Texas transfer OL Payton Kirkland commits to Colorado

Former Texas offensive lineman Payton Kirkland has committed to Colorado, via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Kirkland only spent one season with the Longhorns. He did not see any action in his debut campaign with the team.

Payton Kirkland played high school football at Dr. Phillips (FL), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 533 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

At 6-foot-6, 350 pounds, Kirkland played all five positions on the offensive line during his senior season in high school. He was selected to the All-Metro Orlando Team in 2022.

Kirkland is the 27th player Colorado has added in the transfer portal. The program has also lost 35 players. The Buffaloes are currently the No. 3 team in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

Deion Sanders calms anxieties surrounding transfer portal

While many fans have panicked about Colorado’s substantial losses in the portal, head coach Deion Sanders is not worried. On Thursday, the NFL Hall-of-Famer addressed the program’s substantial transfer departures.

“I wish you guys do a little more homework when you start talking about the portal and understand what we losing, What are we losing? I got time today,” Sanders said. “What are we losing? Potential? Where? You haven’t been watching practice have you? We good. We’re good.

“I trust the recruiting team,” Sanders said. “I trust that coaches and please have some faith in me. We aight. We alright. What happens with the portal man, and you guys need to know, a lot of people are fighting for backups. When a guy is a starter and he transfers you got to really think about that. I mean, is he really that? I don’t know how many starters have really transferred around the country.”

Of course, Sanders could see behind the scenes. On another instance, he insinuated his team wasn’t done adding players in the portal yet.

“I think we got some coming in for visits pretty soon, maybe even this weekend,” Sanders said. “But we can attract those type of players, but I don’t think we’re losing those type of players. And if we do, we’re good. We’re good. Quit making a big deal out of that. 

“God I want to say so much stuff, but I can’t. God I want to say so much stuff. I can’t. Gotta remember I’m a head coach. Let’s go.”