The transfer portal king has struck again.
After pulling in the nation’s No. 1 class of college football transfer recruits for 2023, Colorado coach Deion Sanders signed 16 new transfer players this time for a transfer class that again ranks No. 1 for 2024, according to Rivals.com and 247Sports.
The signings were confirmed Wednesday by Colorado on the first day of the early signing period for recruiting. It included four offensive linemen — part of a strategy by Sanders this time to fill glaring needs on a team that finished 4-8 in 2023 and gave up the second-most quarterback sacks in the nation last season with 56.
‘I definitely think we have a big, big, big shot at taking it all the way and winning this thing out, because the guys we got coming in — I’m not gonna lie — these are some dawgs,’ former Indiana offensive tackle Kahlil Benson told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday after signing with Colorado. ‘This team is going to be magnificent. Just watch. We comin’.’
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Who else did Deion Sanders sign?
In addition to the transfers, Colorado was expected to sign nine high school players who committed to play for the Buffaloes, including the nation’s No. 1 offensive line recruit, Jordan Seaton. However, Seaton’s signing was not confirmed at Colorado as of Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday, he posted a meme on X, formerly Twitter, that suggested he was having trouble making a decision.
But even if he doesn’t sign, the Buffs still reinforced their blocking front with the likes of Benson, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound right tackle who transferred from Indiana with two years of eligibility remaining after starting 24 straight games in the Big Ten Conference.
On Wednesday, Benson posted the news of his signing at Colorado with the hashtag #DT2, which means “Don’t touch 2,” a reference to the jersey number of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, ended the regular season with a fractured back after being the most-sacked quarterback in the nation (52 times).
‘He’s not getting touched no more,’ Benson said by phone Wednesday.
Benson said he’ll make sure of that, along with Justin Mayers, a transfer guard from Texas-El Paso, Tyler Johnson, a guard from Houston, and Yakiri Walker, a center from Connecticut. Johnson ranked as the No. 1 interior line transfer recruit, according to 247Sports, and has one year of eligibility left as a graduate student.
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What was the strategy this time for Deion Sanders?
Last year, he overhauled the whole roster with 47 new scholarship transfers from other four-year colleges. They helped the Buffs improve from 1-11 in 2022 to 4-8 in 2023, including five losses by seven points or less. This year, he targeted deficiencies on his team such as the offensive and defensive lines. He also added two transfer quarterbacks, part of a plan to add “older quarterbacks,” as he revealed to USA TODAY Sports this month.
“You’ve gotta fill a void,” Sanders said in the interview with USA TODAY Sports. “You’ve got a great quarterback (Shedeur), but if something transpires and you plan on winning, you need a guy to step right in, to fill those shoes that’s a leader.”
He landed Kentucky quarterback transfer Destin Wade and Vanderbilt transfer Walter Taylor. Each has three years of eligibility remaining after not getting much playing time at their previous schools.
Shedeur Sanders also will have new weapons at his disposal in 2024, along with new blockers and new backups. Colorado signed wide receiver Drelon Miller out of high school in Silsbee, Texas — the ninth-highest-ranked player to sign with Colorado since 2000, according to 247 Sports.
He’s joined by Vanderbilt transfer receiver Will Sheppard, who led his team with 684 receiving yards in 2023 and has one year of college eligibility left.
Colorado’s overall recruiting class, including high school players, ranked No. 21 on 247Sports as of Wednesday, behind Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State in the top three.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com