There is basically no precedent for what Deion Sanders is doing at Colorado in terms of roster management.
The NFL Hall of Famer and two-time SWAC champion coach at Jackson State is leading an overhaul of his team the likes of which we’ve never seen in college football before. That’s partially due to the NCAA’s transfer portal opening to football players ahead of the 2021 season, allowing a freedom of movement for anyone to leave their initial school once without any eligibility penalty.
But no one has taken it to the extremes like the Buffaloes.
There were 83 scholarship players to start the 2022 season for what would become a 1-11 Colorado team. There are now just 20 of those scholarship players remaining.
46 Colorado scholarship players have entered the transfer portal in 2022-23, 41 leaving since Sanders took over. Arizona State is second in this category with 29 in this cycle.
As the transfer portal re-opened on April 15, thirteen CU players left before the end of the Buffs 15 NCAA-alloted spring practices. And then 18 more went in after the Spring Game on April 22.
Here is the complete list of transfers into Colorado, alongside their 247Sports.com recruiting ranking out of high school:
ATH Travis Hunter: Jackson State — 5-star
WR Jimmy Horn Jr.: USF — 4-star
LB Demouy Kennedy: Alabama — 4-star
OL Yousef Mugharbil: Florida — 4-star
QB Shedeur Sanders: Jackson State — 4-star
DL Taijh Alston: West Virginia — 3-star
OL Jack Bailey: Kent State — 2-star
CB Tayvion Beasley: Jackson State — 3-star
OL Landon Bebee: Missouri State — 3-star
LB Vonta Bentley: Clemson — 3-star
CB Kyndrich Breedlove: Ole Miss — 3-star
LB Jeremiah Brown: Jackson State — 3-star
OL Tyler Brown: Jackson State — 3-star
DL Shane Cokes: Dartmouth — 3-star
EDGE Jordan Domineck: Arkansas — 3-star
WR Willie Gaines: Jackson State — 3-star
EDGE D’Vion Harris: Old Dominion — 3-star
DL Leonard Payne: Fresno State — 3-star
S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig: Jackson State — 3-star
S Myles Slusher: Arkansas — 3-star
RB Kavosiey Smoke: Kentucky — 3-star
S Vito Tisdale: Kentucky — 3-star
TE Seydou Traore: Arkansas State — 3-star
EDGE Taylor Upshaw: Michigan — 3-star
P Mark Vassett: Louisville — 3-star
OL Savion Washington: Kent State — 3-star
WR Xavier Weaver: USF — 3-star
K Jace Feely: Arizona State — N/A
K Alejandro Mata: Jackson State — N/A
The NFL Hall of Famer and two-time SWAC champion coach at Jackson State is leading an overhaul of his team the likes of which we’ve never seen in college football before. That’s partially due to the NCAA’s transfer portal opening to football players ahead of the 2021 season, allowing a freedom of movement for anyone to leave their initial school once without any eligibility penalty.
But no one has taken it to the extremes like the Buffaloes.
There were 83 scholarship players to start the 2022 season for what would become a 1-11 Colorado team. There are now just 20 of those scholarship players remaining.
46 Colorado scholarship players have entered the transfer portal in 2022-23, 41 leaving since Sanders took over. Arizona State is second in this category with 29 in this cycle.
As the transfer portal re-opened on April 15, thirteen CU players left before the end of the Buffs 15 NCAA-alloted spring practices. And then 18 more went in after the Spring Game on April 22.
Here is the complete list of transfers into Colorado, alongside their 247Sports.com recruiting ranking out of high school:
ATH Travis Hunter: Jackson State — 5-star
WR Jimmy Horn Jr.: USF — 4-star
LB Demouy Kennedy: Alabama — 4-star
OL Yousef Mugharbil: Florida — 4-star
QB Shedeur Sanders: Jackson State — 4-star
DL Taijh Alston: West Virginia — 3-star
OL Jack Bailey: Kent State — 2-star
CB Tayvion Beasley: Jackson State — 3-star
OL Landon Bebee: Missouri State — 3-star
LB Vonta Bentley: Clemson — 3-star
CB Kyndrich Breedlove: Ole Miss — 3-star
LB Jeremiah Brown: Jackson State — 3-star
OL Tyler Brown: Jackson State — 3-star
DL Shane Cokes: Dartmouth — 3-star
EDGE Jordan Domineck: Arkansas — 3-star
WR Willie Gaines: Jackson State — 3-star
EDGE D’Vion Harris: Old Dominion — 3-star
DL Leonard Payne: Fresno State — 3-star
S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig: Jackson State — 3-star
S Myles Slusher: Arkansas — 3-star
RB Kavosiey Smoke: Kentucky — 3-star
S Vito Tisdale: Kentucky — 3-star
TE Seydou Traore: Arkansas State — 3-star
EDGE Taylor Upshaw: Michigan — 3-star
P Mark Vassett: Louisville — 3-star
OL Savion Washington: Kent State — 3-star
WR Xavier Weaver: USF — 3-star
K Jace Feely: Arizona State — N/A
K Alejandro Mata: Jackson State — N/A
