Indiana Hit by Transfer Loss as Defensive Back Heads to Colorado

The Hoosiers, just one sleep away from competing for a national championship, lost a player to Colorado.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti watches the second half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in South Bend. Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As Indiana was in full-preparation mode for its highly-anticipated national championship matchup with Miami, a contest that is set for Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), the Hoosiers suffered a loss in the transfer portal. 

Indiana defensive back Jah Jah Boyd signs with Deion Sanders and Colorado

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jah Jah Boyd (16) arrives prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Oregon Ducks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Defensive back Jah Jah Boyd, who is one of ten players to depart from Indiana thus far, signed with Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders on Sunday. 

Colorado has signed Indiana transfer DB Jah Jah Boyd, ESPN has learned.

The redshirt freshman played in 6 games and had 8 tackles and a forced fumble this season. Boyd won't play in the CFP title game on Monday. pic.twitter.com/6tdQvtfljC

— Max Olson (@max_olson) January 18, 2026

The 5-foot-11 DB is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native and starred at Roman Catholic High School on both sides of the field, setting the school’s single-season record for receiving touchdowns and earning Philadelphia Catholic League MVP honors as a senior. 

Coming out of high school in the Class of 2024, Boyd was tabbed as the No. 122 safety in the country and the 25th-best player in the state of Pennsylvania, per 247 Sports. 

In 2024, Boyd didn’t see any snaps and ultimately burned a redshirt. This year, playing behind a loaded secondary, Boyd scarcely saw the field, appearing in just six games – although he did make an impact in his minimal tick. He registered eight tackles and forced a fumble. 

After reportedly altering his visit schedule and forgoing a trip to Middle Tennessee (per 247 Sports’ Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz), Boyd elected to make a stop in Boulder on Saturday. 

Indiana DB transfer Jah Jah Boyd has changed his visit schedule, his rep @svanyoesq tells @chris_hummer and @mzenitz.

Instead of a trip to Middle Tennessee, he's now set to see Colorado on Saturday. https://t.co/WqBOLgKGoR https://t.co/NX7wkiIH03 pic.twitter.com/MVDKLQ9RRw

— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) January 16, 2026

Clearly, it didn’t take much time for Sanders – one of the best defensive backs in NFL history – to win over Boyd, who committed just one day later. By pledging his talents to Colorado, Boyd became the first outgoing Indiana transfer to sign with a high-major program. 

The Hoosiers have made the secondary a priority in the portal

Although the absence of Boyd will be a bit of a blow to Indiana’s secondary, Curt Cignetti and Co. are fortunately bringing in a deep defensive back unit in this 2026 transfer portal class.

The Hoosiers’ current haul of defensive backs from the portal consists of three-star Montana State transfer Carson Williams, three-star Wisconsin transfer Preston Zachman, four-star Penn State transfer A.J. Harris and another Power 4 addition in three-star Jiquan Sanks from Cincinnati. 

It never hurts to have too much depth in the secondary, but the Hoosiers should be well-positioned to fill the hole left by Boyd. 

For one more day, though, Indiana must focus all of its efforts away from the portal and strictly on Miami, as the Hoosiers attempt to put the finishing touches on a magical undefeated season.