Colorado OL Payton Kirkland plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
Colorado offensive lineman Payton Kirkland plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3’s Hayes Fawcett has confirmed. The 6-foot-7, 325-pound offensive lineman will have four years of eligibility remaining. He started his career with the Texas Longhorns before transferring to the Buffaloes this spring.
While at Texas, he didn’t see any game action. Coming out of high school, Kirkland was tabbed as the No. 535 overall player in the nation, and the No. 31 offensive tackle in America. He also was pegged as a three-star prospect, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.
Colorado had a successful 2024 campaign, finishing with a 9-3 overall record, fueled by prolific numbers from their two superstars, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. It was the Buffaloes best record since the 2016 season, when Colorado went 10-4 overall under head coach Mike MacIntyre. The Buffaloes will now await their matchup in the upcoming bowl season.
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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has played himself into being one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to the majority of draft analysts. He completed 74.2% of his passes for 3,926 passing yards, while tossing in 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. There’s no question the Buffaloes don’t have nearly the season they’ve had without Sanders and his impressive play at the signal-caller position.
Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter has cemented himself as the Heisman Trophy front-runner. It’ll likely come down to him and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in the battle for college football’s most coveted individual prize. Hunter has put together one of the best two-way seasons the sport will see in quite some time. He hauled in 14 receiving touchdowns, leading the Big 12 in that stat category. Hunter also finished with 92 catches and 1,152 receiving yards. As a defensive back, he only allowed one touchdown and snatched four interceptions.