The Colorado Buffaloes continue to reshape their roster with an eye toward experience and depth, particularly in the trenches. Over the weekend, head coach Deion Sanders added two more key pieces to his rebuild: former Cal offensive tackle Leon Bell and former Baylor defensive tackle Samu Taumanupepe.
Let’s start with Bell, who brings serious size and starting experience to Boulder. Standing at 6-foot-8 and tipping the scales at 330 pounds, Bell is a physically imposing presence on the edge.
He started eight games for Cal this past season and played in 10 overall, logging 583 snaps exclusively at right tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed three sacks and 20 pressures - not elite numbers, but certainly serviceable considering the level of competition in the Pac-12.
What makes Bell’s addition even more intriguing is the path he’s taken. Before Cal, he spent two years at Kilgore Community College, where he earned first-team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors in 2022.
That performance earned him a shot at Mississippi State, where he spent the next two seasons. Although his time in Starkville was limited - just 66 total snaps and one start - the experience in multiple systems could serve him well in Colorado’s evolving offensive scheme.
Bell becomes the fourth offensive tackle transfer with starting experience to join the Buffs this offseason. He joins Bo Hughley (Georgia), Jayven Richardson (Missouri), and Taj White (Rutgers) in what’s shaping up to be a full-blown competition for starting jobs up front.
And that’s exactly what Colorado needs. The Buffs struggled mightily with protection last season, and Sanders has made it clear he’s not going to let that happen again.
It’s not just new faces either - Colorado also brings back Larry Johnson III and Andre Roye Jr., who combined for 10 starts at right tackle last season. Add in transfer centers Demetrius Hunter (Houston) and Sean Kinney (Lafayette), plus experienced guard Jose Soto (Sacramento State), and suddenly the offensive line room looks a lot deeper - and more battle-tested - than it did just a few months ago.
On the other side of the ball, the addition of Samu Taumanupepe gives Colorado another big body in the middle of its defensive front. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 376 pounds, Taumanupepe is a space-eater with two years of eligibility left.
He saw limited action at Baylor in 2025, playing just 27 snaps but still managing to notch two tackles and a pass breakup. Before that, he spent time at Texas A&M, redshirting in 2023 and appearing in three games overall.
In 2024, he posted six tackles in just 20 snaps - small sample size, but productive when on the field.
Taumanupepe is now the eighth defensive lineman to join the Buffs this offseason - and the seventh via the transfer portal. That kind of overhaul speaks volumes about Colorado’s commitment to building depth and versatility in the trenches, especially in a conference where line play often determines who wins in November.
In total, Colorado has brought in 38 transfers this offseason and unofficially filled 74 of its 85 scholarship spots. The message is clear: Coach Prime is not just flipping the roster - he’s building it with a purpose. Experience, size, and competition are the new cornerstones, and with additions like Bell and Taumanupepe, the Buffs are starting to look like a team that’s ready to battle in the trenches, not just flash on the perimeter.