In what is becoming a tradition under Deion Sanders through his young stint as Colorado coach, the Buffaloes have endured a busy week in the spring transfer portal. There’s a full-on carousel spinning in Boulder, Colorado with several notable players leaving the program and some of the top names in the portal committing to the Buffs.
On April 16 — the first day of the spring window — 14 Colorado players entered their names into the portal. That included Cormani McClain, former five-star prospect and 247Sports’ No. 1 ranked cornerback in 2023. McClain represented Sanders’ first major recruiting coup at Colorado in 2023. While McClain wasn’t a major contributor last year for the Buffs, his departure would have a negative impact on the optics of the program moving forward.
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This news comes on the back of a major loss in starting offensive lineman Savion Washington. The 6-foot-8 standout started 10 games at right tackle for the Buffaloes last season and played well despite some struggles elsewhere in the offensive trenches. With Washington hitting the portal, Colorado now has to replace all five of its starting offensive linemen and 114 combined starts from last season’s unit.
But it hasn’t been all bad news. Colorado had a loaded slate of visits this past weekend, and the staff has already parlayed a few of those into impactful commitments. Former Ohio defensive lineman Rayyan Buell and Pittsburgh edge rusher Dayon Hayes immediately improve Colorado’s profile on the line of scrimmage, while ex-Texas offensive lineman Payton Kirkland provides much-needed depth at a position of great need.
LIVE transfer portal updates: Follow along with latest news and analysis as the 2024 spring window opens
Here’s a rundown of the players that Colorado has lost to the transfer portal thus far with the spring window opening as Sanders gears up for his second year leading the program.