a kickoff returner during his time at Sacramento State.
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Danny Scudero – WR
Committed January 3rd … Scudero is a 5’9″, 174-pound wide receiver from San Jose, California, who comes to CU by way of San Jose State, and will have two years to play two … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Scudero … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Scudero was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals/On3Sports. At 247 Sports, Scudero was listed as the No. 313 wide receiver in the nation, and No. 245 player out of the state of California. As a transfer, Scudero is rated as the No. 39 wide receiver in the Portal, and the No. 163 player overall. at Rivals/On3 Sports, Scudero is considered to be the No. 27 wide receiver in the Portal, and the No. 217 nationally.
Scudero earned second-team All-America honors by four publications – the Associated Press, AFCA, Walter Camp and CBS/247Sports – after hauling in 88 receptions for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns at San Jose State this past season. He was also a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist and a first-team all-Mountain West honoree. He was the fastest to 1,000 yards at San Jose State, doing so in eight games. A San Jose native, Scudero was a two-time first-team all-league selection and two-year captain at Archbishop Mitty High School. He spent the first two years of his college career at Sacramento State, where he ranked third on the team with 53 receptions as a second-year freshman.
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Damien Henderson II – RB
Committed January 3rd … Henderson is a 6’2″, 205-pound running back from Los Alamitos, California, who comes to CU by way of Sacramento State … 247 Sports bio …
What others say about Henderson … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Henderson was rated by 247 Sports as the No. 30 running back in the nation, the No. 36 player overall out of the state of California, and the No. 475 player in the country.
Henderson rushed for 565 yards and five touchdowns on 91 carries this past season at Sacramento State, an average of 6.1 yards per attempt. He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Colorado State, where he appeared in five games and rushed for 91 yards. Henderson reunites with new Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and his Go-Go offense in Boulder.
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Kam Perry – WR
Committed January 3rd … Perry is a 5’9″, 168-pound wide receiver from Marietta, Georgia, coming to CU by way of Miami (Ohio), with two years to play one … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3Sports bio …
What others say about Perry … As a transfer, Perry is considered by Rivals/On3 Sports to be a four-star recruits, while 247 Sports has him as three-star prospect. As a high school prospect from the Recruiting Class of 2022, Perry was listed as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At 247 Sports, Perry was considered to be the No. 207 wide receiver in the country, the No. 140 player out of the state of Georgia, and the No. 1606 prospect nationally. At Rivals/On3Sports, Perry was listed as the No. 241 wide receiver, the No. 156 player out of Georgia, and the No. 1740 player nationally.
Perry initially signed with Indiana, transferring to Miami (Ohio) for the 2024 season. This past season, Perry led the Redhawks with 43 receptions for 976 yards and six touchdowns. Perry was selected as a first-team All-MAC conference wide receiver. Perry’s 78.2 receiving grade in 2025 by Pro Football Focus ranked third among MAC receivers.
Perry averaged 22.7 yards per catch this past season. Nationally, a total of 214 players caught at least 40 passes … Perry was the only one of those to average at least 20 yards per catch.
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Yamil Talib – Edge
Committed January 3rd … Talib is a 6’1″, 235-pound edge rusher from Richardson, Texas, who comes to CU by way of Charlotte University, and will have three years to play three in Boulder … 247 Sports bio …
What others say about Talib … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Talib was not ranked. He originally enrolled at Oklahoma State, but wound up at Charlotte.
Talib recorded 28 tackles, including one-and-a-half sacks, one forced fumble and an interception as a second-year freshman at Charlotte. He had a prior relationship with Brennan Marion, because Marion tried to recruit Talib to Sacramento State last spring. He is the nephew of former Kansas All-American and five-time NFL Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib. Aqib accompanied Yamil on his trip to Boulder on Saturday. Despite racking up more than 100 tackles and earning District 7-6A Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-city honors as a senior at Richardson (Texas) Berkner, Talib was lightly recruited coming out of high school. He initially walked on at Oklahoma State in 2024 and appeared in one game, before transferring to Charlotte.
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Lamont Lester, Jr. – Edge
Committed January 3rd … Lester is a 6’2″, 230-pound edge rusher from Ramsey, New Jersey, who comes to CU by way of Monmouth University, with three years to play three … 247 Sports bio … Rivals/On3 Sports bio …
What others say about Lester … As a member of the Recruiting Class of 2024, Lester was not rated. As a transfer, however, Lester is considered to be a three-star prospect. At 247 Sports, Lester is listed as the No. 38 edge rusher in the Portal, and the No. 353 prospect overall. at Rivals/On3 Sports, Lester is rated the 41 edge rusher in the country, and the No. 364 prospect in the nation.
Lester earned FCS Freshman All-American, first-team all-conference and Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after racking up nine-and-a-half sacks as a redshirt freshman with the Monmouth Hawks. Lester was also the only freshman, on offense or defense, to make the All-CAA first team. Lester tied for 10th in the FCS with his 9.5 sacks this past season – four more than any other freshman at the FCS level.
Wake Forest and Wisconsin were other programs involved with Lester’s transfer recruitment in the hours after he officially entered the portal.
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126 Replies to “Transfer Portal Tracker”
What if Jordan comes back?
Go Buffs
I know mushrooms are legal now but . . . Moderation!
That is funny. Although it’s been quite a while since I had any, shrooms did come up in a conversation with an old buddy and roommate from Boulder, this very morning. Go figure.
Go Buffs
Does anyone know if Marion is going to keep the O line coaches?
No clue. But Deion said repeatedly the offensive line was not the problem last year. I would say he believes what he says. So I wouldn’t expect a change there. But who knows?
But I do think they have done pretty well portaling again.
Go Buffs
Well I’ll be…..
If Deion said it…..it must be true. I have to go and get my eyes checked.
Nothing against the players that have been brought in. The proof will be in their play.
But if prime had brought in all the bar tenders in Boulder and the dog catcher you would be happy as a clam.
I’m just saying Deion calls it like he sees it. What, you suddenly prefer coach speak? Or you don’t like it because he knows players make plays and players win games? Hell, he even threw the “team scheme” a bone going with Marion’s unique go go offense.
Rest up, lil pup. It’s going to be a fun lead up to the fall. Especially with whenever Deion’s first 2026 presser is.
Go Buffs
probably just another desperate attempt to keep some of the O line from bolting.
In reality its a combo of things besides the O line.. Shurmur being a big one. RBs w/o a lot of cut ability. No I dont like much coach speak. They spout as much proaganda as politicians. Kinda like you. Witness the laser focused Cignetti who says little but does show a sense of humor occasionaly.
Thankfully Shurmur has been replaced, and I’m liking the new OC.
But wait, there’s more! Seems like Cody Campbell’s plan may be gaining momentum. Hopefully.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47632440/college-football-needs-serious-reforms
Go Buffs
“An accomplished wrestler, Kinney turned down the opportunity to play football and wrestle at Penn State in order to transfer to CU.”
Sounds like a really good transfer, two years of playing time and wanted at schools like Penn.
Keep growing this class with players with playing time that are wanted by other P4 schools and Prime just might undo last year’s mistakes. Go Buff.
I’m sure most of us junkies have seen this already, but it’s a good read: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47624150/2026-college-football-transfer-portal-trends-prices-qbs
I still think there’s a lot of dumb money out there chasing ghosts, but? As the say about the stock market, it can continue to act irrationally for longer than you have money. Or something like that.
Go Buffs
Regarding today’s poll, it’s probably/hopefully a net gain; especially if the locker room, teamwork improves as a whole. Add in the coaching changes and we’ll see. But I wonder about the top 5 or 6 that left, hell based on where they signed it looks like the Buffs lost 10 to big P4 programs. It would have been nice to keep a few of the starters that left.
The new group signed looks like a solid group as a whole and if the new OC and other coaches can bring them together better than last year, those close losses at the beginning of the season may have a different out come… Something to build on, let’s hope Prime’s health and the new college coaches v the yellow jackets can build a team around the new players.
I have not done a position by position comparison of outgoing to incoming players, but it almost feels like Deion has actually traded up in talent, experience and performance in many, if not most position groups. We’ll find out!
Go Buffs
That would be interesting to see. Especially in the lines. It seems like we retained most of our OL?
I think we need a quality running back too
Agreed. Ro sham bo. I win! Your job.
I do think they got two good rb’s. From sac state. Who know the go go system. I forget who stayed, at this point, but hopefully they step up, too.
Go go Buffs
Most of you have probably alteady seen this. Sounds like he was doing real well before the injury
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47610252/jaguars-plan-travis-hunter-being-two-way-player-2026
Don’t look now, but apparently Ohio State has 29 departures in the portal. Golly. I guess the sky is falling on every team? Or, this is just how it’s going to be in the brave new world of professional student athletes of football.
Go Buffs
Good grief do even think before you throw out your generic comments?
The sky isnt falling at Ohio State. In fact its the exact opposite. They are contunually bringing in some of the best recruits and transfers in the land. Thats called up grading even from their previous lofty position. The pressure is on big time for them to do that because missing the NC was unacceptable. Go ahead and remind us how much they spend on their program. Most of their 29 departees probably either saw saw the writing on the wall or were asked to leave
I think Eric was being sarcastic. But I do enjoy the banter you two.
I already like this Hughley kid…..if you can call a guy 6’7″ a kid. At that height 295 lbs is light if you want to compare it the other 320 plus pounders. I am hoping that weight means he can move faster than most of the other barges meaning better pulling , trapping and moving to the second level.
uh coach
dont quit now with the O linemen. You need more if even to give that army of D linemen enough reps in practice. You also dont want the QB’s drawing straws to see who HAS TO start
Here is my question: does college football want to grow the game or narrow it with increasing parochialism?
To me, the answer is obvious.
Look at the nfl and nba, and hell, even the fcs or ncaa basketball playoffs.
Can the overlords realize that spreading the wealth is a good thing? Grow the pie? A smaller piece of a bigger pie, is still better?
I sure hope so.
Go Buffs
Problem (well, one of them) is that there are no overlords. Nobody in charge.
The new transfers might look on good on paper/tape but team building and coaching will be extremely important from the HC who stated “I’m not welcoming to that word, culture,” Sanders said, “That’s all I heard when I was in Jackson. Culture, culture, culture, culture, culture. Now culture, culture. What the heck does that mean? I don’t think you got to have unity whatsoever. You got to have good players.” The lack of culture led to the disaster that was 2025
I hust read an article on ESPN covering the top 10 teams with inciming portl players
2 things stood out to me
Ol Miss took Oatis in. If he cathces fire there what does that say about Buff coaching? Is Sap a sap?
18 players from Iowa State followed Campbell to Penn State. I dunno how that’s gonna work out
Oatis didn’t develop at Alabama – what does that say about Alabama coaching?
CU had about the same number of players leave last season (33). Two of them – Nikhai Hill-Green (Alabama) and Colton Hood (Tennessee) had great seasons. Otherwise? Not seeing a whole lot. Only a third (12) went to Power Four schools (about the same percentage as the 2025 group). Eight didn’t even sign on with another team. If ten percent of the players leaving this year are successful elsewhere, does that mean CU coaches failed … or were right about the other 90%?
then you could say the Ol Miss coaches failed
You have already posted my drivel about the other 90 percent. No doubt many of them deserved to ride the bench but then the coaches failed when they brought em in.
I have doubts about Prime’s strategy and would like other’s feedback. Seems to me if you take lower level guys who played better, then they will leave CU after a year for another step up. We will be like CSU, a stepping stone school rather than a destination for most of these guys. Really Hurt to see Stoutmire leave after 3 years. He was a legacy kid and a good if not great player so far. If he is leaving will we ever have any stability? Can Prime really produce a top team if they are always leaving once they get good? Utah didn’t get good running it that way in the past. Not sure how it will work for them now. I am concerned not for next year, but for continuing years under this strategy. Remember when Prime first came he said he needed to clean house to bring in better players, who would build the program up to the highest level. Is this new approach gonna accomplish that, and where is the magic of kids saying they want to play for Prime and his gold jacket friends along the sidelines? Don’t hear talk like that anymore. It just seems like CU is a bigger/better school they are transferring to, not to stay at CU or Prime.
Hope I’m wrong, SKO Buffs and beat Tech tonight in BB!
How about that game last night?
The high price guys at tech couldnt do it but the low price guys at UI just buried Oregon. That Indiana team will go down in history right along with the hick from French Lick and Knight….even if they stumble in the final game. If you are going to bet on that stumble I wouldn’t bet anymore than you can afford to lose.
A few of those kids on Indiana might get drafted and probably never would have happened if Cignetti hadn’t found them and brought them away from their previous teams. Might be a WR or 2. Last night you couldn’t used a restraining order to take the ball away from them in a contested catch.
We can onlyhope there is a little Cignetti in Marion
The cignetti and Indiana story is fascinating. He is clearly an astute talent evaluator. I also read that a huge chunk of their roster is 3-5 year players. Lots of experience, even if at lower tier schools before iu.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47542203/college-football-playoff-indiana-hoosiers-curt-cignetti-scouting-recruiting
It really is pretty similar to the 2024 Buffs.
2025 was an unfortunate miss. But even so, they had their chances to win a bunch of key games that would’ve flipped the script on this off season.
And not to jinx things, with a week of portaling to go, but what does keeping core guys like Jordan and juju, among many others, say?
Go Buffs
Personally I would rather see group of 5 or FCS transfer who has played a lot and looking to show their skills/dedication at the next level, then a guy that couldn’t start at a Power 4 and has sour grapes about it. It really is about how much football you have played (e..g. Manning at Texas)
Utah QB Isaac Wilson, is a “great get”! And CU needed the depth in the QB room.
So far this year’s haul has been more players with playing time vs rated players from big programs who were sitting.. We now know that if their sitting/injured at a bigger program that their not necessarily going to pan out.
I’m hopeful that we’ll see a team that plays well together next year.
Little brother was basically a failure at Utah.I watched him play 2 games. It appeared to me he had the jitters or a lack if confidence. He probably does have enough talent to be a temporary backup. Marion may be able to help him improve.
White’s “grade out” stats dont seem to forecast any improvement on the O line.
I saw the same, that’s why I wrote added depth, who knows what can happen in a few years in a system. But CU needed depth and that leaves room for a HS QB to be added too.
In this new world of paying players and “salary cap” It’s been a learning process for all the coaches. Add in how it seems to be changing every season, i.e. the new portal window and last season I think we all thought Prime was doing well bring in a bunch of 4 stars with some 5 stars too.
The only problem was they were guys with no real playing time or stats; CU has had a few HS recruits that were 5 stars that just didn’t live up to their rating. This season I’m seeing new approach with prime going for players with actual playing time; I’d rather that then a 4 star that didn’t pan out at their last stop.
Watch Chev interview wit Brian, he’s doing it right.
I had a very different take on chev’s interview with Brian. That said, I do hope he gets a chance to run a d1 program. Just not in Boulder. At least not for a while.
Go Buffs
Chev is taking good players from his division’s level and lower along with JC guys, but with playing time and stats; he’s not worry about stars on a players who have been sitting behind someone else. And then he’s coaching them up. He’s laying out his expectations to his coaches to coach up their room, and if they can’t do that their gone. It takes time to learn how to coach, his words.
Prime tried to bring in a bunch of “yellow jackets” instead experienced college coaches… And we all thought it would work too.
Chev’s turning around programs within a couple of years and is developing players for year three and four. That last part is the problem, it’s probably easier at the lower level to retain players on a winning team since the big monies haven’t come calling yet. But for 60 or so schools in the P4 and FBS it’s too easy for a TT, OSU or Texas A&M to swoop in with more money and steal your players.
After Prime’s winning season, CU only lost two starters to bigger schools, but there was just too many holes to fill with graduations and the NFL draft… And he bet on the wrong replacements.
Look at the top FCS programs, they hold their own against average FBS schools and those players probably enjoy being the big fish in the small pound vs sitting on a losing team a level up.
I like Chev, and wish him well. But that interview sounded to me like a bit of sour grapes, a lot of self aggrandizing, and some shade. As to managing expectations with assistants? I’d say Deion’s doing that pretty well, and making changes when things aren’t working. For worrying about star ratings? I don’t think any coach does that. They look for kids who can play, that fit their program and are receptive to what they’re selling. Like any leadership role. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. Obviously, you try to hit more than miss.
I still think had CU had a QB in 2025, they’re easily a 7 to 9 win team. And, that’s not all on Salter. He didn’t work out for a bunch of reasons. But, you can go watch the early games against TCU, BYU and Georgia Tech, and those were there for the taking. Wide open plays that were just missed. Get those games, and this off season is an entirely different conversation.
Ultimately, everyone’s favorite guy, Cignetti, did exactly the same thing as Deion. He just did much better in the follow-up. Paying $2mill for a guy who ended up winning the Heisman doesn’t hurt. They also didn’t miss on many guys, whereas our Buffs did on the 2025 team. And, keep in mind, a lot of that IU team came from JMU, and are now aging out (some will go pro). Can Cig do it again? We’ll see! I did read that Cuban stepped up his support significantly. I believe his quote was something like “Cig will be much happier this year, than last”. If Hoover works out for them, there may not be much of a drop off. But I don’t think CU has the $5mill-ish to get that type of guy. Maybe they have one in Julian already?
But more importantly, we’ll see what Deion and Co put together. There are a lot of good football players around that get overlooked for a ton of various reasons. Look no further than Trinidad Chambliss. The player personnel and evaluation piece, both of the physical but at least as importantly, the psychological composition are more important than ever, given the fluidity within the system now. I trust Deion to get it right more often than not. And, possibly, Rispress was part of their initial secret sauce? I don’t know. But I believe Deion does.
Go Buffs
give it up earache
Cignetti is a hell of a coach and I seriously doubt if anyone believes your sour grapes. Your wonderful band of mercenaries at tech flopped at clutch time and were paid much more than the Indiana team.For you to whine about other people’s money is the height of hypocrisy. You must not have watched last night as the IU D set the tone for the win. the Heisman winner was the icing on the cake. And funny no one at the top tier of coaches with the same money to spend either didnt sign him or wasnt going to try.
I’m so bummed, the Prime experiment is over and it failed. Yes, we got a full stadium and TV exposure for a short while, but that sugar high is fading fast. As much as I hate to admit it, Lanning was right when he said we were going for Clicks not Wins. Prime’s image was supposed to get top flight guys to come here and want to play for HIM. I don’t see 5* kids flipping and signing with Prime like they did before NIL evened the recruiting field. In fact, they are leaving HIM to play for $$$$, so remind me WTF we are paying $10 million a year for and all those extra staffers? There is no Louis Luggage coming with this group. As I posted before we could have signed a good coach like CSU got for $2m/yr. That would leave $8m to spread over 16 portal players or 8 new OFF and 8 new Def players for half a Million each. Wouldn’t we be better off with that amount of talent. And remember that $8m more above what we already spend on NIL just by saving on Prime’s contract. So is he really worth it once the publicity stunt hire is over with and Shedeur and Hunter left?
I wish it weren’t so, but have to call it straight….
Go Buffs
Lol signed a good coach like CSU? You’re delusional. Pass whatever you’re smoking. Go ahead and jump off the bandwagon. Fairweather fans are lame. Giving up like this? Weak.! Don’t let the door hit ya, buddy!
Jim Mora is a good foot ball coach. He applied at CU a while back and we considered him for the job. Him plus an extra 8 million a year, that deserves serious consideration. Jumping off the CU bandwagon? You are defending a 10M/year coach who just went 3/9 after a very good year. Got lucky in some games (doesn’t every team) with two superstars last year and hasn’t delivered any more of those star recruits despite the salary, which other power 4 star coaches did. Our hot shot Def back had a real step back this past year, def line dropped way down on sacks, running game not really improved, disappointment was on and on. Where was the improvement from our superstar head coach, and his assistants? Shouldn’t there have been some areas really rocking by now? Remember he keeps replacing the coaches he hired, Mac didn’t do that, its not normal. Maybe 1 failed assistant coach a year might be reasonable. CU showed a poor offense and a poor defense, that’s not all on the assistant coaches, that springs from top leadership. Prime didn’t just mis on 1 QB, there was a whole team that didn’t pan out. Also you should read the article about the kids Prime ran off when he first got here and how they did at other schools, before you say good judgement was shown. Is it me who isn’t being realistic or all you people who drank the Prime Kool-Aid and are in denial about how the program is really doing going into his 4th year. Certainly not the way I had hoped for CU to be executing. I didn’t see talent being developed and if the kids love him so much why are so many good ones leaving? Didn’t he instill loyalty in them?
That had me laughing, a “good coach like CSU”, has to be talking about another CSU….
Sounds like the portal/NIL maybe coming to a boil. ESPN is reported that Demond Williams, jr. signed a contract to return to Washington (UW) and days later reneged. Its also rumored his UW offer was high market but apparently not enough. UW says they will use all legal avenues to fight it. After all the lawyers are paid it sounds like it may not be worth it for Williams unless the 2nd offer was like Cooper Flagg’s deal. I also read where Duke paid Flagg 28 million for his one year there and his NBA salary will take 2 years to match that. Hooo weee.
I got a good score on the LSAT (the toughest test I ever took) but before I pulled the trigger on law school I got an offer to enter a business that I worked for almost 50 years. For a moment I thought about what could have been if I became an attorney because it was a given I would have specialized in sports. I’m happy though. I live exactly where I want to live and barring any disaster I will be comfortable for the remainder of my retirement. (knocking on wood). Bottom line is I see a lot more things being wrecked in this country besides college football with the unquenchable pursuit of mo money.
This is so depressing
I spent all of last spring and summer touting Alabama DT transfer Jaheim Oatis – the top rated defensive lineman transfer in the country!!
How did that work out? Not so good.
The 2026 plan is taking shape – get guys who have played; guys who have performed at an all-conference level; guys who were team captains.
The strategy may work out. It may not. If it doesn’t, then the next guy can figure out how to land a boatload of P4 star transfers – with even less money to pay for them.
Stuart, watching Indiana smoke Alabama, the announcers kept talking about how the Indiana players were the unwanted – too small etc. They also talked about Cignetti being a good evaluator of talent. The net sum, good, proven players from smaller schools may not necessarily be worse than the 4 star guys. Think Cam Skattebo – a Sacramento State guy that transferred to Arizona State. Pretty darn good player, both in College and Pro (soo far). I’m hoping that they get some good players that fit that mold.
The quality of the player does not seem to be an issue. The coaching staff is what really needed an overhaul. How can so many players be so bad? They were not and are not. Now comes the repeat with an FCS team. What depresses me most is the financial aspect. Where is all of the dough in Billionaire Boulder? I love the Dieon Sanders hire and will be the first to admit that he just ran into the same wall that every coach since slick Rick has run into. How about them Hoosiers? Indiana? Really? If Colorado comes even close to the CFP I will eat crow. For now, however, I feel like Nostradamus. ; P
The math is simple:
Coach Prime + billionaire donor = CFP
Coach Prime on a mid-level budget = No CFP
Next coach on a mid-level budget = No relevance
I have a suggestion for this page. Remove the list of those exiting as t is a distraction from the new guys. My personal opinion is those leaving are dead to me in a football sense and I don’t care where they go or how they play. Just one man’s opinion
I agree that the incoming are better listed atop the page. I still am interested in where the outgoing land.
Go Buffs
I’m sure Livingston is feeling a little better now but I’m sure he would like a few more LBs. What about Marion and whoever is left coaching the O line?
15 down … 25 to go.
Patience, grasshopper.
Only four schools currently have more transfer commits … and all four of them have new coaches who are bringing in a busload of players from their former schools.
Four players that we would love to keep were picked up by programs the have more money and a winning record; two going to the same school. I gotta believe those guys already knew where they were going or had multiple offers before they entered the portal… AGENTS!
Wanting to be on a winning team and getting paid is not a hard sell.
Today’s list of new players are more like what Chev is doing at his program, don’t go after 4 stars sitting on a bench, but rather guys who are producing at a lower level. two years ago Prime brought in some quality players that had production at their previous school (Jimmy Horn and etc) from lesser conferences or producers from a team that just didn’t have enough of them to compete.
This new list at least has some players who bring stats with them. Get a couple of “big gets” like he’s done every year and coach them all up.
Chev mentioned that good coaching is learned, not an automatic just because you were successful in the NFL. With the current hires and maybe a few changes, CU could be better off than with a yellow jacket with no coaching experience, live and learn from one’s mistakes.
I’m hopeful that Prime lands a few of those players he hosted this weekend and a few surprises; I guess we’ll see.
PS
Don’t we need some lonebackers too?
Yeah…..I know…….its still early
As Stuart said the guys who are in now shouldn’t be expecting much NIL.
I checked the cubuffs.com roster and it looks like the Oline has experienced as big a drain as the D line through expiring eligibility. Its down to Seaton and the 5 dwarfs, 3 of which were freshmen last year. If there is any NIL money left over to give this is where it needs to go for portal players.
If we dont get at least 5 guys with some cred would Lewis dive in to the portal at the last minute?
Yeah, once again its ear;y, but right now if things keep going as they are the Buffs would have 2 options.
Go D2 or try and smash Cignetti’s record of doing more with less.
We are going to have a solid FCS Team! Make no mistake. The recruiting rankings on these kids reminds me of the Macintyre and Dorrel years.
That’s what I was thinking, we probably at best would be 8-4 and an early round exit in the FCS playoffs.
I remember the years competing with San Jose St for players, while getting thumped by Sacramento St. The good thing-we have experince in this feeling, so it’s not something new. But like pain and anguish, its not something I want to relive.
Sac State, San Jose St, Albany, Monmouth, App State, Charlotte. Is this a joke?
Unless your multi-million check to the athletic department has yet to be received, this is the path CU is going to take. While this is only the first batch of recruits (Texas four-stars DeAndre Moore and CJ Baxter are visiting Monday), the pattern already appears clear: Bring in players with actual playing experience. Last season, the path was to take five-star recruits from Power Four schools who were languishing on the bench, and that worked out terribly.
There is another option. You could try not losing half to two thirds your roster every year. Maybe keep a few of your good players. Could maybe have a recruiting class bigger than 15 guys. Look at the top 25. How many average high school recruits did they have? How many transfers did they lose (excluding coaches who left). This is a choice. And it’s a poor one. They are getting worse. Power 4 experience matters.
I get the frustration but we spent a ton of money supposedly on Oatis last year and got exactly 0 from him. So they are hunting players from the lower levels with proven production. Byard came from a lower level and balled out, Hughes came from a lower level and flailed. Talent evaluation and depth is going to be key. If Byard got what he wanted it was close to a million dollars this year if the rumors are right. We cannot spend 1/20th of our total budget on a safety. For a million we can get like 3 safeties with proven production at a lower level and let one of them rise to the top.
I am more worried about the d line and linebacker though. But I would take the entire d line and linebackers from North Dakota 2 years ago than out d line and lb from last year. There are real kids playing at that level on good teams. I worry when we take the best kid from a bad team who is young, but a proven producer at a powerhouse d2 or FCS teams can play at our level and will have good coaching behind them. Maybe think of it as a minor league for guys that needed to develop out of high school.
CU has a higher probability of success taking a chance on guys like these than praying some unknown deep pocket donor to all of a sudden appears out of nowhere to pay high star players who might still not pan out. You play the cards you’re dealt.
It’s not the cards. It’s how they are being played. You don’t pay a coach 10 mil a year to get 15 HS recruits and poach guys from Monmouth. You just don’t. Perhaps that money could be better spent.
Tatonka Thunder & Mike Reeves, I could not have said it better myself. We now have 12 commits, ZERO from the power 4!
Looks to me like Deion and co are going back to focusing on studs from lower level schools vs backups from bigger programs. Makes sense to me. We’ll see how it turns out.
Go Buffs
Not surprised the first portal guy in here is a WR. Next one will probably be a D back. Is this going to be a ground hog day portal for the Buffs? Dont get me wrong. These “skill” players ususally turn out alright as opposed to what seems like the token linemen tht finally come in.
First signing looks good. Saw some film and looked very fast with some very good routes.
The Buffs were 3 and 9. Let them go. Total bots! They want the bag, nobody cares about anything else. Sorry, it is about money and tight ass CU alum don’t give back. That’s it. The game is ruined. It’s not even a game, it’s a joke now. The entire tradition is dying. So over college ball.
” It’s not even a game,”
got that right….its very big business. We might as well be rooting for Liberty Mutual vs Allstate in their competition which we probably see more on TV than anything else and wont do any of us any good
WTF???? How can Prime be losing all these good kids? We need some of them for stability, and if he can bring in a better one (not so sure about that anymore) it is nice to have some backups. He and CU should have been great selling points, but the better kids, not the worst are leaving. They all can’t be getting top dollar so this doesn’t make sense. Do the kids not like the coaching staff, all I read was how great they were and super motivators. Wish I had seen that all season long…
Oh well, Go Buffs and let’s see what the portal brings, but I’m not holding my breath for a top notch haul, though I’d really like one.
Maybe jmu and Tulane belonged as much as anyone else, after all? Geez, I hope the next game is more entertaining.
At least the good news is, there’s some new teams infused into the semis.
As to McKinney and other late portal announcements? Maybe there were negotiations that met their end? Who knows?
Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Go Buffs
WOW
the CFP is turning out spectacularly. 3 of the biggest spenders couldn’t win their first game. Buckeyes got it shoved in their eye and Cody Campbell couldn’t even score. Maybe he should go back to buying oil leases with other people’s money. Not even to mention the raping of the corn.
It almost gives one a sliver of hope for ocllege football
um
not really
Until Oregon – which has been trying to buy a title for 30 years – is eliminated, the season is still a bust.
Stuart, do you honestly believe all these players are leaving because they are going to get paid more elsewhere? Or, as other prominent CU alum are saying, the players are trying to make a statement about the staff and too many coaches are still missing it? Or a combination of both reasons?
I would say it’s a combination. There are over 3,000 players in the Transfer Portal – they all believe that they are worth more than what their current school is willing to pay.
I keep my sanity by remembering back in the spring of 2022, when I did player interviews for the podcast. To a man, they all thought they were going to the NFL … and these were players who played for the worst team in Colorado football history … and none of they were drafted.
That being said, in Year Four of the Coach Prime era, retention should be an easier goal to achieve. Not that there aren’t going to be defections (last season Ohio State won the national championship, and was a one of the favorites heading into this season, and yet 15 players still left the team), but CU should be able to target and retain its top players. Losing players like London Merritt and Alexander McPherson shouldn’t happen, period.
So, long answer to a short question, but I’m going with a combination of factors. Hopefully, starting tomorrow, the pendulum will start to swing in the other direction …
Actually there are 2 kinds of players in the portal. Those who are looking for a bigger payday or a simply just a payday and those who are just looking for some PT. There will be some overlap of course.
If Lewis does pull the portal trigger we will be left with 2 walk ons. Even so I would imagine Sanders would have to find the most serviceable back up if Lewis does stay put. I’m waiting to see what happens there.
Given Sanders record bring in players from the portal, maybe he should try one of the walkons. They might surprise.
On any roster there has to be a few players who aren’t the best practice players on the team that go en fuego when they are in a game situation where it means everything.
In CFB right now you are either a hunter or the hunted in the days to NIL. They’re probably about 20 hunters out there and unfortunately CU is being hunted.
I think there are 20 or so teams with real money way above 20mm and a bunch of teams with around what we have arounfd 20 mm. These kids have all of these agents who have never done this before, the contracts are all new and no oversight. No official discussions can happen yet so all of these are below the table and I really bet a lot of kids agents are getting one story, then blowing up the potential for their clients and I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of surprises and more kids not getting a power 4 opportunity.
Merry new year!
Sounds like Landon gonna get paid. Elsewhere. My two bits end of year charitable donation, not going to help on that front. Oh well. It all adds up. So we lost five guys we’d probably have liked to keep? Could be worse. Hopefully doesn’t get much worse. Before it gets better.
Go Buffs
I really wonder if he is going to be paid. In today’s environment there are going to be a lot of choices and a true sophmore that has a little production on a bad defense. I think these kids are being sold a bill of goods.
There’s definitely some of that. Thinking you’ll get paid or find a better opportunity is different than actually getting one. And if uncle Joe or aunt gene is your agent, you might not be getting a fair shake. As Nico may have learned.
Go Buffs
I wonder what is more common? A kid missing on the opportunity, whether playing time, nor winning or more $, or a staff missing on their evaluation, paying someone they shouldn’t have? They gotta be tracking that internally, and across the league, right?
Go Buffs
Good luck Ryan. Thanks for your efforts and enthusiasm here.
Well, the names are *getting* super depressing. We’re about one name (out of two players, you know who) from this becoming an absolute dumpster fire.
Miami game super thrilling. Google says this about broncos roster: https://www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi/news/stability-broncos-carry-over-39-players-2025-roster
That writer said sign of stability. Another from broncos wire said they had six key free agent losses, and another 8 lesser departures. So roughly 25%. And that is categorized as low. Does anyone care?
Go Buffs
OK, but 54 leaving out of 85 (And I seem to remember that we didn’t even have the full 85) is 63.5% And I suspect we’ll lose a few more guys before the transfer portal opens, then closes.
Are we at 54? I think that includes kids out of eligibility (most of whom aren’t moving up a level). So those are planned, accounted for, and planned to be replaced. By whom? Bigger question. But we will find out soon enough.
Go Buffs
Yes, includes those out of eligibility. Point is we’re looking at almost an entirely new team for next year. Kind of hard to maintain continuity (and interest). Maybe I’ll feel differently once we bring in 60-70 studs?
Apparently Dre’Lon’s out. That’s a bummer. Oh well. People have choices.
I’m curious to see where everyone lands, and who ends up coming to Boulder.
Go Buffs
Losing BDS is a big punch. Isn’t anyone locking up our good players to keep them here? Like pro-actively giving them pay for play $$ increases? Instead of waiting until its too late to try and match other offers?
They may have line item values. Look, this is what we can do. You want more? Good luck and go get em. Pretty sure that is how nfl free agency works.
Go Buffs
Sky is falling on Sonny and tcu too. Hoover portaling. One or the top qb’s on the market. Get it while ya can, I guess?
As to how do you support your team in these trying times when the kids are no longer indentured servants (getting paid under the table)? Ask any NFL or NBA fan. Their teams change rosters all the time. Fans seem to stick by their team, though.
Go Buffs
Hold on a minute. NFL and NBA players leave after a contract has expired. The problem is the NCAA has allowed this open system to happen due to ignoring it. The only solution is to make players employees and collectively bargain so that the sport can be stabilized. Indentured servant is a silly thing to say. No one forces these players to play college sports.
I totally agree on the contract piece. Binding. Both directions. Unions. Collective bargaining. Salary caps. Real revenue sharing across the entire enterprise (all of college football and basketball). There’s a lot to refine from the current state of play. Gotta go full pro model, really. And that can still include the educational component (even though we know we’re kinda kidding ourselves on that piece too).
My point about the NFL and NBA was merely responding to the “how do I root for my team anymore with constant roster churn” that seems to bother people w/ the newly transient nature of college athletics. Yet doesn’t seem to be an issue for the fans of their respective pro teams.
Go Buffs
I think it’s the amount of the turnover that’s so distressing/off-putting. Not sure how much turnover there was in the Broncos roster last year, but pretty sure it wasn’t anything like this. Here’s a list of the number of transfers for each Big 12 team, so far. Plus we’re losing what about 38 guys who have exhausted their eligibility? And we’re not done yet. I’d be fine if we were in the bottom half of this list, like BYU, Utah, etc, but we aren’t. At this rate we’re on track to have almost a completely new team next year.
OKS 33
WVU 19
CU 16
KSU 16
KU 13
Baylor 11
UCF 8
ISU 7
Arizona 6
ASU 6
Cincy 5
Utah 4
BYU 3
Houston 2
TCU 1
TTU 1
Fair enough. But one thing that sticks out from that list is that the volume of departures seems correlated with each team’s success. Or lack thereof.
As to the nfl, I don’t pay that much, if any, attention to roster churn. But I have heard Deion say something like 30% of an nfl roster turns over every year. Often including some star players. I doubt he’s wrong.
Go Buffs
I guess the sky must be falling on Eli drinkwitz and mizzou, too. Since apparently their starting qb is transferring.
I wonder if any other teams are losing projected starters.
Go Buffs
Wow. CU is losing all these four star recruits. That’s the downside. The upside? We actually have some former four star rated kids to lose. I’m with 83 and others. Gotta stay patient and see what the portal giveth, after the portal taketh. I still think Deion and Co have a solid core that’s sticking around that they’re building around. But, there’s no doubt some will find a bigger bag elsewhere. We’ll see how it all plays out.
Go Buffs
What happened to players wanting to stay because of all the yellow jackets in the room? With BDS leaving, a young player with basically a starting role waiting in front of him, I honestly don’t have a clue as to why ANYONE would stay…anywhere…anymore. This is insane. How in #@%& are we supposed to support a team when we don’t really have any continuity from year to year?
I still believe players will stay if they feel they are being developed and that is where CP needs to step his game WAY up, or hire assistant coaches who can. You don’t see these kind of defections from starters on teams like BYU, Utah, or now Arizona. CU coaches need to develop a team identity and a commitment to something bigger than CP or themselves…like The University of Colorado!
In the meantime, the Billionaire Boys Club aka the NCAA, is moving closer to extinction as the circle of “have’s” narrows and, like major league baseball, only a very small handful of teams get to play while others must be farm teams who get pilveraged each year. Goodbye, College Football!
We have to wait for it all to play out. We have a new OC so let’s see what happens with the whole process. I won’t panic unless Seaton or Lewis hit the portal. I assume they are both staying put. WR is a strength and the QB can make them look better than they are. The o line will stay intact as long as Seaton stays.
Livingston needs to get his own and the D’s feces coagulated
CU is a great school, but no wealthy boosters that care enough about football to step up like the top 25 programs. No rich oil barons, tech guys or billion dollar shoe companies that want to see CU succeed.
Now players are using CU as a stepping stone to get paid elsewhere… And there’s nothing we can do about it.
Just hoping Sanders can back off his ego a bit and trust in the new OC (and DC too) to do their jobs. In state recruitment must improve significantly, especially o-line. Defense is a mess right now, can’t whiff on portal guys.
A sinking ship. When the Buffs go 2-9 next year, I wonder what assistant coaches will be blamed. Maybe a whole new excuse.
“Pardon, your slip is showing” … 2-9? FBS schools have been playing 12 game regular seasons for over 20 years …
Gosh. You are right. 2-10. Point lost. I’ve been a Colorado fan for 40 years. There is literally no discernible evidence the program is in right direction. Quite the opposite actually. But the clicks are off the charts.
I’m sorry. 2-10. Things are looking up for the program. Clearly. Just for the file, go ahead and specify the evidence of that.
Go back to Cornholers State you troll
So you think things are going well. That’s an opinion. Ok.
O-Marion must be afraid Marion will make him block if he wants to play. Byard is a bit of a gut punch. As some other posters have noted, it’s getting harder to care about College football. The Broncos are a lot more fun to follow.
Both of those guys must have gotten some nice offers, can’t blame them for leaving.
Agree, tampering and monies offered through agents, make picking off these players without direct contact from the team paying them more common.
Where and how Much are these nice offers?
I have to admit. I have portal/transfer/NIL fatigue. Not as much fun talking about raising gazillion’s of dollars and not talking about football strategy and players we know because they are here 5 years. I find myself more entertained by the Broncos.
So the question is…….is Texas Tech now a blue blood in football in the age of NIL with their billionaire backer?
Tbd. And that is the beauty of it, right?
Same with Indiana. Or uva. Or others.
Will cignetti win without an nfl qb?
Will Texas tech spend $50mill or whatever but whiff on guys?
Is there a bootstrap winner on a meager budget?
Still fun.
Go Buffs
There are no CFP teams that don’t have a billionaire backer (or a combination of backers) Indiana has Mark Cuban, Oregon has Knight….etc. Indiana appears to have the best talent evaluation and money spent, that is the single thing most important that will win a championship these days, but without a backer you’re not in the game, (well unless you’re a group of 5 entrant which is more charity then anything else, they may be invited but will be the first to leave).
You are sick. You must pick your friends by the money they have. A faux football fan gold digger. College football is now the victim of unchecked corruption and you think it s fun. Your claim to be a Buff fan has been only to weasel in here for needed attention. Your name dropping and profession go right along with that.
Ok, old angry man yelling at clouds. You can live in the past, and gripe about the present and future over things which you have no control, or you can find the silver linings.
You don’t think college football and basketball have basically always been corrupt (certainly since the 1950s)? I got a bridge in Durango to sell you. Now it’s at least just much more visible.
And for our Buffs? 2024 wouldn’t have happened without NIL and the portal. 2016 was fun. But you didn’t like that coach either. Yet, looking at the Buffs still in the NFL, they’re either from that team, that coach, or 2024’s with Deion (oh yeah, that’s right, the 2016 team wasn’t MacIntyre’s it was Leavitt’s. Sure. Right.)
In terms of now? I still think college football is fun. This playoff at least has some underdogs to root for. And, yes, it will be interesting to see who can retain their grip on success, and what other upstarts can join the party. There’s more talent dispersion and parity in the game now than there has been in at least two decades. But yeah, forget about all that. This ain’t the game with leather helmets you once loved so dearly.
Go Buffs
so no denial…..you ain’t a Buff fan….only money
did a quick check if the portal for O linemen and QBs. Will Sanders, I mean Marion, pick up another QB? or rely on Allen and Ponder (walk ons?) for a third option.Speaking of options, that being part of Marions O, that may happen to be another dual threat guy. So far, and its extremely early its slim pickins with only a few low 3 star QBs and one 4 star from Boston College. One interesting individual is the late not so great 3 name QB from Fort Fun. He isn’t a runner and he wouldn’t be a back up there so I’m sure he is out.
O line,em are just as thin right now and will continue to be as any good ones will be scooped up almost instantly. Their are a couple of high 3 stars but they are from U Conn so once again we are talking about fort fun.
I have too much time on my hands. Time to head outdoors
There is only one transfer window this year. Jan 2-16. No spring window. Linebacker was a huge weakness and is likely traceable to Hart. Hope he is in the chopping block.
You have to wonder about Walker. I think he came in as a four star and with the weak LB situation its curious never got into a game aside from special teams. Was he a bust or was he one of those guys who will put in a credible effort on his new team.
I just feel thankful that a bunch of players do not already have the “intend to enter portal” tags. Viewing On3, a bunch of decent P-4 teams already have a some guys doing this without coaching changes. It could be a trend for players to wait later. I know more CU guys will enter the portal, however I think it at least this shows that players are willing to go through post-season evals with enough loyalty to listen to Prime/their teammates and whatever staff remains. We won 3 games and it is not yet a mass exodus. Agree with you on Hart, it is a priority that we obtain excellent LB coach, as well as other coaches during the staff shake up.
I did not count Gardenhire, Wilson or Carpenter as they were not really on the team. For whatever reason, some Frosh will just not work out. It happens on every team. There is a ton of maturing for these young men.
I do hope we get a few more late commits/flips. Generally, I am impressed with the patience of certain HS recruits who wait because they want to see how the depth chart/coaching staff is shaking out ensuring that they are signing for the right reasons. Most do sign early though.