Colorado May Face Transfer Portal Consequences Amid Quarterback Uncertainty

The Colorado Buffaloes could face potential transfer portal concerns if they don’t make a quarterback change soon.

Sep 26, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders watches warmups before the game against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Buffaloes’ Isaac Wilson experiment has been a failure at quarterback this season. He’s thrown a damaging seven interceptions in the last three games, some of which have directly cost the Buffs games.

With quarterback Julian Lewis dealing with a medical emergency, that leaves freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne as the Buffaloes’ only other option. I the Buffs don’t give Sweetwyne a chance soon, he could be on his way out of Boulder next season. 

Kaneal Sweetwyne’s limited opportunities

Sep 12, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne (14) before the game against Weber State at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite neither Wilson nor Lewis producing good results for the Buffaloes, Sweetwyne has only thrown 17 passes this season. He’s completed 11 of them for 105 yards and no touchdowns. He also hasn’t thrown an interception in that small sample size, and as little as that means, it's always nice to see if you’re the Buffaloes.

They’ve also given him a few carries, as he’s recorded five rushes for 23 yards and a touchdown.

The Buffaloes have only employed his services in three games this season, with the majority of his contributions coming in garbage time. 

It's hard for coaches, and certainly hard for fans, to evaluate a quarterback in that small of a sample. If Colorado doesn’t give him a chance, he could hit the portal with a question mark left in his stead, with fans wondering what could’ve been had a different choice been made.

Why Kaneal Sweetwyne is worth giving a shot

Oct 17, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne (14) against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The most peculiar thing about Sweetwyne’s situation is that he seems like the best fit for offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s ‘Go-Go’ offense, yet the Buffs have been hesitant to give him a shot. While his lack of experience is the obvious reason for this, at this point in the season, the Buffaloes don’t have much to lose.

There was talk in the offseason that the Buffaloes would utilize the mobility of Lewis and Wilson more as the starters, but that never materialized the way they hoped. Lewis was a hesitant runner, and while Wilson has tried, it’s clear that running isn’t a part of his skill set. He’s recorded 43 carries for 88 yards this season, or in other words, averaged just two yards per carry.

Sweetwyne, at least on paper, gives Colorado that mobile quarterback threat it's been missing this season. He was a near-1,000-yard rusher twice in high school, recording 930 and 907 rushing yards in his junior and senior seasons, respectively. In addition, he rushed for 24 touchdowns across those two seasons, per MaxPreps.

How the Colorado Buffaloes can involve Kaneal Sweetwyne

Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

So, if Colorado wants to start getting him involved and making the most of his unique skill set, it has three paths forward to do so.

First, the Buffaloes could pull the plug on the Wilson experiment and allow Sweetwyne to take over for the remainder of the year. There are still enough games left for him to establish a rhythm and, at the very least, give the coaching staff a good sample size to work off of when developing his skill set for next season.

Then, there’s the option of utilizing a two-quarterback set. The No. 6 Utah Utes did so when they came to Boulder in Week 7. They employed backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin as a receiver and in various RPO sets, and it helped them to major offensive success in the first half. While Colorado doesn’t need to do something that drastic, the ‘Go-Go’ offense possesses enough wrinkles to work him in with Wilson.

Finally, and the most likely of the three, Colorado can turn to Sweetwyne if it loses bowl eligibility. This isn’t the most ideal scenario for the Buffaloes hanging on to Sweetwyne for next season, but it is likely what will happen. If Colorado reaches a point where it isn’t playing to make a bowl game anymore, it’ll likely be Sweetwyne’s team from that point forward.

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