Rider Portela arrived at Colorado as the lone freshman in the Buffaloes’ 2026 recruiting class. By the time he hit his first official workout in Boulder seven months later, he was one of many rookies in a class that had swelled well beyond its original shape.
That shift says plenty about the current college basketball landscape, where early high school signees are no longer the standard and roster turnover can remake a team every spring. Portela’s path to CU still stands out in that environment, even if it doesn’t fit the old-school idea of a player staying put for four years. He says that was always the plan.
“I definitely want to be here all four years,” Portela said. “My dad’s definitely built that in me.
I’m not one of those people that just kind of chases money or fame or anything like that. I kind of want to chase just getting better.
I feel like this place is perfect for me.”
Portela was the only player Colorado signed on the November signing day last fall. Then came the spring, when Tad Boyle added Alex Dickeson, Chase Hill, Eric Jacobsen, Amir Jones, Goc Malual, and Luke Mirhashemi. Now seven of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen, with transfer David Gomez also in the mix after playing just two games as a freshman at Charlotte last season before a season-ending foot injury.
For Portela, the summer has brought a different kind of adjustment. He’s used to being coached hard, but this is the first time he hasn’t had his father in that role.
“It’s a little different, but it’s really new and I like it,” Portela said. “Me and my dad’s relationship grew over time, both with that father-son and coach-and-player.
Going here, I think coach Boyle is kind of like my dad, and that really contributed to me coming here. He’s a great coach and always on the players to get really better.
And he’s a defensive guy too, which is what I really bring to the table. That’s what my dad saw, and I think it’s what coach Boyle sees as well.”
Born and raised in Arizona, the 6-foot-6 wing fits the kind of bigger, versatile player Boyle has long preferred in his 16 seasons at Colorado. It’s too early to know which freshmen will earn real rotation minutes, but Portela has already spent the summer learning the pace and the demands of his new setting.
“It’s been eye-opening a little bit, but at the same time it’s really been helpful,” Portela said. “Just getting better here on my own, kind of seeing who I really am and who I can really be.
The game’s a lot faster, but I’ve gotten better at that. I’m not saying I’m there right now, but I know I will be.”
In Other News...
Colorado Is Suddenly Winning A Recruiting Fight Fans Know Well
Colorados 2027 recruiting board is starting to look a lot more like the version Deion Sanders envisioned when he arrived in Boulder. The Buffaloes have climbed to No. 35 in the 247Sports team rankings, a notable step up from where their 2026 class finished, and the group already includes 19 verbal commits with several of the kinds of prospects that help change the tone of a cycle. For a program still trying to turn national attention into sustained roster building, that matters.
The more interesting part is how Colorado has kept stacking wins even after taking a few losses on the trail. The Buffaloes have landed a cluster of key commitments and are sitting among the Big 12s better recruiting hauls, which is the kind of progress that can keep a class moving even when a couple of top targets go elsewhere. The next question is whether Colorado can keep that momentum long enough to finish the summer with a class that looks less like a hot start and more like a real recruiting statement. [Read more 🡒]
DeKalon Taylor Had A Strong Reaction To Coach Primes Retreat
Deion Sanders brought a select group of emerging leaders to his Texas ranch for a retreat built around more than just football, and senior running back DeKalon Taylor came away sounding like he got something meaningful out of it. The gathering included current and former NFL players such as Nate Newton, Tony Tolbert and Jalen Ramsey, giving the Buffaloes a chance to hear from people who have already navigated the demands that come with being a pro and a leader.
For Taylor, the timing matters as he heads into the 2026 season with a chance to carve out a bigger role in Colorados backfield. He is in the mix for the starting job, but the Buffaloes could also lean on multiple-back looks that keep him involved either way, and after an injury-hit 2025, any edge in preparation feels especially valuable. [Read more 🡒]