Colorado's transfer portal blueprint paying off for another top team

Coach Prime created a trend that will be more popular in the coming years

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The 2024 college football season is witnessing two of the most dramatic program turnarounds in recent history. The 5th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers under Curt Cignetti and the 16th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes under Deion Sanders, have emerged as two of the most talked-about teams in the nation. While their approaches to building successful programs have been different in many respects, both coaches share a common strategy that has been instrumental to their success: a transformative use of the transfer portal.

The Buffs were in dire straits in 2022, finishing with a dismal 1-11 record. Rick George understood the need for drastic change and set his sights on Deion Sanders, a charismatic coach with a proven record of success at both the high school level and Jackson State. Sanders brought his unique brand of leadership to Boulder, turning the program into a media sensation while rapidly overhauling the roster.

In his first year, Sanders guided the Buffaloes to a 4-8 record, a marked improvement from the previous season, with the help of standout players like his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and two-way star Travis Hunter. Other key contributors, including Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Shilo Sanders, also played pivotal roles in Colorado’s resurgence.

The second season has been even more impressive. The Buffaloes are 8-2, marking their best record since 2016, when they finished 10-4 under Mike MacIntyre. With two games remaining, Coach Prime has a chance to match or surpass that win total and potentially lead the Buffaloes to the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. The turnaround has been fueled by 43 transfers in 2024, the highest number in the nation for the second consecutive season. Notable additions include wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, who is second on the team with nine touchdown receptions, offensive lineman Khalil Benson, and linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, who leads the team in sacks with 5.5. The transfer portal has not only transformed Colorado’s roster but also revitalized the program’s national relevance.

Indiana’s turnaround has been even more extraordinary. The Hoosiers went 3-9 in 2023, a result that underscored the program’s longstanding struggles in the Big Ten. However, the hiring of Cignetti in November 2023 marked the beginning of a new era. Cignetti, who brought decades of coaching experience—including stints at Alabama under Nick Saban and as head coach at James Madison—quickly implemented his winning formula in Bloomington.

In just one season, Indiana has achieved a perfect 10-0 record, the first double-digit win season in the program’s history. The Hoosiers have thrived under the leadership of transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who has thrown 21 touchdowns, and wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, one of 13 players to follow Cignetti from James Madison. Defensively, the Hoosiers have been anchored by linebacker Aiden Fisher, ranked 11th nationally in total tackles, and defensive end Mikail Kamara, tied for seventh in the nation with 9.5 sacks.

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Indiana’s roster overhaul included 31 transfers, the third-highest total in the nation, alongside 36 returning scholarship players. Like Sanders at Colorado, Cignetti leveraged the transfer portal to address critical roster gaps and inject the program with new talent. The results speak for themselves: Indiana has gone from Big Ten bottom-feeder to conference contender in a single season.

The transfer portal has been the cornerstone of success for both programs, enabling Sanders and Cignetti to rebuild their rosters almost overnight. Colorado set the standard in 2023 with 52 incoming transfers, and the trend continued in 2024 with another 43 additions. Indiana, meanwhile, followed suit with 31 transfers, including several key contributors who previously played for Cignetti at James Madison.

The sheer volume of transfers is staggering, but it is the quality of these players that has made the difference. For Colorado, offensive standouts like Wester, Will Sheppard, and Dallan Hayden have complemented defensive stalwarts such as Hill-Green, Chidozie Nwankwo, and D.J. McKinney. Similarly, Indiana’s offense has been bolstered by Rourke and Sarratt, while Fisher and Kamara have anchored the defense.

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While Sanders and Cignetti have vastly different personalities—Sanders is a magnetic, media-savvy leader, while Cignetti is a disciplined, behind-the-scenes tactician—they share an unwavering commitment to winning. Both coaches have transformed their programs through bold decisions, innovative strategies, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

As the season progresses, both teams have legitimate chances to make the College Football Playoff, a testament to the effectiveness of their respective approaches. The turnarounds at Colorado and Indiana highlight the changing landscape of college football, where the transfer portal has become a powerful tool for rebuilding programs. These success stories demonstrate that with visionary leadership and the right players, even struggling programs can rise to prominence in record time.