Two Colorado newcomers are already on the NFL radar before they’ve taken a snap in Boulder.
DeAndre Moore Jr. and Boo Carter were both named to the Senior Bowl’s annual Top 300 list, putting the pair in line to be tracked closely as the 2026 college football season begins. The list is built for draft-eligible players, and landing on it gives both Buffaloes a shot at one of the sport’s most respected postseason showcases.
The Senior Bowl scouting staff evaluated more than 2,000 players across college football before narrowing the field to 300. Colorado was one of 74 schools represented, and 38 Big 12 players made the cut.
As Drew Fabianich, executive director of the Senior Bowl, said, "we’ve challenged our staff to identify the 300 best draft-eligible players in the country, and this list represents the prospects we believe have separated themselves to this point in the evaluation process."
Moore arrives in Boulder with a proven track record and a chance to be a real focal point in Colorado’s rebuilt passing game. After three seasons at Texas, he played in 37 games and started 18. The 6-foot-190-pound receiver totaled 77 catches for 988 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Longhorns, and his strongest season came in 2025, when he posted 38 receptions for 532 yards and four scores.
Colorado is reshaping its offense with plenty of new faces, and Moore’s production is exactly the kind of playmaking it needs. Rated a four-star transfer and the sixth-best wide receiver in the portal by 247Sports, he enters as one of the most important additions to the Buffaloes’ attack.
Carter gives Colorado a different kind of impact on the other side of the ball. The Tennessee transfer brings a reputation as a physical, versatile defensive back, and his résumé already includes SEC All-Freshman recognition in 2024. He was also named Freshman of the Week against Florida and entered the 2025 season with preseason All-SEC honors.
Boo was ranked a four-star transfer and the fourth-rated safety by 247Sports. He was heavily recruited by Deion Sanders before ultimately choosing Tennessee, and the experience he gained against SEC competition should help a Colorado defense that has to come together quickly.
His spot on the list stands out even more because he is still an underclassman. Of the 300 players included, 100 were underclassmen who could become draft-eligible if they leave college early.
Being on the Top 300 does not guarantee an invitation to the Senior Bowl, and players left off the preseason list can still work their way in. Fabianich made that clear as well.
"This season is critical as we continue to evaluate these players," Fabianich said. "Our scouts will be on the road every week, and we expect this list to evolve as the season unfolds."
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Colorado Gets An Early Sign Two Transfers Could Raise The Ceiling
DeAndre Moore Jr. and Boo Carter arrived in Boulder with the kind of reputations that can change the tone of a roster before they ever play a snap, and now both transfers have already shown up on the radar of the next level. The wide receiver and defensive back were named to the 2027 Senior Bowl Top 300 watch list, an early nod that reflects both their NFL upside and the expectation that they will matter plenty for Colorado in 2026.
For the Buffaloes, the timing is notable because this is more than just preseason buzz. It is an early sign that two newcomers are viewed as possible difference-makers, the sort of players who can raise the ceiling if they settle in quickly and deliver on that promise. Colorado does not need long to imagine the value there, but the real answer will come once the season starts and both transfers begin trying to turn that watch-list recognition into production. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, ESPNs preseason projections are not buying into the hype just yet, leaving Colorado off the list of Big 12 teams expected to reach a bowl game. With several ranked opponents waiting on the schedule, the Buffaloes will likely have to earn that kind of respect the hard way, turning a few key games into the difference between a promising season and an empty December. [Read more 🡒]
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Sanders was hardly alone in giving Buffaloes followers something to track. Will Sheppard, LaJohntay Wester, Isaiah Oliver, Jimmy Horn Jr., Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and Amari McNeill all found ways to contribute, whether through receptions, touchdowns, tackles or interceptions for their respective teams. For a program that has spent plenty of time under the national microscope lately, the preseason has offered a reminder that Colorado's footprint is showing up on Sundays and the weeks leading up to them. [Read more 🡒]