Colorado Buffaloes Spring Football Roster: Transfers To Know, Position Battles

Below is a look at Colorado's notable position battles, transfer portal moves and early enrollees:

Most intriguing position battles

With Shedeur Sanders headed to the NFL, early enrollee Julian "JuJu" Lewis, Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub are battling for Colorado's starting quarterback job. Salter is considered the favorite due to his experience, but Lewis has turned heads in his first college semester.

While quarterback is the most notable position battle, Colorado also must replace all four of its starting wide receivers, both starting inside linebackers and safeties Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and Shilo Sanders.

At wide receiver, Drelon Miller, Omarion Miller and Tulsa transfer Joseph Williams have looked strong this spring, but other newcomers are also worthy of a starting role. UTSA transfer Martavius French and Jacksonville State transfer Reginald Hughes are candidates to start as inside linebackers. South Florida transfer Tawfiq Byard and Carter Stoutmire could snag the starting safety jobs.

Best transfer pickups

Along with Salter and Williams, offensive transfers to know include former Northwest Missouri State tight end Zach Atkins, former Illinois transfer offensive lineman Zy Crisler and ex-Campbell wide receiver Sincere Brown, who committed to the Buffs on Sunday.

Defensively, the aforementioned Hughes and Byard are joined by defensive linemen Jehiem Oatis (Alabama), Tavian Coleman (Texas State) and Gavriel Lightfoot (Fresno State), and cornerback Makari Vickers (Oklahoma). Vickers is recovering from heart surgery this spring but is expected to return for fall camp.

Also of note, Kansas transfer Damon Greaves is expected to handle punts and Louisiana Tech transfer Buck Buchanan will likely take kickoff duties.

Notable transfer losses

As of Monday, Colorado has both gained and lost 19 players via the transfer portal. The Buffs' biggest losses have all come on the defensive side of the ball, including safety/linebacker Trevor Woods, linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and defensive end Dayon Hayes. Former Colorado starting offensive linemen Kahlil Benson and Hank Zilinskas also entered the portal, landing at Indiana and Rutgers, respectively.

Early enrollees to know

Lewis is the biggest name from Colorado's 2025 signing class, but a few other early enrollees could make an instant impact next season. Offensively, wide receivers Quanell Farrakhan Jr. and Quentin Gibson are candidates to return punts while offensive linemen Chauncey Gooden and Jay Gardenhire are both listed at 380 pounds. Defensive lineman Alexander McPherson and linebacker Mantrez Walker are also worth watching closely in the spring game.