Colton Hood made a significant impact in his redshirt freshman season with the Colorado Buffaloes, appearing in all 13 games of their 9-4 2024 campaign. He recorded 24 tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions.
Among the 33 players who entered the NCAA transfer portal after the 2024 season, Colton was one of them, along with his brother Brandon.
Hood stated on X in April 2025 that Colorado was "moving in a different direction," explaining his decision to enter the transfer portal.
On April 25, we learned the school was moving in a different direction and we humbly respected that decision by entering the portal.
— Colton HOOD 🕴🏼💯 (@Colton_Hood2023) April 26, 2025
Thank you to everyone for the love and support over the past year. Please pray for me as I pursue purpose because I’ve never chased paychecks!
Hood ultimately selected the University of Tennessee, drawn to its competitive SEC program and the opportunity to compete in the college football playoffs.
Tennessee didn't make the playoffs, finishing the 2025 season with an 8-5 record and a 4-4 mark in SEC play.
It is, however, significantly better than Colorado’s 3-9 season.
The cornerback has received rave reviews and is projected as a first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, with some projections seeing him as high as 13th overall to the Los Angeles Rams.
He earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against Syracuse, finishing the season with 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, 8 pass deflections, and one interception returned for a touchdown.
During his NFL combine interview, the NFL-bound cornerback was asked about the differences between Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and Tennessee's Josh Heupel.
Tennessee CB Colton Hood on the differences between Deion Sanders and Josh Heupel@AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/78mon2SxXE
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) February 26, 2026
Colton Hood refused to say a word on Deion Sanders when asked at the NFL Combine
While not the glowing review one might anticipate from a player coached by Coach Prime, there might be more to the situation than meets the eye.
The Buffs' decision to keep DJ McKinney over Hood could also be a contributing factor.
Hood had some positive things to say about his time at Colorado, particularly about going up against Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter daily and the receivers he faced, including LaJohntay Wester, Jimmy Horn Jr., Will Sheppard, all of whom are now in the NFL.
While it could be anything or nothing, Hood's reluctance to include Coach Prime suggests lingering bad blood between them.