Texas Longhorns’ Loss Is CU Buffs’ Gain as Colorado Football Land Former 4-Star OL Payton Kirkland With 4 Years of Eligibility

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes lost at least 14 players to the spring transfer portal. But the 56-year-old head coach remains unfazed because he knows what he has up his sleeves for the Buffs. After concerns over several players leaving for the portal, he told the media, “We’re good. Quit making a big deal out of nothing.” 

Other than OL Savion Washington, all the departing players are mostly backup players, including 5-star recruit Cormani McClain, who started four games last season. And while he wished the best for the players leaving, he just secured an offensive talent from a team that made it to the playoffs in 2023.

Texas’ big OL Payton Kirkland joins Colorado

On April 21, Hayes Fawcett posted breaking news regarding former Texas OL Payton Kirkland on his IG. According to the post, the 6’6″, 350-pounder announced his commitment to On3 and will join Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffs from the spring transfer portal. Kirkland, who has four years of eligibility remaining, said, “Let’s continue building something special. Sko Buffs.”

Payton Kirkland took a red shirt last season and didn’t have any action on the field with Texas, but Colorado might use his talent to fortify the offensive line for 2024. A former 4-star recruit out of Dr. Phillips High School, 247Sports’ director of scouting Andrew Ivins said of him, “Likely will need a few years to rework the body and add strength in the core, but has the make up of someone that can be molded into a multi-year starter at a Power 5 program with the right coaching.” It’s a mystery now, but the big boy might be used as a pass protector or guard. Deion Sanders and Co. are still looking for more talents.

Deion Sanders trusts his recruiting team

Despite the loss of over a dozen players, Coach Prime remains optimistic and urges his fans to do the same. He expressed his trust in the recruiting team and the coaches, saying, “We’re good. We all right… I don’t know how many starters have really transferred around the country. I think we’ve got some coming in for visits, pretty soon, maybe even this weekend.” This reassurance is backed by the potential of the new recruits to fill the gaps in the team.

Coach Prime’s sons, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders have also taken on the responsibility of recruiting. The Buffs safety, Shilo, has actively reached out to potential recruits on social media, making it easier for them to express their interest in joining the Buffs. He said during the news conference on Thursday, “I just want to make it easier for other guys to really just feel like, ‘All right, if I want to go to Colorado, it’s not hard.'” This proactive approach to recruiting shows the team’s commitment to building a strong roster.