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After just missing out on a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game and a possible trip to the College Football Playoff, Deion Sanders and Colorado football are now working in the transfer portal to see how they can improve their roster heading into 2025 while it prepares for next Saturday's Alamo Bowl.
However, not everything goes Sanders' way in the transfer portal. A few days ago, Colorado lost defensive end Dayon Hayes in the portal as the former Pittsburgh pass rusher searched for his third home in three seasons. On Friday, Hayes committed to Texas A&M for the 2025 season according to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports.
Hayes was a key piece of a Colorado defense that improved a ton this season, helping lift them to the top of the Big 12 and a 9-3 record. He was a starter on the Buffaloes' defensive line to begin the season before suffering an injury that kept him out for the rest of the year.
In four games for Colorado this season, Hayes recorded 16 tackles with four tackles for loss and two sacks. He was a very productive piece of a Pittsburgh defensive line in 2023, finishing that season with 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and four pass breakups. His production during that season certainly earned him plenty of interest in the portal last season and it did this year as well.
After leaving Colorado, Hayes will now head to a Texas A&M team that is looking to replace both of its star edge rushers from this year's team. Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton have both declared for the upcoming NFL Draft and both have a chance to be first-round picks, so it's understandable why Hayes would want to go play for a staff that has produced that kind of talent and production at that position.
Texas A&M knows it needs to replace that production at one of the most important positions on the field if it wants to compete for an SEC Championship and a College Football Playoff berth next season, and adding Hayes is a step in the right direction to get to that point. If the Aggies can get a healthy season from Dayon Hayes like he had in 2023, this could be a huge addition to their team.
On the other hand, this Colorado football team is still filling out its front seven after losing Hayes, but it can also rely on returning edges Samuel Okunlola, Taje McCoy and Keaten Wade for proven production. If the Buffaloes can add some more depth behind those guys, this can be a scary pass rush once again in 2025.
