Deion Sanders' Biggest Transfer Portal Wins at Colorado

During Deion Sanders' time as the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, he has found some major talent in the transfer portal.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Legendary football and baseball player and father of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders on the sidelines prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Since Deion Sanders was hired to take over as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, he has been able to land a significant number of players through the portal, with some players really working out for Colorado and helping to boost the Buffaloes roster on the field.

Here are the biggest transfer portal wins in the "Coach Prime" era of Colorado.

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter poses for a photo after winning the Heisman Trophy award during the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Travis Hunter, Wide Receiver/Cornerback

There is no question that one of the top transfers that Coach Prime recruited to Colorado was two-way star Travis Hunter, who had success at both wide receiver and cornerback.

After playing for Sanders at Jackson State, Hunter mulled a few options, but he ultimately he decided to play for the Buffaloes, where he became one of the best college football players in recent history.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against Arizona Wildcats cornerback Tacario Davis (1) at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At receiver for Colorado, Hunter was very productive as he totaled 153 receptions for 1,979 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. Throughout Hunter’s two years with the Buffaloes, he was very difficult to cover, and in many cases, he completely took over multiple games.

On defense, Hunter was just as impactful as a cornerback, recording 66 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and seven interceptions, constantly making plays on the ball and eliminating opposing teams' best receivers.

With the impact that Hunter made on offense and defense, he won the Heisman Trophy in 2024 and was the first two-way player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997. When looking at Hunter’s time at Colorado, it is quite clear that he made quite an impact and is the kind of player that comes around very rarely, making his college career one of the more memorable ones. 

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass in the second half against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback

The second biggest transfer portal win for the Buffaloes was landing quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who also transferred from Jackson State to Colorado and happens to be the son of Coach Prime.

In Sanders' career with the Buffaloes, he tallied 7,364 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and completed an astonishing 71.8 percent of his passes.

The first season in Boulder was tough for Sanders and the Buffaloes as the team went 4-8, but the second season in 2024 was one of the best Colorado has had as they went 9-4 and qualified for the Alamo Bowl. While Sanders was the starting quarterback for the Buffaloes, Colorado’s offensive line was very inconsistent, which led to him getting pressured very often, but Sanders' playmaking ability allowed him to make the best of tough situations.

Finding a reliable quarterback in the college game is critical for success, and thankfully for Coach Prime and the Buffaloes, they did not have to look very far to find Sanders, who was one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2024 and may go down as one of the better quarterbacks in Colorado’s history. 

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver LaJohntay Wester (10) returns a punt for a touchdown the first quarter against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

LaJohntay Wester, Wide Receiver

During Coach Prime’s time as the coach of the Buffaloes, he has consistently been able to recruit great receivers to Colorado, and that was no different when it came to the 2024 season, when he was able to land LaJohntay Wester through the transfer portal.

Wester was a dynamic playmaker for the FAU Owls, but for his final collegiate season, he decided to take his talents to Boulder, which paid off in a great way. During the 2024 season, Wester totaled 74 catches for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns as one of the more explosive players on Colorado’s roster and in the entire conference.

Lining up opposite Hunter, Wester was a beneficiary of Hunter’s elite talent, which enabled him to add an explosive element to Colorado’s offense, with many teams putting more focus on Hunter rather than stopping the Buffaloes’ passing attack as a whole. Wester also benefited from playing with Shedeur Sanders, who was a great distributor all season long to Wester and all the other Colorado receivers.

Being able to land Wester after he spent four seasons at FAU was a huge win for Coach Prime and the Buffaloes and was a key part in why the offense took such a big step forward in 2024 and became one of the more explosive offenses in college football.

As a receiver, Wester added a tremendous amount of explosive play ability, but with his speed also forced defenses into playing a variety of coverages and at times opened up opportunities for the other Colorado receivers, which was a key reason why the Buffaloes’ passing game was so dynamic. 

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