Colorado’s 2026 class already has the look of one that could send a couple of names onto NFL radars down the line.
Deion Sanders has produced four NFL Draft selections at Colorado, all from the same draft class, and those players came through the transfer portal. This next wave is different. Two of the Buffaloes’ 2026 signees arrive with the kind of traits that can turn into pro attention if everything keeps trending the right way in Boulder.
One of the most intriguing is “Major Payne,” the Orlando, Florida product who checks in at 6-7 and 320 pounds. Payne played for Florida prep coach Luther Campbell, a figure known for developing Miami Hurricanes and other college-level talent, and his game already shows why he drew so much attention.
He can collapse the line of scrimmage by driving edge rushers and defensive tackles out of the play, opening lanes in the run game. He also moves with quick, patient feet when speed comes screaming off the edge, then ends the rep with a heavy-handed punch to the chest that can knock a pass rusher off course.
If an edge defender tries to win with bend or by arcing around him, Payne has shown he can answer with power and put that rusher on the turf. That physical style helped make him a target for Florida State and Mike Norvell before he ultimately landed with Colorado.
Now he joins a program where Andre Gurode, the former five-time NFL Pro Bowler and consensus All-American at Colorado, will coach his position. Gurode has the tools to sharpen Payne’s technique while keeping the power that already stands out.
Payne’s path to early playing time also looks real because of the state of Colorado’s offensive line. The Buffaloes are rebuilding up front and could have five new starters, which opens the door for a player like Payne to climb quickly.
Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion likes what he sees in the room, comparing it to a deep Texas 2022 lineman group from his time as a Longhorns assistant. Even so, the reshuffling could give Payne a chance to get on the field sooner rather than later.
On the other side of the ball, Colorado also signed the younger Peko, whose name already carries weight because his father was a 15-year NFL defensive lineman and is now the Buffaloes’ 2025 defensive line coach. But the son brings more than a familiar last name. He arrives after a junior college stretch at Ventura College in California, where he battled future Football Bowl Subdivision linemen in one of the JUCO scene’s tougher divisions.
Peko Jr. has sharpened his hand usage, working tackles with extension and swipes instead of leaning on pure edge speed. Once he gets around a block, he keeps going, turning effort into sacks and tackles for loss. He also showed he can swing games, whether that meant chasing down a long run and forcing a fumble or delivering the win-sealing sack.
His immediate path at Colorado includes some waiting. The defensive line has been reworked with a mix of transfers and recruits, and senior edge rushers Toby Anene from North Dakota State and Vili Taufatofua of San Jose State point to Peko Jr. sitting behind them for now.
But the longer view is what makes him interesting. By 2027 and 2028, he could be in position to take over as a leader of the edge rush group, with his bloodlines and improving technique giving him a profile NFL scouts will keep an eye on.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Is Opening Buffs Camp With An Unexpected Change
Deion Sanders is taking the Buffaloes somewhere a little different to open training camp in 2026, with Colorado set to spend its first week in Colorado Springs instead of Boulder. The team will be based at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and hold practices at Fountain-Fort Carson High School, a notable change of scenery for a program that has made a habit of operating with plenty of attention already attached.
The move comes with practices closed to the public, though the Buffs have lined up media sessions with coaches and players on Aug. 4, 5 and 6. After that Colorado Springs stretch, the team is scheduled to head back to Boulder and continue its buildup toward a Sept. 3 opener against Georgia Tech, which gives this early-camp detour a little extra weight as the season starts to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Former Texas Receiver Fires Back After Sarkisian's Latest Comments
DeAndre Moore Jr. is settling into Colorado with plenty of attention already attached to the move. After transferring from Texas and landing a significant NIL deal to join the Buffaloes, the former Longhorns receiver arrives with a chance to carve out a major role in Brennan Marions offense, where his speed and ability to stretch the field should fit the new system well.
The backdrop to the transfer has only added to the intrigue, especially after Steve Sarkisians recent comments about why Texas moved on from Moore. Moore answered on social media, making it clear he noticed, and now the focus shifts to how quickly he can turn the change of scenery into production for Colorado and become the kind of playmaker the Buffaloes need on the outside. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Takes Buffs Camp To Colorado Springs Again
Colorado football is heading back to Colorado Springs for the first week of its 2026 fall camp, with practices set for Fountain-Fort Carson High School and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus. The Buffs are scheduled to be there from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, continuing a setup that takes the team away from Boulder for a stretch before the season begins.
It will be the second time under Deion Sanders that Colorado has taken training camp on the road, and the move again comes with practices closed to the public. For a program that has embraced a different kind of summer routine under Sanders, the trip adds another layer of separation between camp preparation and the usual fan-facing scene back in Boulder. [Read more 🡒]