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It looks like Hammond won’t be granted a fifth year of eligibility.

Julian Hammond III received bad news not even two days after entering the transfer portal. The fourth-year Colorado guard will almost certainly be denied eligibility after a court ruling went in favor of the NCAA.

Hammond was one of many players who entered the portal without remaining eligibility. The portal was closing so why not throw your name in and hope for the best. After all, the NCAA has lost countless court decisions and there was a chance for the case brought on by former Duke and North Carolina athletes arguing for a fifth year of eligibilty.

While it was a surprise, it was a smart move by the Communications major to try for that fifth season and collect an NIL bag. Unfortunately, it looks like he will have to continue his playing career elsewhere, as Hammond played 121 games over four seasons, never redshirted, never suffered a serious injury and didn’t play during the Covid year.

by Sam Metivier
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Colorado has added a versatile wing.

After five years with Frida Formann, JR Payne is on the hunt for another versatile, sweet shooting guard. She may have found that in her latest roster addition, Gonzaga transfer Claire O’Connor.

O’Connor won’t replace Formann one for one, but the lefty looks legit after two seasons with the Zags. After playing sporadically in her freshman season, O’Connor earned major minutes on a 24-win team. It’s her shooting ability that really stands out, as the Bellevue (WA) product hit more than 40% of her 120 three-point attempts. She has a quick trigger, especially when she’s feeling her shot.

Aside from her shooting ability, she’s a strong rebounder and opportunistic defender. Much of that is her size and length at the shooting guard position — she’s 6’0 and quick on her feet — but she also has a knack for the ball. Payne will love to have another player who will force turnovers and fight for loose balls.

Welcome, Claire!

by Sam Metivier
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It’s unclear if Hammond has eligibility left.

While the departures of Assane Diop and RJ Smith caught Colorado fans off guard, the latest Buff to enter the transfer portal is even more shocking.

That would be Julian Hammond III, the senior point guard. We all knew he would leave the program, but the real surprise is that he has eligibility left after playing 121 games across four seasons in Boulder.

It’s unclear where Hammond will go, or if he’s even eligible to play next season. He didn’t redshirt and he never missed significant time with injury. He was a high school senior during the Covid season and he never played JUCO as he was Colorado’s highest rated prospect.

Colorado is still retooling its roster, but they already have their Hammond replacement. Last week Tad Boyle landed Barrington Hargress, the transfer from UC Riverside who averaged more than 20 points and 4 assists this past season.

by Sam Metivier
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Teon Parks and Terrance Love are headed to Boulder

Deion Sanders is staying true to his word after CU’s spring game, as the Buffs have been active within the transfer portal. Almost immediately after the conclusion of the Black vs. Gold game, Sanders landed two key commitments to bolster the secondary from former Illinois State cornerback Teon Parks and Auburn safety Terrance Love.

Parks visited for Colorado’s spring game and committed to the program nearly 45 minutes after the conclusion of the festivities. With the Redbirds, Parks established himself as one of the top corners within FCS, tallying 41 tackles, 11 pass break-ups and a pick in 2024. Parks was one of ISU’s best players and was a key reason for their 10-4 season and FCS Playoff birth last season. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback comes to Boulder with two years of eligibility remaining. Expect Parks to play a significant role as a depth piece within CU’s cornerback room, even if he doesn’t start for the Buffs in 2025.

Love was also in town for CU’s spring game and evidently liked what he saw, committing to play in Boulder on Sunday afternoon. During his two seasons at Auburn, Love profiled as a key depth piece for the Tigers, playing in 22 games and recording eight tackles and a pass deflection. Love has two years of eligibility remaining and is another stellar depth pickup for Colorado. Love is now the likely frontrunner to fill in for either Byard or Carter Stoutmire at safety when one of the two needs to exit the game for whatever reason.

Headed into the spring transfer portal period, the Colorado Buffaloes had one major concern: depth within the secondary. CU’s starters within the secondary are top-notch, studded with the likes of Preston Hodge, DJ McKinney, Tawfiq Byard and Colton Hood, but the depth behind them was questionable at best. With the additions of Love and Parks, that concern is now squashed.

Expect the Buffs to remain active in the portal within the coming days. Sanders dropped some big hints about his portal plans during his presser after the spring game, so we’ll keep you updated here at Ralphie Report as soon as any news breaks.

by RylandScholes
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Stuart
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