Colorado transfer portal exit signals reboot coming at position

Colorado football offensive lineman Van Wells, the starting center for the Buffs for the better part of two seasons in Boulder, is entering the transfer portal — and BuffsBeat’s Josh Tolle sees his departure as a sign that a reboot is coming to CU’s offensive line.

“Wells is the second Buffaloes offensive lineman to enter the portal in the past 24 hours, which signals a reboot coming,” Tolle wrote. “(Deion) Sanders and his staff already needed to address the issue on offense and will need a few experienced player to anchor the line. There will be transfers coming via the portal in a few days. It’s not going to be a surge like last time this year, but will be significant.”

Given what Coach Prime said about the offensive line this past season and the injury Shedeur Sanders suffered due to its lack of protection, it’s easy to believe that a reboot of the Buffs’ offensive line is in the cards.

Coach Prime on Colorado football offensive line: ‘Big picture, you go get new linemen’

Wells’ portal departure, and the likely departures of several of his teammates to come, shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who’ve been paying attention. Back on October 29, following a 28-16 loss to UCLA, Coach Prime came out and said that the plan was to get new linemen.

“The [offensive] line has to improve,” Sanders said (h/t FOX Sports). “It’s a struggle to run the ball, and we got to figure that out because now you’re one-dimensional, and it’s easy to stop a team when they’re one-dimensional. And that’s who we are at this point in time. … The big picture, you go get new linemen. That’s the picture, and I’ma paint it perfectly.”

When you call for new talent on the line, you’re indirectly calling for the old talent to scram. Wells felt that energy and he won’t be the last to act accordingly.