The Colorado Buffaloes finished the 2025 season with a brutal 3-9 record, finishing just 1-7 in Big 12 play. The season sparked concerns around Deion Sanders as it was his first season without his sons and Travis Hunter, who are going to be impossible to replace. Heading into the offseason, Deion Sanders needed to attack the Transfer Portal and build a team capable of getting back into contention.
This offseason was rocky for Colorado as stars like Omarion Miller and Jordan Seaton leaving gives Deion Sanders massive holes to fill. While this team will lose some elite top end talent, the group as a hole should have a much higher floor in 2026.
Grading Deion Sanders' pivotal Transfer Portal haul
Most Important Addition: Boo Carter
Deion Sanders had the best possible two-way player in Travis Hunter, and he may have another one in Tennessee transfer Boo Carter. During his freshman season at Tennessee, Carter was an elite safety while showing great playmaking ability as a returner. If Boo Carter only plays safety, he'll still be a great addition and the most talented player on this team.
Most Impactful Addition: DeAndre Moore Jr
As Julian Lewis takes over at quarterback, Deion Sanders needed to land him a star wide receiver with Omarion Miller transferring. DeAndre Moore Jr has posted back-to-back 500+ yard seasons as the 2nd or 3rd option in the Texas offense. Becoming the top wide receiver for Colorado should allow Moore to take a massive leap with the potential to surpass the 1,000 yard mark.
Sleeper Addition: Liona Lefau
Colorado needed to land better players all over the roster, and Liona Lefau brings the upside this team needs on defense. In back-to-back seasons, Lefau has racked up 60+ tackles for the Texas defense playing alongside Anthony Hill Jr. Lefau will give this team an elite linebacker who has the potential to be an All-Big 12 player.
Highest Upside Addition: Richard Young
Deion Sanders has taken plenty of swings at former top recruits with the hope of tapping into their potential. Alabama transfer Richard Young was the Nation's top-ranked running back coming out of High School. Young was stuck behind a ton of talented backs at Alabama, but he has the potential to be a breakout star for the Buffaloes.
Biggest Loss: Jordan Seaton
The Colorado Buffaloes are losing a potential Top-10 overall pick as Jordan Seaton entered the Transfer Portal. Seaton was one of the best pass blockers in the Country, and a piece Colorado would've loved to have with a younger quarterback taking over. It'll be almost impossible to get a level of player to replace Seaton unless the Buffaloes hit the jackpot in developing offensive linemen.
Offensive Grade: B
Losing two elite players in Jordan Seaton and Omarion Miller hurts Colorado, but the Buffaloes still did a nice job this offseason on offense. Deion Sanders will be banking on transfer offensive linemen molding into key pieces, but there's some great talent in the room. The biggest question is whether or not the weapons will be good enough to help Julian Lewis reach his potential.
Defensive Grade: A-
Heading into 2026, this Colorado defense has a ton of pieces to be excited about, and the unit should be the face of this team. Boo Carter and Randon Fontenette is one of the best safety tandems in the Country bolstering this group on the back end. Liona Lefau and Ezra Christensen will bring a massive upgrade to this team in the front 7.
Overall Grade: B+
Deion Sanders should have a much better chance to win than he did this past season, but he won't have the same talent level that he had with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter leading the team. Colorado has taken a ton of swings on high upside players, which could result in this team competing for the Big 12 Championship or falling flat.