Who CU needs to retain as transfer portal looms
- Colby Wyatt
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
A third season has come and gone under head coach Deion Sanders, and it’s been the most disappointing one yet for Colorado Buffaloes fans.
Following a nine-win season in 2024, the Buffs stampeded their way to nine losses in 2025. There’s undoubtedly talent to build upon, assuming that talent doesn’t abandon ship via the transfer portal.
Coach Prime noticed those skills through defeats, as missed opportunities often led to ugly results.
"You were right there to win again and again," Sanders said after Saturday's loss to Kansas State. "At the conclusion of the game, the score does not dictate it, but you had an opportunity to win the game."
First and foremost, Sanders needs to retain the five-star freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis. Through his four appearances, he garnered 589 yards and four touchdowns.
He’s officially been redshirted, meaning he still has four years of eligibility left, but more importantly, with over a year of college practice and some game experience under his belt, he should be ready to dazzle fans next season.
If he leaves, CU’s losing someone with the potential to be a top quarterback in the nation, creating a huge question mark for the team and making it harder to keep and recruit other players.
Keeping Lewis around will also help the coaching staff keep their wide receiving corps. CU’s star receiver, Omarion Miller, just wrapped up his junior year, and after putting up 807 yards with eight touchdowns, there is no reason he can’t eclipse 1,000 next year.
With his veteran presence and playmaking ability, he’d be the hardest receiver to replace. He’s already connected with Lewis for three touchdowns and can elevate the whole receiving room, but there’s no shortage of schools that would love to have him.
Beyond Miller, the coaches should be actively trying to keep every receiver. Freshmen Quanell Farrakhan Jr. and Quentin Gibson are explosively fast. Dre’lon Miller, Kam Mikell and Isaiah Hardge have multi-position versatility that takes plenty of time to develop.
Joseph Williams has sure hands and big-play potential. Everyone has shown flashes that they can truly contribute in the near future, flashes that other schools have undoubtedly noticed.
A reliable offense relies on its offensive line. For the past three years, Colorado’s O-line has been practically overhauled, with the notable exception of left tackle Jordan Seaton. The sophomore was a top recruit and has been consistently graded as a top tackle in the nation. Seaton is the base upon which CU could build a skyscraper, but if he leaves, the O-line is back to rubble.
The defense is going to look extremely different next year, but there are three players every fan should hope stay put in Boulder. The starting safety tandem of Carter Stoutmire and Tawfiq Byard has the potential to be the leaders of the defense next year, especially after the strong sophomore season Byard had in 2025.
Then there’s DJ McKinney, who had NFL scouts showing up to CU practices before the season started. His campaign wasn’t quite all it was expected to be, but with a rebuilt defense around him next year, he can reach the level he was poised to reach.
When the transfer portal opens in January, it’ll be chaos. Those 15 days will make or break the 2026 season for a lot of teams, and to begin to evaluate the portal for the Buffs, look to see if these players leave. They can be the leaders of the future or players fans look at longingly.
Fans will get their first glimpse at whoever is left on the team when CU hosts its annual Black and Gold Spring Scrimmage this April.