The Colorado Buffaloes were ultra-active in the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in 43 incoming transfers after 36 players departed. 247Sports ranked Colorado‘s transfer class as a top 24 group in their 2026 Transfer Football Team Rankings, while On3 had the Buffaloes at 29th. Those are solid marks considering Colorado won just three games in 2025 and clearly needed to reload talent heading into 2026.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his favorite 2026 transfer portal classes today, and Colorado landed surprisingly high on the list.
We here at Buffaloes Wire have been high on this portal class since day one, as Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders finally seem to have brought in proven production on both sides of the ball. Seeing ESPN acknowledge what we’ve been saying for months is a refreshing shift.
Connelly ranked Colorado’s portal haul as the No. 3 overall class and pointed to the addition of linebacker Gideon Lampron, Bowling Green, wide receiver Danny Scudero, and wide receiver Kam Perry as his favorite transfers.
As always, Deion Sanders needed a lot from the portal. Too much, perhaps: Last year’s top 18 defenders are gone. But this is the first time in his four seasons where it seemed like there was a genuine plan in place — at least, as much as you can hope for from a 43-man class. Colorado really leaned into known production this time around and added players who produced more than 3,600 receiving yards, more than 1,100 rushing yards, almost 1,000 tackles and more than 110 tackles for loss. The Buffs also brought in five offensive linemen who started games at the power-conference level (plus two big FCS starters). They landed three 300-pound (or more) defensive linemen, and Lampron is exactly the type of sideline-to-sideline force Colorado’s defense has lacked.
We’ve been saying all offseason that a direction was apparent with the players the Buffs brought in. Production and leadership were two traits that nearly every addition checked. Connelly backs up that premise with plenty of stats on the incoming talent.
Colorado’s transfer class ranks behind those of Indiana and Oklahoma State. CU brought in a strong mix of proven on-field production at all levels, along with recognizable names from major programs. Adding four-star talents like Texas wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., Tennessee safety Boo Carter and Texas linebacker Liona Lefau shows that SEC-caliber players were willing to come to Boulder and play under Sanders and his new staff. Meanwhile, more under-the-radar additions along the offensive and defensive lines help replace key departures and provide stability.
There is real talent on this Colorado roster, and arguably as much as we have seen since the Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders era in 2024.
Now it becomes a matter of whether it all translates. If Connelly is right about this group, Colorado could take a meaningful step forward. Either way, for the first time in a while, it is both interesting and encouraging to see the national media giving Colorado football some real respect.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football transfer class ranked No. 3 by ESPN
