Deion Sanders, Colorado Land Transfer Portal Commitment From Former 5-Star RB

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Deion Sanders, Colorado Land Transfer Portal Commitment From Former 5-Star RB

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes added another key piece to their offseason rebuild this weekend, with the transfer portal having already closed for entries at the end of Friday.

The Buffaloes landed former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Richard Young through the transfer portal, according to On3’s Griffin McVeigh.

Young, a former five-star rusher out of Florida at the time of his commitment, played three seasons with the Crimson Tide but never found consistent playing time.

The former Alabama player appeared in 15 games through three seasons with the Crimson Tide, rushing for 234 yards and five touchdowns on 59 carries. He added 13 receiving yards on two receptions throughout his career there.

Now, the 5-foot-11, 212-pound back will head west to Boulder, where he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining as his three games played during his freshman year allowed him to redshirt that season.

As things stand, the Buffaloes have lost 37 players to the portal this cycle while adding 40 new performers through it. They also have 12 signed letters of intent from 2026 commits and are waiting on the decisions of three more players.

Young is the third transfer running back to join the Buffaloes this cycle, joining Damian Henderson II and Jaquail Smith. His arrival comes as Colorado continues a massive roster overhaul after a 3–9 season that ended with a five-game losing streak and no road wins.

Once the No. 7 running back in the 2023 class, Young had offers from over 50 programs and took official visits to Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Oregon before signing with Alabama on Dec. 2022 and enrolling the following spring.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While Young’s snaps were limited in Tuscaloosa, appearing in just 131 total on offense across three years, getting 61 touches, Young will boost Colorado’s backfield for the 2026 season, as three of their performers from 2025 entered the portal and are expected to leave.

Young was the only Alabama running back to enter the portal after the 2025 season, with the Crimson Tide landing no rusher to make up for his departure via transfer portal.

That said, Alabama has landed the No. 2 running back in the 2026 class in Ezavier Crowell, also the No. 29 overall player in his class, per 247Sports, and Trae’shawn Brown.

Colorado’s season, meanwhile, ended with a 24–14 loss to Kansas State in late November, a game after which Sanders made clear that change was coming.

“If anybody’s built to reconcile and get this thing back on course, it’s me,” Sanders said.

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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