Ole Miss OT transfer Mana Taimani commits to Colorado

Former Ole Miss offensive tackle Mana Taimani has committed to Deion Sanders and Colorado out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned.

Taimani previously entered the portal on Dec. 9 after spending two seasons with the Rebels. A college journeyman, Taimani began his career at Wyoming before transferring to the JUCO ranks to play for Diablo Valley College. He arrived in Oxford in the spring before the 2023 season.

Taimani’s most fruitful season with Ole Miss came in 2023. He participated in 12 games for the Rebels but primarily played special teams. The 6-foot-4, 345-pounder played along the offensive line three times that season. Otherwise, he was a mainstay on the line during field goals, punts and other special situations.

2024 saw Taimani see action in four games for the Rebels. He played in blowout wins over Furman, Middle Tennessee and Georgia Southern, as well as during the loss to Kentucky. He did not appear in-game for Ole Miss past the Kentucky game.

Before arriving on campus, Taimani was one of the top JUCO recruits in the country and held offers from Auburn, Oklahoma State and more. He played two seasons at Wyoming before that, meaning he is set to enter his sixth season of college football in 2025.

He’ll join a Colorado team that will have to seek a new identity in 2025 after losing both QB1 Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy-winner Travis Hunter to the NFL Draft in April. Taimani appears to be a part of that effort along the offensive line in Boulder next season.

The portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024 — the same day that Taimani entered it. More than 2,800 FBS scholarship players entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer database during the 2023-24 school year. Removing those who withdrew or went pro, the final total sat at 2,707 transfers.

That means roughly 25 percent of all FBS scholarship players hit free agency in one year, per On3’s Pete Nakos. It remains to be seen how those numbers stack up during the 2024-25 school year.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.