By now, everyone knows how Coach Prime operates. He’s not interested in high school players and only signed six in the class of 2024. The six players he’s brought in should help early in their careers, but Colorado builds its roster through the transfer portal.
Last offseason, the Buffaloes added 51 transfers in a total roster overhaul. It wasn’t as drastic this year, but with 23 additions, Colorado was the third busiest team in the portal, only behind Louisville and Texas A&M.
That group of 23 players will give Coach Prime a chance to improve on the 4-8 record he posted in his debut as a Power Five head coach. With a move to the Big 12, Colorado has a chance to be competitive with a quality quarterback, a dynamic two-way star, a five-star freshman left tackle, and these incoming five transfers.
It’s incredible that Travis Hunter could play both sides of the football and finish the season with 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns, but when your best wide receiver is actually a cornerback that’s not good news for your offense.
Now, the Buffs will have a true No. 1 receiver because Will Sheppard is the best true wideout on the roster. In 2023 at Vanderbilt, catching passes from AJ Swann and Ken Seals who are far from Shedeur Sanders, he racked up 684 yards and eight touchdowns on 47 catches.
Sheppard did have nine drops last year, but that is a huge jump from 2022 and not who he is as a player. What he is at his best is a deep threat with real speed at 6-foot-3. Half of his targets came over 10 yards downfield he made 14 of 29 contest catch opportunities last year.