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The Buffs are now down a former five-star recruit

The crown jewel of Coach Prime’s 2023 freshmen recruiting class is headed elsewhere, as former five-star cornerback Cormani McClain plans to enter the transfer portal, announced by Hayes Fawcett on Tuesday.

BREAKING: Colorado CB Cormani McClain plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports

The 6’3 173 CB from Lakeland, FL was ranked as the No. 1 CB in the ‘23 Class (per On3)

Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining https://t.co/xSqXS0NCGh pic.twitter.com/Saq4s7IByA

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 16, 2024​

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When McClain flipped his commitment from Miami to Colorado, it was a big deal. Snagging a five-star recruit of his caliber has been a rare event in CU football history, so many fans were excited to see McClain in black and gold.

However, 2023 was a bit of a bumpy ride for McClain. After not playing in Colorado first three games, Deion Sanders called Cormani out publicly for having some work ethic issues, raising some eyebrows.

McClain played in six games for Colorado last year, tallying 13 tackles and two pass breakups. It seemed Cormani was beginning to come into his own in the latter half of 2023, but he’ll now be taking his talents elsewhere.

The transfer of Cormani isn’t especially surprising, as he’s been rumored to be on the move for around a month now. It just didn’t work out in Boulder for McClain under Coach Prime, and that’s perfectly fine.

Losing a five-star recruit stings, but the Buffs will be okay without McClain. Their CB corps is ridiculously deep and we still have the best corner in the nation in Travis Hunter. Regardless, we wish Cormani the best of luck wherever he lands.

by RylandScholes
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Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado’s star guard will attempt to make it as an undrafted rookie.

We have learned to never doubt Jaylyn Sherrod.

If she only has one scholarship offer out of high school, she’s going to start 133 games at that school. If she gets hurt, she’s going to fight through that torn ACL, broken face and whatever knock she picked up two minutes before diving into the crowd. If no one believes in her team, she’s going to lead them to back-to-back Sweet Sixteens.

Sherrod will now face an uphill battle to make it to the WNBA. She did not hear her name in the three-round WNBA Draft, but she immediately signed with the New York Liberty. It’s a longshot she makes the roster, much less get playing, in a 12-team league that’s so deep in talent that many first rounders will get cut in preseason.

Either in the WNBA or overseas, Sherrod will find a role because of her defense and intensity. Every coach would love to have her, whether it’s a lockdown on-ball defender or an energizer off the bench. That might be even more valuable in practice, where her intensity will challenge starting guards.

If she does make the Liberty roster, she will competing every day with a loaded roster. Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are the main stars, while Courtney Vandersloot provides a veteren presence and Betnijah Laney adds defense and shooting. They’re expected to make the finals and will need players who bring it every day in practice. Sherrod might just have a chance.

by Sam Metivier
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Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Hadley will play his final season in Kentucky.

After entering the transfer portal three weeks ago, J’Vonne Hadley has decided to transfer to Louisville for his final year of college basketball.

The two-year starter was a hot commodity on the transfer market. The senior from St. Paul, Minnesota was being courted by both Iowa State and Michigan State, both legit contenders in the Big 12 and Big Ten, respectively. He surprised both, however, when he went with Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals.

The Cardinals are in the midst of a total rebuild. Kenny Payne was just fired after winning 12 games in two seasons (!) and replaced him with College of Charleston’s head coach. Every single scholarship player on Lousville entered the portal, so Kelsey has been very busy recruiting experienced players.

So far, Kelsey brought over two Charleston starters in veteran guard Reyne Smith and 6’11 freshman James Scott. He also recruited James Madison star Terrence Edwards, Jr., who was one of the most highly coveted players in the portal. Now Hadley figures to be a glue guy whose defense, rebounding and selfless play make everyone around him better.

As for the Buffs, Tad Boyle and staff have lost nearly the entire rotation from last season. KJ Simpson entered the draft and signed with an agent. Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams are expected to enter the draft. Eddie Lampkin Jr. went to Syracuse and Hadley is off to Louisville. Luke O’Brien is also graduating and transferring, but he hasn’t announced yet.

Colorado hasn’t landed anyone yet, but they’re recruiting mostly experienced players who could start right away. Two players visited last week: Trevor Baskin from Colorado Mesa and Andrej Jakimovski from Washington State. (If you don’t know Baskin, please watch him because he’s legit.) CU is also recruiting centers and guards, but it’s unclear exactly who at this point.

by Sam Metivier
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Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The spring transfer portal is going to go crazy.

There’s a lot of prognostication about the state of college football these days, which makes sense. The foundations of the sport have changed in a way that will never un-change (great writing right there. Luckily for the Colorado Buffaloes, they have a change agent in charge in Deion Sanders. As long as Buff fans are expecting constant change with Coach Prime, they will be happy with the direction that the program is going.

On Tuesday, the spring transfer portal window opens up across the country, and everyone is FREAKING OUT. Teams across the country are going to lose starters and even stars. Yes, even the mighty SEC and Big Ten are going to lose guys to paydays and better spots for playing time. That will be EVERYWHERE. Here’s a relevant example:

Arkansas OT Andrew Chamblee, one of the portal’s most coveted linemen, is expected to schedule visits with Kansas State, Colorado, Virginia Tech and UCLA, per agents @fcprospects_ and @callmeagentdwil. SMU and Indiana have also expressed interest in a visit.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 14, 2024​

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Chamblee started 8 games last year for Arkansas. And it’s not like Arkansas is cheap on the NIL front. However, even still, the young lineman is going portaling and looking for a better fit. It would be fantastic if CU was that better home.

It’s not all going to be sunshine and rainbows for the Buffs. They have already lost multiple players to the transfer portal in the spring, with more to come when it opens up. Some will be significant contributors (Myles Slusher) and some may even be starters or stars. We don’t exactly know who is going to go, but I feel warm and fuzzy knowing that CU’s two biggest stars, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, are either related to Coach Prime or might as well be.

We don’t want to speculate too specifically, but I will look at a few position groups that seem primed for new players coming in and current players going out:

• Linebacker: CU tried to get a big splash here with DJ Lundy, who ended up going back to Florida State. There is still plenty of room on tis roster for the Buffs to get an experienced, big linebacker. It’s well-needed, too, I don’t want to see Trevor Woods have to fill those gaps.
• Defensive End: There are a lot of names in this position group, but not a lot of standouts. That kind of logjam lends itself well to the transfer portal. Past Okunlola, I’m not sure where the rest of the position stands. Maybe someone near the bottom of the depth chart will take a chance elsewhere.
• Offensive line: Always. Always need more offensive linemen.

We will continue to monitor this crazy time for CU football. Spring football is in full swing and the spring game is only a few weeks away. That will be a MONSTER recruiting day for Coach Prime and Co. Get ready.

by Jack Barsch
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James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffs are losing some depth this week.

In expected news, the Colorado Buffaloes are now experienced some roster turnover as the transfer portal officially opened on Monday.

Seven have announced their departures in first day of the portal. Both Savion Washington and Jaden Milliner-Jones are tough losses. Myles Slusher was good when healthy but he’s moving on as well. Washington and Slusher both started during the 2023 season, while Milliner-Jones was a talented freshman who was expected to compete for snaps this season.

Now four others, Isaiah Jatta, Hayes Fawcett, Devee Harris and Chazz Wallace will be leaving the program. Each of these players contributed depth, however none were more than depth pieces on the Colorado roster. Harris and Wallace came over from Old Dominion but were recruited over. Jatta could have player a role this year, but could probably find more play time elsewhere.

The Buffs will be very active recruiting players in the transfer portal. Deion Sanders is rebuilding both offensive and defensive lines and is always looking out for skill positions and defensive backs.

by Sam Metivier
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