The weekend before the team’s annual spring game, the Colorado football program continues to ink high-end talent through the transfer portal. On Sunday, Colorado earned commitments from former Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Payton Kirkland and defensive lineman Dayon Hayes, formerly of the Pittsburgh Panthers.
With the addition of Ohio Bobcats transfer and defensive lineman Rayyan Buell, the slew of incoming transfers continued on Sunday night. Colorado entered the weekend as the topic of discussion in the football world after a wave of former players darted for the portal earlier this week. Including former five-star mega recruit Cormani McClain, the Buffs lost double-digit players to the portal.
Defensive Lineman Rayyan Buell: Heading to Colorado
Former Ohio Bobcats defensive lineman Rayyan Buell becomes the third player to transfer to the Colorado Football program on Sunday. Before Ohio, Buell played at Northwest Mississippi Community College, earning All-MACCC and first-team NJCAA All-Academic honors. As a three-star JUCO recruit per 247Sports, Buell landed with the Bobcats for the 2022 season.
BREAKING: Former Ohio DL Rayyan Buell has Committed to Colorado, he tells @on3sports
The 6’3 275 DL totaled 39 Tackles and 6.5 Sacks in his 2 years with the Bobcats
Will have 1 year of eligibility remaining https://t.co/xEgTdCqJTE pic.twitter.com/fTt4LkBKgj
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 21, 2024
Buell posted nine tackles, two TFLs, and two sacks during his inaugural season with Ohio. However, he made a massive jump in production last season. The defensive lineman collected 27 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks across 12 games. Buell played his best to start the season, registering at least one TFL through his first eight games. His best showing came against came against Northern Illinois in mid-October. Buell tallied seven tackles and 2.5 TFLs in the loss.
Colorado Football: Adding Defensive Line Depth
Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have focused on improving the offensive and defensive lines for the 2024 season. On the defensive end, Colorado has done plenty to add to the line via the transfer portal. Alongside Rayyan Buell, the Buffs have added Chidozie Nwankwo, Quency Wiggins, Taurean Carter, Anquin Barnes, and Dayon Hayes.
Nwankwo posted 94 tackles, 11 TFLs, and three sacks with the Houston Cougars across four years. Wiggins played sparingly at LSU for two seasons, while Carter tallied 25 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks with Arkansas last season. Meanwhile, Barnes comes from Alabama, and Hayes posted monster numbers with the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2023. Colorado will also welcome back Amari McNeill on the defensive line. Among the returners, he had the best stats last year, collecting 31 tackles, seven TFLs, and three sacks.
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