Dylan Edwards set to be latest Colorado running back to enter transfer portal

Colorado’s running back room is going to look a lot different in 2024.

Per multiple reports, Buffaloes RB Dylan Edwards will enter transfer portal after he was an immediate contributor as a freshman. The former four-star recruit from Kansas had 76 carries for 321 yards and 36 catches for 299 yards with five total touchdowns in 2023. Three of those touchdowns came in Colorado's season-opening win over TCU as Edwards had five catches for 135 yards.

Edwards is the third running back to enter the transfer portal in the past week and the fourth running back to leave the school since the end of the season. He joins Sy’veon Wilkerson and former Houston running back Alton McCaskill in the portal. McCaskill had just 14 carries over four games a season ago as he recovered from a knee injury and Wilkerson was the team’s third-leading rusher with 190 yards and three touchdowns.

Leading rusher Anthony Hankerson entered the transfer portal in December. Hankerson, who has joined Oregon State, had 78 carries for 319 yards in 2023.

Thanks to serious offensive line struggles, Colorado was one of the worst rushing teams in the country in 2023. The Buffaloes averaged just 69 yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry. QB Shedeur Sanders was sacked 52 times across 11 games.

Coach Deion Sanders made upgrading the offensive line a huge priority over the offseason and the team’s lone five-star high school recruit in the class of 2024 is offensive lineman Jordan Seaton. The team has also added six transfer offensive linemen rated at three stars or better according to Rivals.

Edwards’ transfer came after former Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden committed to the Buffaloes. Hayden rushed 111 times for 553 yards and five touchdowns in 2022. He played in just three games in 2023 due to injury and had 19 carries for 110 yards and a TD.

Given the churn at the position, Hayden is now the favorite to open the season as Colorado’s starter. Having a functional run game in 2024 will be pivotal to the Buffs’ chances of improvement. Colorado’s inability to run the ball hamstrung its offense repeatedly throughout the 2023 season.

At the moment, Colorado has the top-ranked transfer class in the country, according to Rivals. Sanders has added 30 players to Colorado's roster through the portal. But there's also been a lot of players leaving. Former five-star cornerback Cormani McClain has entered the transfer portal and the team has had more than 30 outgoing transfers.