New Colorado Linebacker Gideon Lampron Featured on Telling Transfer Ranking

Former Bowling Green standout and new Colorado Buffaloes signee Gideon Lampron was featured on a telling transfer portal ranking.

Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No player better exemplifies what coach Deion Sanders was looking to grab in the transfer portal than new Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Gideon Lampron.

With productivity being a near-must for Sanders, Lampron checked that box and then some at Bowling Green last season. The 6-foot, 220-pound linebacker led the Falcons with 119 total tackles, including 17.5 for a loss, en route to earning First-Team All-MAC honors.

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. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

On Saturday, Pro Football Focus College released a list of the highest-graded transfer portal linebackers, and Lampron's 86.9 mark at Bowling Green ranked third. Lampron will, of course, have to prove capable of producing against Power Four competition, but all signs point to the former Bowling Green star playing a big role in Boulder next season.

"I gotta be a leader," Lampron told DNVR Buffs after announcing his commitment. "I want to lead this team and be a strong voice and do everything I can to help this team win. But it doesn't mean you can't be a dawg too."

Gideon Lampron on if he’d rather have a leader or a dawg patch at Colorado:

“I gotta be a leader, I want to lead this team and be a strong voice…

But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a Dawg too” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/reROqAKwzI

— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) January 7, 2026

In the same interview with DNVR, Lampron opened up on visiting Boulder and his decision to join Sanders' program.

"It checked every box. It was unreal," Lampron said. "I've always wanted to live by mountains too, so that kind of sold me also. It was a sign from God. I bumped into the head coach randomly a few weeks ago, and I just had to take it as fate."

Highest-Graded Transfer Portal Linebackers

Oct 3, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs linebacker Owen Chambliss (12) celebrates with safety Max Garrison (22) after a tackle during the first half against the Colorado State Rams at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Only two other Power Four commits graded higher than Lampron last season among tranfer portal linebackers, per Pro Football Focus.

1. Ethan Wesloski, 90.6 (North Texas to Oklahoma State)
2. Ray Coney, 87.6 (Tulsa to Texas A&M)
3. Gideon Lampron, 86.9 (Bowling Green to Colorado)
4. Owen Chambliss, 85.5 (San Diego State to Nebraska)
5. Rasheem Biles, 83.76 (Pitt to Texas)
6. Robert Woodyard Jr., 78.7 (Auburn to Missouri)
7. Drew Spinogatti, 77.2 (James Madison to UCLA)
8. Austin Romaine, 76.5 (Kansas State to Texas Tech)

Before joining the Falcons, Lampron was just as productive at Dayton. He closed his 2024 season there with 99 total tackles, including 23.5 for a loss, and 6.5 sacks, earning First-Team FCS All-American honors.

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🎥 pic.twitter.com/h0nSshH9u8

— Gideon ESPN Lampron (@EspnGideon) December 11, 2025

Colorado's Outlook at Linebacker

FSU linebackers coach Chris Marve at the FSU National Signing Day Party on Feb. 5, 2020. Img 4547 | Wayne McGahee III/Democrat, Tallahassee Democrat via Imagn Content Services, LLC

New Colorado linebackers coach Chris Marve, who previously held roles at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Florida State and Virginia Tech, will lead a position group headlined by three incoming transfers. Along with Lampron, Colorado grabbed Liona Lefau from Texas and Tyler Martinez from New Mexico State.

Lefau totaled 68 tackles and one sack last season, and Martinez racked up 94 tackles in 2024 before cutting last year short due to injury.

Colorado also signed three class of 2026 linebackers in four-star Carson Crawford and three-stars Colby Johnson and Rodney Colton Jr. Considering Colorado's depth at the position, there's a decent chance that at least one of those incoming freshmen will play significant snaps next season.