Subscribe
Follow Us
Colorado football and head coach Deion Sanders fired the early warning: The Buffaloes are hitting the portal like never before. “Coach Prime” and CU just swooped up a huge Alabama weapon Monday following Sanders' season finale words.
Sanders and CU swooped up former Alabama defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis from the transfer portal, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.com. Oatis will arrive to Boulder as a major portal recruiting coup for Sanders and company.
The 6-foot-5, 325-pounder established himself as a hot commodity in the portal. Oatis landed as the No. 1 defensive player in the portal by ESPN, per college football insider Pete Thamel. He'll bring experience alongside his powerful strength.
Oatis started in 13 total games across two seasons for the Crimson Tide. He was also a past top 40 recruit before signing with ‘Bama. The Class of 2022 signing even arrived as the state of Mississippi's top overall prospect by 247Sports.
Oatis grabbed 57 total tackles from his interior defensive line spot. He turned to his long arms to break up five passes. Oatis also snatched 1.5 sacks.
Colorado proving recruiting mettle with Alabama transfer addition
The arrival of Oatis adds to the litany of notable recruiting wins from Sanders and the Buffaloes.
Colorado started its recruiting rampage by flipping five-star quarterback Julian Lewis from USC on Nov. 21. But things didn't stop with Lewis.
Another prized USC verbal commit, offensive tackle Carde Smith, flipped to Colorado and signed on Dec. 4. The Buffaloes then bolstered the defense by changing the mind of Ohio State edge rusher commit London Merritt, who also flipped and signed to CU in the early signing period.
Oatis, though, rises as the most seasoned and impactful addition. He's expected to use his powerful hole plugging ability and run stuffing to bolster CU for 2025. Colorado ranked ninth among Big 12 Conference teams against the run. But the Buffs surrendered 149 rushing yards per game.
Meanwhile in Tuscaloosa, Alabama continues to witness a mass exodus of player departures. The Crimson Tide have lost approximately 15 different players to the transfer portal. Former five-star cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe entered the portal Monday. Ex-four-star wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. left Alabama on the same day, hours before Mbakwe. And Henderson was a top-45 recruit, who signed in 2022 with Oatis. Mbakwe, Henderson, and Oatis all represent some of the last recruits of the Nick Saban era of Alabama.
