Colorado Transfer London Merritt Chooses ACC School in Portal

London Merritt played all 12 games in 2025 for Colorado as a freshman. He had 25 total tackles and a sack. Merritt was named to the PFF All-Freshman Team and was an All Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Honorable Mention. 

After just one season in Boulder, he’s off to Clemson. 

Down 2025 Season For Clemson, Colorado

The Clemson Tigers are coming off a 7-6 2025 season, a dissapointing season for a program like Clemson. The Tigers entered the year with legitimate national title aspirations and were No. 4 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll. Even in a down year for the ACC where the conference winner was a seven-win Duke Blue Devils team, Clemson finished in seventh place. 

Colorado's season also did not go as planned. The Buffaloes went 3-9 right after a nine season 2024 season. 

Colorado Active in Transfer Portal 

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has been active in the transfer portal this offseason. 34 Buffaloes from the 2025 team entered the portal and “Coach Prime” has had to replace them. Thus far, the Buffaloes have landed 22 incoming transfers. This number continues to grow as each day goes bye while the portal window is open. 

Sanders went on “The Morning Run” and talked about Colorado's incoming transfers. “Coach Prime” believes they are coming to Boulder for the right reasons and not just chasing whoever is throwing the most money at them.

“They ain’t here about no bag,” Sanders said. “They here about playing the game of football at its highest level. And then they know what comes with that.”

Colorado has not been shy about going into the transfer portal in the Sanders era. This started right away when Deion first got there prior to the 2023 season. There was a complete roster overhaul. Sanders brought in his two best players from Jackson State with him; quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.

Right away, these two became stars in Boulder. Despite going 4-8 in 2023, Colorado was one of the most watched teams on TV. Fans couldn't get enough of "Coach Prime" on the sideline with his son, Shedeur starting at quarterback and the two-way skillset of Hunter.

Both Shedeur and Hunter returned in 2024 and Colorado began to win games. The Buffs went 9-3 in the regular season and were tied a top the Big 12 standings. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter were selected in the 2025 Draft after the season.

It would be asking a lot for Sanders to find more transfers with this type of production and star power, but he's shown the ability to do it before.