Colorado finally got a little national respect for its transfer haul, and DeAndre Moore Jr. is the name leading the way.
ESPN’s latest transfer portal rankings put the Colorado wide receiver at No. 26 overall after former Texas Tech quarterback Brenen Sorsby was dropped from the list following a gambling investigation that led to his departure from the Red Raiders. That change gave the Buffaloes one player inside the top 100, but plenty of their other additions were left out entirely.
Moore’s spot is easy to understand. The former Longhorn spent three seasons in the SEC and became one of Arch Manning’s go-to options in 2025, finishing with 38 catches for 532 yards and four touchdowns.
That production alone would make him a strong pickup. But Colorado also sees something bigger in him.
Inside a young receiver room, Moore has already taken on a leadership role, and Deion Sanders has been blunt about it, calling him “the real leader.”
That kind of presence matters for a roster trying to settle in fast. It gives a young offense a steady voice, someone who has already played in a demanding conference and knows what the standard looks like.
Even with Moore near the top 25, Colorado had other arrivals who were nowhere to be found on ESPN’s updated top 100. Danny Scudero, who led the entire NCAA with 1,291 receiving yards last season, did not make the cut. Neither did former Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter or First-Team All-MAC linebacker Gideon Lampron, both of whom came to Boulder with proven production.
Sanders, though, has already made it clear he isn’t putting much stock in preseason lists. At Big 12 Media Days, he said, "We don't care what people say," Sanders said. "Just because our guys were snubbed off a poll that's probably not going to be consistent with the end of the season, we don't give a darn."
There were two former Buffs who did land on the rankings. Former Colorado offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, now at LSU, checked in at No. 3 overall, while former wide receiver Omarion Miller, who transferred to Arizona State, came in at No. 13.
For Colorado fans, seeing Seaton and Miller that high is a reminder of what left Boulder. But the focus now is on what the Buffs brought in, and Moore is at the center of that conversation.
His fit makes sense on the field, too. Moore is back with Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, who previously served as Texas’ passing game coordinator and helped recruit Moore to Austin. Now they’re reunited in Boulder, where Moore’s ability to work the middle, pick up yards after the catch, and threaten defenses downfield lines up neatly with Marion’s Go-Go offense.
Add in redshirt sophomore quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis, who is entering his second season in the program with more confidence, and Colorado has reason to feel good about the direction of its offense.
The Buffaloes may have finally earned a little national acknowledgment for their work in the portal, but if Sanders is right about this group, it may not be long before they’re impossible to ignore.
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Smith guided Texas Tech from 2013 to 2015 and helped set the stage for the programs return to the NCAA Tournament in 2016. His place in the Hall of Fame also gives the Red Raiders another connection to a coaching tree that already includes Bob Knight, though the full Class of 2026 will not be formally enshrined until Oct. 22, 2026, in Kansas City. [Read more 🡒]