Deion Sanders went portal shopping for four transfer offensive linemen, but what is Colorado actually getting in its latest commits?

Deion Sanders wasn’t lying. 

Less than a week ago, Coach Prime went on a media blitz telling several outlets that he was confident in Colorado’s ability to land multiple offensive linemen from the transfer portal. 

“I am in the portal like like I’m not hard to find, I’m not hard to find and guess what I’m finding? Lineman!” Sanders said on the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz.

“You guys watched us play what did you say, if they had some of those guys, they would be right there guess what today is—portal day and I’m going get those things you said I need.”

Well, the Buffs exited the first weekend of the 2024 Transfer Portal window with a herd of new linemen — potentially a brand new starting five. After his latest five-star stunner by beating out Ohio State, Alabama and Tennessee for the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, Sanders then plucked four veteran offensive linemen from the transfer portal.

Of the commitments, the headliner is UTEP left guard Justin Mayers, On3’s No. 3 overall interior linemen in the portal. The other commits include Indiana right tackle Kahlil Benson, Houston guard Tyler Johnson and UCONN center Yakiri Walker. 

The Buffs are probably not done recruiting the position, either, hopeful to add at least another transfer tackle to the mix this cycle, too. 

Colorado’s offensive line woes were one of the major storylines of the Buffs’ rollercoaster 2023 season. Shedeur Sanders posted solid stats, particularly the first six weeks of the year, despite playing behind the worst pass-protecting OL in the country. He was sacked 56 times, the most among all quarterbacks nationally. Colorado couldn’t run the ball, either, allowing 86 tackles for loss and averaging just 2.31 yards per carry. They didn’t have a single rusher (tailback or quarterback) rush for more than 75 yards in a game all year. 

Colorado’s 2023 starting offensive line featured three transfers, so there’s no guarantee the new bodies will simply be add water, see results in 2024. 

But maybe?

Here’s a breakdown of the transfer offensive linemen Colorado landed: 

Of the bunch, there’s little debate that Justin Mayers is the crown jewel of the haul. The UTEP left guard is 6-foot-3, 309 pounds and graded out as a real-plus run blocker and pass blocker in over 800 snaps last season for the Miners. He finished as the 3rd-best lineman in the CUSA, per PFF, allowing just six hurries all season. He was a CUSA honorable mention all-conference performer.

Fellow guard Tyler Johnson is also a big-bodied vet. The Houston transfer will stay in the Big 12, and although he was just a so-so run-blocker, the former Cougar was a Top 20 pass protector in the Big 12 in 2023. Considering the volume of interior pressure Shedeur Sanders faced last, both Mayers and Johnson should be seen as plus additions for the Buffs. 

The other two transfer adds come with more uncertainty. But that’s the world recruiting transfer offensive linemen. 

Players like Mayers are the Brazilian nuts in a mixed bag. There are way more peanuts and broken almonds for OL in the portal. 

Indiana tackle Kahlil Benson is 6-6, 310. So he’s definitely a solid body. But he was bad for the Hoosiers in 2023 as the team’s starting right tackle (774 snaps). He allowed a whopping 37 pressures and graded out (44.9) as the 3rd-worst pass blocking linemen in the Big Ten, per PFF. 

For context, Colorado’s starting tackles last season — the ones that contributed to Sanders suffering a back fracture that caused him to miss the final game of the season — allowed 40 pressures and 20 pressures, each. 

So Benson is somewhere between a net neutral and a potential downgrade. 

Lastly, Colorado brought in UCONN center Yakiri Walker to replace Van Wells, the team’s best lineman in 2023. Walker logged 797 snaps and graded out as a complete average blocker against both the run and pass (65.6).

So as the dust settles, where does that leave the Buffs? Notably, PFF grades are not gospel. They simply provide a data point and added context to the caliber of linemen Colorado brought in this weekend. 

Just with Mayers and Johnson, plus the future addition of 5-star Jordan Seaton, Colorado’s OL is better off today than it was when it ended the 2023 season. There are reasons to be skeptical about Benson, and starting a freshman at tackle is going to come with some natural growing pains. So it would behoove Deion Sanders to keep shopping down the linemen aisle, adding as many bodies with experience as he can.