Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders wasted little time attacking the transfer portal as the Buffaloes begin reshaping the roster after a difficult 2025 season. Coming off a rough 3-9 campaign that included just one Big 12 win, Sanders and his staff are clearly focused on adding proven production and upside on both sides of the ball.
One of the first additions came on offense. Sacramento State running back Damian Henderson II announced his commitment shortly after the portal opened, with the news first shared publicly by Hayes Fawcett.
“Sac State transfer RB Damian Henderson II has Committed to Colorado, he tells On3 sports. This season he totaled 91 carries for 565 yards and 5 TDs (6.2 YPC),” Fawcett posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Henderson’s move to Boulder is closely tied to Colorado’s recent coaching change. Sanders hired former Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator after the season, and Henderson is now following Marion to the Buffs.
Henderson spent two seasons at Colorado State before transferring to Sac State for the 2025 season, where he became a productive piece of Marion’s offense. Coming out of high school, he was a three-star prospect with offers from the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, Arizona Wildcats, San Jose State Spartans, and Colorado State Rams.
Colorado also addressed its defense, which struggled mightily in 2025. The Buffs ranked last in the Big 12 in yards allowed and were unable to consistently generate pressure. That context makes the addition of Monmouth Hawks' defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr. particularly crucial.
“Monmouth transfer DL Lamont Lester Jr. has committed to Colorado, Pete Nakos reports,” On3 posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Lester Jr., an FCS Freshman All-American, enjoyed a breakout redshirt freshman season at Monmouth, recording 36 tackles and two forced fumbles. He joins former Charlotte 49ers' defensive lineman Yamil Talib as part of a defensive-focused portal push, addressing an area that clearly needed reinforcements.
The portal additions come after a season that followed Colorado’s 9-4 breakthrough year, when Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy and Shedeur Sanders captured the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. With both stars now in the NFL, 2025 exposed depth and consistency issues across the roster.
Despite speculation about the program’s direction after losses piled up, Colorado leadership has remained firm in its support of Sanders. Now, with the 2026 season looming as a pivotal year, early portal wins like Henderson and Lester Jr. signal that Sanders is intent on retooling quickly and aggressively to get Colorado back on track.
