Deion Sanders lures brother of NFL All-Pro safety to Colorado in latest transfer portal victory
Under Deion Sanders, the Colorado Buffaloes have adopted a unique roster-building strategy. In addition to chasing after only top-end high school prospects, Sanders aggressively targets transfer portal options who fit his mold. Colorado takes in few recruits, so this is a higher-risk model that strains the staff to find matches in the volatile portal. Sanders […]
Under Deion Sanders, the Colorado Buffaloes have adopted a unique roster-building strategy. In addition to chasing after only top-end high school prospects, Sanders aggressively targets transfer portal options who fit his mold. Colorado takes in few recruits, so this is a higher-risk model that strains the staff to find matches in the volatile portal.
Sanders just landed one of those impact targets as USF safety Tawfiq Byard committed to Colorado. Tawfiq is the brother of NFL All-Pro Safety Kevin Byard.
Kevin Byard has made First-Team All-Pro twice in his nine-year career and is enjoying a bit of a renaissance season with Chicago. With 861 tackles and 29 interceptions throughout his career, Byard has been stellar well-beyond when he's gotten top NFL honors.
His rangy playmaking helped define the Tennessee Titans' defenses from 2016 through 2023 before he was traded to Philadelphia.
This is a significant step for the Buffaloes as they aim to enhance their defense, which was ranked 37th in points allowed per game (22) and 43rd in opponent passing yards (204.7).
In his last two seasons with the Bulls, Byard has recorded 59 tackles, two sacks, and one interception. Coming out of high school, 247Sports rated him as a three-star prospect and placed him as the No. 134 safety in the 2023 class.
Byard is among a group of incoming defensive transfers, which includes three-star defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot, three-star linebacker Reginald Hughes, and three-star cornerback Makari Vickers.
