Where Colorado Buffaloes' Transfer Class Ranks Nationally Amid Recruiting Splurge

The Colorado Buffaloes' 2026 roster is coming together quickly as coach Deion Sanders has so far added over 20 transfers since the portal officially opened last Friday.

While they've also lost over 30 pieces, the Buffs have reloaded nicely with a well-rounded group of mostly former Group of Five/FCS players. Colorado's incoming transfer class most notably features eight defensive linemen/EDGE rushers, three offensive playmakers from Sacramento State, two proven linebackers and others who will make an impact next season.

Colorado Buffaloes Transfer Class Ranks Nationally Recruiting College Football Portal Deion Sanders Commitments Big 12 Visit — Linebacker Tyler Martinez drops back in pass coverage as the Aggies opened their season on Saturday night against the Bryant Bulldogs at Aggie Memorial Stadium. | Jaime Guzman/Special the Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With work still left to be done, Colorado's transfer portal class currently ranks No. 22 nationally, according to 247Sports. Penn State owns the nation's best transfer portal class with 24 commits, followed by No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 3 LSU.

It became clear early in this recruiting cycle that "Coach Prime" is prioritizing lower-level Division I transfers with ample experience over unproven Power Four transfers. As of this writing, only five of Colorado's 22 transfer commits come from Power Four schools, including former Notre Dame cornerback Cree Thomas.

Sander opened up about Colorado's recruiting spree earlier this week on Thee Pregame Show's "The Morning Run."

“These guys, they're going to get what they gonna get because they deserve it. If they deserve it, then we going to give it to them,” Sanders said. “They ain’t here about no bag. They're here about playing the game of football at its highest level. And then they know what comes with that.”

Big 12 Conference Transfer Class Rankings

According to 247Sports, Colorado's transfer portal class ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 Conference. Only Oklahoma State and Iowa State have so far landed more transfer commitments than the Buffs.

1. Oklahoma State Cowboys (29 commits)
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders (13)
3. Arizona State Sun Devils (11)
4. Colorado Buffaloes (22)
5. Baylor Bears (9)
6. Iowa State Cyclones (31)
7. Houston Cougars (10)
8. Kansas Jayhawks (14)
9. Kansas State Wildcats (14)
10. West Virginia Mountaineers (14)
11. Utah Utes (6)
12. Cincinnati Bearcats (7)
13. TCU Horned Frogs (7)
14. UCF Knights (13)
15. Arizona Wildcats (5)
16. BYU Cougars (1)

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Complete Look At Colorado's Transfer Portal Class

Colorado's 22-member transfer portal class features 14 defensive players and eight on the offensive side of the ball.

Wide Receiver Kam Perry (Miami of Ohio)
Running Back Damian Henderson II (Sacramento State)
EDGE Yamil Talib (Charlotte)
EDGE Lamont Lester Jr. (Monmouth)
Running Back Jaquail Smith (Sacramento State)
Wide Receiver Danny Scudero (San Jose State)
EDGE Balansama Kamara (Albany)
Defensive Lineman Dylan Manuel (Appalachian State)
Safety Naeten Mitchell (New Mexico State)
EDGE Toby Anene (North Dakota State)
EDGE Manny Ezeogu (James Madison)
Defensive Tackle Tyler Moore (Coastal Carolina)
Defensive Lineman Santana Hopper (Tulane)
Linebacker Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green)
Linebacker Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State)
Cornerback Justin Eaglin (James Madison)
Cornerback Cree Thomas (Notre Dame)
Offensive Lineman Taj White (Rutgers)
Wide Receiver Ernest Campbell (Sacramento State)
Quarterback Isaac Wilson (Utah)
Offensive Tackle Jayven Richardson (Missouri)
Linebacker Liona Lefau (Texas)