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Louisville's Tawfiq Thomas transfers to Colorado

Buffs add big man to put into the rotation this season
Josh Tolle|
Dec 17, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Tawfiq Thomas (91) reaches out
Dec 17, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Tawfiq Thomas (91) reaches out | Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes snagged former Louisville defensive lineman Tawfiq Thomas from the transfer portal on Friday.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder played in 22 games over the past two seasons for the Cardinals. He was an original three-star prospect from Gaither (FL) and helped his team finish 11-1 and made a deep run in the 2020 6A state playoffs. He was the 839th ranked prospect in the 2022 recruiting class.

Thomas adds depth to the Buffs defense, which is stacking up nicely for next season. He's the 37th transfer to make his way to Boulder since the end of last season. However, Colorado is currently negative six in the portal this year. According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas finished the 2023-24 season with 97 total snaps and a defensive grade of 42.5.

Colorado's Shilo Sanders out at least six months after shoulder surgery, sources say

Colorado will be a different environment for Thomas, but he gives the Buffs the 22nd player with Florida ties on the roster. He originally chose Louisville over Miami, Michigan and others. He's a bit underrated and had his best seasons at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Thomas has been in the Cardinals rotation as a reserve with 12 tackles. He'll have two years of eligibility on the books starting next year.

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Josh Tolle
JOSH TOLLE

Josh Tolle is a writer covering college sports for On SI. Outside of storytelling, the multi-talented broadcaster has play-by-play experience at the professional and collegiate levels. In 2018, he began calling games for the National Women’s Soccer League. He has also called games for the United Soccer League, Concacaf, and the U.S. Open Cup. He has called hockey for the Premier Hockey Federation for the past three seasons and was the play-by-play voice for the Superior RoughRiders of the Western Hockey League. He has provided play-by-play for various other sports including football, basketball, baseball and volleyball events. Since 2015, Tolle has been the voice of Colorado School of Mines Athletics having called football, men's and women's basketball and soccer. He previously wrote for SB Nation.

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