Colorado Linked to Productive Division II Transfer Portal Running Back

In need of running back help after losing Dallan Hayden to the transfer portal, the Colorado Buffaloes have their eyes on Division II standout Triston Morgan.

Nilson Sports, Morgan's NIL agency, posted Saturday that the Benedict College transfer has received interest from Colorado, Marshall, Wyoming, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Utah State, Central Michigan and Louisiana-Monroe. Morgan turned 163 carries into 809 rushing yards and six touchdowns this past season before entering the portal.

Colorado Linked Division II Transfer Portal Running Back Triston Morgan Buffaloes Deion Sanders Benedict College Football CU — Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General wide view of Folsom Field before the game between the Iowa State Cyclones against the Colorado Buffaloes. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Morgan was also impactful as a receiver, catching 13 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown. He totaled over 100 yards in games against Virginia-Lynchburg, Edward Waters and Clark Atlanta.

While it would certainly be a difficult leap from Division II football to the Power Four level, Morgan appears ready for a greater challenge. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound running back earned second-team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors this past season and will have at least one year of college eligibility remaining.

Triston Morgan's Transfer Profile

The market for star D2 running back Triston Morgan (@TristonMorgan7) is heating up in the transfer portal.

After racking up over 900 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2025, Triston is receiving interest from the following schools:

Colorado
Marshall
Wyoming
Georgia State
Jacksonville… pic.twitter.com/12EKYLwZXL
— Nilson Sports (@nilsonsports) December 27, 2025

Morgan, a former Fort Valley State transfer, is a three-star and the No. 95 available running back, according to 247Sports' transfer rankings. Coming out of Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia, Morgan was an unranked class of 2023 prospect.

Rankings don't tell the full story, but Colorado apparently sees something it likes in Morgan.

Colorado's Outlook At Running Back

With Hayden set to enter the portal and Simeon Price's future unclear, Colorado has only two solidified scholarship running backs in Micah Welch and DeKalon Taylor. Welch led the Buffs with 384 rushing yards and Taylor totaled 83 before suffering a season-ending injury.

Colorado's running back room will be led by new position coach Johnnie Mack and assistant Kyle Wagner, who worked under new CU offensive coordinator Brennan Marion at Sacramento State this past season. Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk coached the room for one season before taking Southern's head job.

Assuming he stays in Boulder, Taylor is a particularly intriguing running back to watch as Colorado transitions to Marion's "Go-Go" offense. His speed in open space and receiving abilities should give him plenty of opportunities in 2026.

"We've got to get the ball in his hands more," coach Deion Sanders said of Taylor. "He has to have more touches. He has to be a more vital part of this offense... He's explosive, he's exciting, he's a big play waiting to happen. We just got to do a better job of getting the ball in his hands more."

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The Buffs have largely struggled to run the ball since Sanders' first season in 2023, although they showed some growth in 2025 with the help of Faulk and an improved offensive line. Taking another step forward in the run game will again be important heading into next season under Marion and projected starting quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis.