Where Colorado Buffaloes Rank Among Teams With Most Transfer Portal Departures

The Colorado Buffaloes aren't alone in their mass exodus.

Coach Deion Sanders' squad has seen 25 players (and counting) elect to head elsewhere after its 2025 season went awry. The Buffs' roster turnover ranks among the worst in the nation, but especially in the Big 12 Conference, it could be worse.

Deion Sanders' Buffs Among Most-Left Teams In Country

Dec 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks on the field during the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

As of Monday evening, the Buffs' 25 lost scholarship players to the transfer portal are fourth in the nation. However, some of the teams around them went through coach transitions in the last few months.

Atop the list by far are the Oklahoma State Cowboys with 43, following a 1-11 season and the loss of longtime coach Mike Gundy. Then come the Iowa State Cyclones at 29, including their two six receivers and top two running backs. After an 8-4 season, coach Matt Campbell took the Penn State Nittany Lions job.

Colorado is just ahead of two teams from the Sunshine State, the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles. UF lost coach Billy Napier and hired away Tulane's Jon Sumrall, while FSU lost several key defensive pieces after a season that began with a win over Alabama went off the rails.

Big 12 Set For Widespread Overhaul

Dec 8, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Matt Campbell poses for a photo after being announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at the Beaver Stadium Press Room. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The presence of Oklahoma State, Iowa State and West Virginia, alongside Colorado, highlights a transitional period for the Big 12 as a whole. The Cowboys and Cyclones will enter 2026 with new coaches, as will Utah, Kansas State.

Several program leaders will also ring in the new year on thin ice. Kansas's Lance Leipold, Baylor's Dave Aranda and UCF's Scott Frost must lead bounce-back years to keep their jobs safe.

MORE: Colorado Targets Rising Athletic Director As Deion Sanders Hits Pivotal Moment

MORE: Colorado Linked to Transfer Portal Running Back From Unexpected Place

MORE: How Colorado Is Impacted By Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham's Departure For Michigan

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE

Texas Tech will be the class of the conference until further notice, earning the Big 12's lone College Football Playoff Berth as its No. 4 seed. The Red Raiders lost just one game in 2025 and have a stockpile of funds for the future from wealthy donors.

As for Colorado, "Coach Prime" still has much to prove despite his unprecedented financial impact on the university. Without a Heisman Trophy winner or star quarterback (Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders), his team fell out of whack and suffered similar issues game after game. A litany of the Buffs' struggles reflected poor coaching.

Most Notable Colorado Transfers

Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Tawfiq Byard (7) celebrates his interception in the fourth quarter against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Safety Tawfiq Byard and wide receiver Omarion Miller were the most productive players and leaders on defense and offense, but both decided to transfer earlier in December.

The defense will need a massive reboot, especially up front. Promising young linemen Alexander McPherson and Brandon Davis Swain hit the portal, along with last year's top defensive transfer Jehiem Oatis. Linebackers graduated, but the room's only freshman, Mantrez Walker, will leave as well.

Colorado's offensive line will likely see the return of star left tackle Jordan Seaton, despite some transfer portal rumblings. He'll blindside block for quarterback Julian Lewis, whom the Buffaloes will build a new-look offense around.