Unverified Veracity is Changing How CU Shapes its Roster

I’ve been Covid’d this week. Good times. In the meantime, though, there’s been some great work on the site by Bruno and El Matador. Check out their work on the site — they’re killing it.

But before you do that, CU fans — it’s time to buckle up.

If you’re not paying attention to this story, you’re going to miss one of the most consequential news stories of the first half of the football season, at least as it pertains to Deion Sanders and the CU football program.

This past week, the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee voted in favor of a single 10-day transfer portal window following the 2025 season. If approved (and it will be approved), the transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and last through January 12th.

Under the proposal, a player will have 10 days to enter the transfer portal in January.  Once a player is in the transfer portal, he can wait as long as he wants before he ultimately decides on a school.  

This new January window will replace the current structure, in which football student-athletes may initiate notification during a 20-day period in December and a 10-day period in April.

From CU’s standpoint, this is a difficult change. CU is overly reliant on the transfer portal right now, and cutting the number of windows in half is going to hurt CU’s roster building.  More than 2000 players entered the spring transfer portal this past spring, many after going through spring practice and not liking where they stood on the depth chart after spring. Those players will now not have the option to transfer. And fewer transfers is not good for teams that heavily rely on transfers.

CU received commitments from 16 players during the 2nd Spring transfer window, including key players like Xavier Hill, Larry Johnson III, Teon Parks, and DeKalon Taylor. Other late transfer adds were Cooper Lovelace, Andre Roye Jr., Shaun Meyers, Walker Anderson, Jack Hestera, Simeon Price, Sincere Brown, Noah King, John Slaughter, Terrance Love, Tyrecus Davis and Hykeem Williams.

With this second window now seemingly eliminated, it is going to make CU focus more and more on high school recruiting going forward.

Sources told BuffsBlog that CU was expecting to sign more high school players this year than in the prior 3 recruiting classes.  However, Deion Sanders’ illness and absence from Boulder this summer changed this strategy.  Due to Sanders’ illness, CU whiffed on getting commitments from a number of players that made official visits to Boulder this summer.  

Right now, CU has 11 commitments from high school players and its recruiting class ranks #78 nationally on the 247 composite.  

The NCAA is pushing for 1 transfer portal in January because the earlier December transfer portal window meant coaches were both trying to recruit players from other teams and also prevent their own players from leaving before bowl games.

The portal timing also meant numerous transferring players didn’t participate in bowl games. Marshall was unable to play in the Independence Bowl against Army and cited a lack of players after the departure of coach Charles Huff to Southern Miss. 

While we think having a January portal makes sense, removing the April portal is going to hurt CU.

One positive to come out of the removal of the April window is that we should see more spring football games.  Corndogs coach Matt Rhule said the spring transfer window was a reason why Nebraska didn’t play a spring game in 2025 and instead adopted a twinkie eating contest for its spirit squad.  This view was echoed by other coaches around the country.

Still, if you’re a CU fan and not circling this development, you’re missing a consequential story.

Additional College Football Bites

• There is a lawsuit led by Vanderbilt LB Langston Patterson that would give players five years of eligibility (instead of 4 years plus a potential redshirt year).  Given the NCAA’s success in lawsuits recently, this is a slam dunk case for Patterson.  This will create a roster-math earthquake. Also, we need collective bargaining.  Yahoo Sports / Reuters.
• TCU 48, North Carolina 14.  Stopping college offenses is hard — 48 points is the most points ever allowed by a Belichick-coached team. Will Bill’s North Carolina stop be a nail in the coffin for Belichick in the “Was Brady or Belichick more responsible for New England’s Success” debate?  SI.
• As a Michigan alum, I was giddy watching Bryce Underwood.  Sure, it was one game.  And he’ll have his share of freshman moments.  But a Vince Young / Aaron Rodgers combo?  Yes please.  Also, poor Arch.  Arch, meet a Big 10 defense.  The Athletic.
• Another reminder that the SEC was the dominant college football league for the last 25 years because they paid players.  Now everyone pays players.  How’s the SEC doing right now?…..Relatedly, the SEC’s “deep pockets” are owners of car dealers.  The Big 10’s “deep pockets” are the founders of Google and Oracle.  How’s that going to work out?
• Bill Connelly’s model has Oklahoma 26, Michigan 20 this week. Boo. ESPN has a refreshed Week 2 SP+ table for the macro picture. Connelly pick (X) and ESPN SP+ update.
• Cal’s freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele posted an 87.8 PFF passing grade in his debut vs. Oregon State!  Bookmark that name, folks. PFF.
• Weekend watchlist. SI slots Michigan at Oklahoma, the Border War (KU-Mizzou), and more among Week 2’s best.  Here’s a handy programming guide for flipping between games. SI: Best Games Week 2.
• ESPN’s Week 2 preview bundles QB storylines & rivalry notes. ESPN.

Last, if you want to keep your eyes firmly planted in the BuffsBlog blogosphere, may I interest you iin Bruno’s game preview????

The Only Game Preview You Need: Week 2 vs. Delaware