Sean Kinney isn’t just another name in the transfer portal - he’s a proven trench warrior with the kind of résumé that turns heads, and now he’s headed to Boulder to suit up for Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.
After anchoring Lafayette College’s offensive line for the past two seasons, Kinney is making the jump to the FBS level with two years of eligibility left. His commitment adds another key piece to a Colorado offensive line that’s undergoing yet another overhaul - and for good reason. The Buffs struggled mightily up front last season, and Coach Prime is clearly making it a priority to fix that.
Kinney brings more than just size - though at 6-foot-2, 305 pounds, he’s got plenty of that. He brings consistency, versatility, and production.
This past season, he started all 12 games at center for Lafayette and put together a rock-solid campaign: 796 total snaps, 390 of them in pass protection, and not a single sack allowed. According to Pro Football Focus, he gave up just three pressures all year.
That’s elite-level efficiency, no matter the level of competition.
His journey to center was a steady progression. Back in 2024, as a true freshman, Kinney was named to The Sports Network Freshman All-America Team.
After coming off the bench in the season opener, he started the next 11 games, lining up at multiple positions - three at left guard, one at right guard, and then seven straight at center. Across 770 snaps that season, including 398 in pass protection, he allowed just one sack.
Once he slid into the middle of the line, he didn’t give up any.
That kind of flexibility - and reliability - is exactly what Colorado needs as it tries to solidify a unit that’s seen a lot of turnover. Kinney becomes the sixth offensive lineman to transfer into the program this offseason, and the second center. Just two days before Kinney’s commitment, the Buffs landed former Houston starter Demetrius Hunter, another experienced interior lineman.
In total, Colorado has brought in 36 transfers this offseason, and unofficially, the team has filled 72 of its 85 scholarship spots. That’s a massive roster shake-up, but one that signals just how serious Sanders is about reshaping this program from the inside out - literally.
Kinney’s addition may not make national headlines, but for a Colorado team that’s been searching for stability and toughness in the trenches, this is the kind of move that can pay real dividends. He’s shown he can handle his business at the line of scrimmage, and now he’ll get the chance to prove it on a bigger stage.