Why Colorado Buffaloes' Transfer Portal Class Might Be Deion Sanders' Best

It may not feature the same volume of top-tier talent, but coach Deion Sanders' third incoming transfer portal class with the Colorado Buffaloes stands out in an equally important way.

According to ESPN, Colorado's 33 incoming transfers have played 22,209 combined career snaps, a number that ranks eighth in college football. That total only accounts for Division I play, however, so tight end Zach Atkins' three years of Division II experience at Northwest Missouri State weren't considered.

Sanders' latest transfer class also owns 339 career Division I starts, including 30 from defensive tackle Tavian Coleman (Texas State/Utah State) and 28 from offensive lineman Xavier Hill (Memphis/LSU).

Why Colorado Buffaloes Transfer Portal Class Deion Sanders Best Kaidon Salter Zy Crisler Martavius French Big 12 Coach Prime — Memphis' Xavier Hill (71) celebrates after the team scored a touchdown during the game between Southern Methodist University and University of Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on Saturday, November 18, 2023. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buffs reloaded on the offensive line yet again around Jordan Seaton with nine incoming transfers who've combined for 110 career starts led by Hill, a versatile 28-game starter and one of the top linemen on the market this spring. Salter was the second-most experienced FBS QB available in the portal and got more help with the post-spring additions of RB DeKalon Taylor (Incarnate Word) and WR Sincere Brown (Campbell) from the FCS ranks.
ESPN's Max Olson

Other new Buffs with ample college experience include offensive linemen Zy Crisler (37 games played at Illinois) and Zarian McGill (36 career starts at Louisiana Tech and Louisiana Monroe) and linebacker Martavius French (37 games played at UTSA). Particularly in the trenches, "Coach Prime" owns one of the most experienced teams in college football.

College Football's Most Expereinced Transfer Classes

Coach Rich Rodriguez hit the ground running to begin his second stint with the West Virginia Mountaineers, adding 51 transfers who own 462 career starts and 32,779 snaps at the Division I level. In terms of career snaps, West Virginia's transfer class was followed by the Virginia Mountaineers (30,320) and Purdue Boilermakers (26,465). Fellow Big 12 programs Arizona (25,467) and Houston (23,423) also ranked fourth and sixth, respectively.

With talent taken into account, Colorado's transfer class ranks No. 19 nationally and second in the Big 12, per 247Sports.

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Sanders is still getting to know some of Colorado's incoming transfers after spending the summer in Texas overcoming bladder cancer.

"You got to understand some of the guys came in and I was out, so this is my first time getting to see them really go at it and not train in the offseason, but really put on the pads and play," Sanders said earlier this month. "Sometimes I have to wait until they take their helmets off and keep a roster to see who they are... I am proud of the depth, the scouting and recruiting department. We got some talent here. We just got to make it do what it does."