Colorado Buffaloes Land Transfer Portal Offensive Lineman Walker Andersen

The Alabama A&M Bulldogs, North Alabama Lions, Norfolk State Spartans, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, Campbell Fighting Camels, Delaware State Hornets, Missouri State Bears, East Texas A&M Lions and Wagner Seahawks offered Andersen before Colorado officially called his name.

Self-listed at 6-8 and 335 pounds but tabbed at 6-5 and 290 by UCLA, Andersen did not see any action with the Bruins in 2024 after joining the team on scholarship. He attended El Dorado High School in Placentia, California, and garnered the Bruins' attention even as an unranked prospect.

Primarily playing tackle at El Dorado, Andersen earned All-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Division 7 honors and was the league's lineman of the year. He also lettered in track and field.

Andersen is addition No. 29 from the portal this offseason for Coach Prime and company. He's now part of the nation's No. 19 crop of transfers, second-best in the Big 12 Conference, as ranked by 247Sports.

Among pass protectors added this spring, Andersen joins former Tennessee Volunteers tackle Larry Johnson III, the Maryland Terrapins' Andre Roye Jr. and the Memphis Tigers' Xavier Hill. Zarian McGill (Louisiana Tech Bulldogs), Zy Crisler (Illinois Fighting Illini), Aki Ogunbiyi (Texas A&M Aggies) and Mana Taimani (Ole Miss Rebels) were added to the offensive line in the winter.

Coach Prime is acclimating a new coaching staff for the offensive line to Boulder as well. Recently promoted analyst Gunnar White spearheads a trio, including two former NFL talents, George Hegamin and Andre Gurode, that will attempt to improve one of Colorado's glaring weaknesses.

The trenches performed admirably during the spring game in April, but Sanders still expressed concern over the unit's depth. Andersen fits Coach Prime's desired mold of a big-bodied, versatile reserve that can move to guard if needed but with plenty of reps at tackle.

Andersen is one of just two zero-star transfers as listed by recruiting sites, joining punter Damon Greaves. The former Bruin will have to overcome legitimate underestimation by many to emerge under Sanders, who is giving Andersen a chance to shine with plenty of time left to improve.

Colorado's new-look offensive line will be tasked with protecting either a veteran in Kaidon Salter or a freshman in Julian Lewis, who are entrenched in a battle for the Buffs' starting quarterback job.

If Andersen wants to be the one who steps up, his experience in a Power Four locker room will be crucial. He must be ready to overachieve his slim expectations and never take a snap on Folsom Field for granted.