Fans of the Colorado Buffaloes football program have been here before.
Three years ago, after the Buffs went 1-11, the CU administration hired Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders to resurrect the Buffs program. Sanders first move was to land in Boulder and advise most of the members of that team to “hit the portal” as he had big plans to bring in his own guys to wear don the silver and gold.
Sanders was ahead of his time. He brought in 52 new players, drawing the ire of college football coaches from across the country for his methods. The next biggest class that year was Ole Miss with just 23 additions. Clearly, rebuilding through the portal was not yet a popular idea.
Two of those additions were Sanders son Shedeur and two-way star, and future Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Colorado’s 2023 portal class was ranked #1 in the nation.
Others Saw Portal Benefits
Other programs caught on, that mind sets changed pretty quickly.
Sanders team got competitive right away, and when year two arrived, he had turned CU into a Big 12 contender and a bowl team. The Buffs went 9-4 and expectations has been raised.
Losing Shedeur and Hunter to the NFL hurt, and following his third season in Boulder, the Pro Football Hall of Famer is going back to a familiar playbook following a 3-9 campaign.
The portal losses where big. Offensive Tackle Jordan Seaton, an All-Conference performer and future NFL Draft pick appears headed to the SEC. Standout defensive backs D.J. McKinney and Carder Stoutmire, plus key offensive playmakers Omarion Miller, Dre’Lon Miller and Dallan Hayden have all departed Boulder.
This time around, with more competition for portal recruits, Deion hasn’t been able to totally repeat the feats of 2023. This year’s portal class, while not technically complete yet, sits as #22 with 42 commits. On paper, there’s no Hunter and no Shedeur, but the sheer size of the class – which was badly needed when more than three dozen CU players opted to enter the portal – is reason for optimism.
There’s Quantity…is There Quality?
In terms of projected quality, 39 of CU’s portal additions are classified as three-star recruits. There are three that earn four-stars, including former Texas Longhorns DeAndre Moore Jr. and Liona Lefau, plus former Tennessee defensive back Bo Carter.
Colorado fans remain optimistic about the future of resident red-shirt freshman quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, but Sanders brought in some insurance when he signed former Utah Utes QB Isaac Wilson, younger brother of NFL signal caller Zac Wilson.
The question Buff fans will have to wait to get answered is whether anyone in this class can become the next Shedeur or Hunter. CU still has playmakers like wideout Joesph Williams, but it’s going to take more than that to make 2026 a second dramatic turnaround in four years.
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