The Colorado Buffaloes are once again in the thick of a roster shakeup - and the transfer portal hasn’t even officially opened yet.
On Thursday, the Buffaloes saw two more players announce their intention to transfer: running back Dallan Hayden and defensive lineman Samuel Okunlola. That brings Colorado’s total number of portal departures to 19, and we’re still a few days away from the January 2 opening of the NCAA’s official transfer window.
This is the latest wave of turnover in what’s become a defining trend under head coach Deion Sanders. Since arriving in Boulder, Coach Prime has leaned heavily on the transfer portal as a tool to reshape the roster, often opting for rapid reconstruction over long-term development. Now, with a limited 2026 recruiting class and a 3-9 season in the rearview, the stakes for this next portal cycle are even higher.
Let’s break down what these latest exits mean.
Dallan Hayden: A Missed Opportunity in the Backfield
Hayden came to Colorado from Ohio State with the kind of pedigree that suggested he could make an immediate impact. At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, he brought size, experience, and a knack for the end zone - tallying eight touchdowns across his college career. The expectation was that he’d be a key piece in Colorado’s backfield rotation, especially given the Buffaloes’ struggles to establish a consistent run game in 2025.
But now, he’s on his way out after just one season. Hayden still has one year of eligibility left, and he’ll likely draw interest from programs looking for a veteran presence with Big Ten experience. For Colorado, though, it’s a tough loss - not just in terms of production, but in terms of what his departure signals: a backfield still in flux heading into 2026.
Samuel Okunlola: A Promising Pass Rusher Cut Short by Injury
Okunlola’s departure is another hit to Colorado’s defensive depth. The former Pitt transfer came in with solid credentials - 49 tackles and eight sacks over his college career - and was expected to be a rotational piece with upside. But injuries derailed his 2025 campaign, limiting him to just the season opener.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Okunlola has time to bounce back elsewhere. Still, losing a player with his physical tools and pass-rushing potential adds another hole to a defensive unit that struggled to generate consistent pressure this past season.
The Bigger Picture: Portal Movement and Roster Identity
The timing of these exits only adds to the tension. The portal officially opens January 2 and runs through January 16, but Colorado is already feeling the churn. And with key contributors - including offensive lineman Jordan Seaton - still undecided about their futures, the coming weeks could bring even more movement.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Coach Prime. Since taking over, Sanders has used the portal like few others in college football, bringing in waves of new talent in hopes of fast-tracking a rebuild.
It’s a strategy that made headlines in his first offseason and brought a jolt of energy to the program. But after a 3-9 campaign in 2025, the question now isn’t just about who’s coming in - it’s about whether the pieces will finally start to fit.
With a smaller high school recruiting class on deck, the upcoming portal window becomes even more critical. Colorado needs more than just bodies - it needs impact players, culture fits, and foundational pieces who can help stabilize a program still searching for its identity under Sanders.
The departures of Hayden and Okunlola underscore the volatility of this approach. The portal gives, and the portal takes. And for Colorado, the next few weeks will help determine whether this offseason marks another step forward - or just more of the same reshuffling.