Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders will continue to reshape the Buffaloes roster as the second window has opened for players to enter their names into the NCAA transfer portal. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
The second round of roster overhaul is underway in Boulder.
On Saturday, cornerback Nikko Reed and two other Colorado Buffaloes announced their decisions to put their names into the NCAA transfer portal. Several Buffs are expected to leave the program this spring with new head coach Deion Sanders continuing to build his roster.
A week ago, Sanders told the media, “The team that we’re playing with now is not the team that we’re going to play with in Texas the first game (on Sept. 3 at TCU). Do I need to say any more? It’s gonna be a lot of new faces, a lot of new attitudes, a lot of new understandings and a lot of new wants and desires and you’ve got to have it.”
After adding 27 transfers during the winter, Sanders and his staff have made it clear they will be active once again in the portal this spring. The transfer window opened on Saturday, as players around the country have until April 30 put their names into the portal.
While three players announced their intentions to transfer, the Buffaloes added another piece to the puzzle, with former Old Dominion edge defender Deeve Harris announcing his commitment to CU.
CU is currently projected to be over the NCAA scholarship limit of 85 and the staff still wants to add more players, which means there will be more attrition from the current roster. That process has already started.
Reed, tight end Austin Smith and running back Jayle Stacks all announced their decisions to transfer on Saturday. Earlier this week, cornerback Keyshon Mills and safety Dylan Dixson also announced they will be transferring.
Among that group, Reed was the most impactful of the Buffs on the field.
As a true sophomore last year, Reed started all 12 games at cornerback, finishing with 44 tackles, seven pass breakups and a team-high two interceptions. He was also the Buffs’ leading kickoff returner, with 19 returns for 430 yards (23.6 yards per return).
Reed also played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2021, with one start. He had a 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown in the 2021 season finale at Utah.
“I am still confident in what Coach Prime and the new coaching staff will do for the Colorado Buffaloes, but I am sad to say that I will not be apart of it as I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Reed wrote in a Twitter post. “I wish you all nothing but the best and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me and my career.”
Stacks, from Cherry Creek High School, played in 17 games during his three seasons with the Buffs. Last season, he rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries and caught one pass for two yards.
“A moment for all of my coaches, teammates and Buff Nation who have challenged me to be better both on and off the field,” Stacks wrote on Twitter. “I will carry your support with me wherever I go. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to grow beyond measure at CU over the past three years.”
Smith played in 10 games during his two seasons with the Buffs as a backup tight end. Most of his playing time came on special teams, but he caught a 4-yard touchdown pass at Minnesota on Sept. 17 in what was his lone catch as a Buff.
Harris played the past two seasons at Old Dominion after two years at Minnesota.
Listed by ODU at 6-foot-2, 233 pounds, Harris had 32 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 10 games for the Monarchs last season. He also had an interception return for touchdown.
In 2021, Harris had 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4.5 TFLs in 13 games (three starts). He became the first player in ODU history to score twice on defense in the same season, returning an interception and a fumble for touchdowns.
At Minnesota, Harris played in one game during his two seasons with the Gophers. The St. Louis product has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Coming out of high school in 2019, he was a three-star prospect with 16 scholarship offers, including nine from Power 5 programs.
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