CU Buffs’ best defensive player also hits the portal

The meltdown continued on Wednesday for Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes as the Buffs’ best defensive player followed in the footsteps of the team’s top offensive player, and is hitting the transfer portal as well.

Rivals reports that CU’s starting safety, Tawfiq Byard, plans to enter the portal. He was arguably the team’s No. 1 defender this fall, playing in 12 games where he recorded 85 tackles, eight of which were for a loss, including two forced fumbles while deflecting four passes and snagging an interception. He transferred from South Florida last winter, after two seasons with the Bulls.

Byard earned All-Big 12 honorable mention honors and was named the PFF top safety of the week after his game in Week 7. He led CU’s defensive backfield in snaps at 575, and led the team with 57 solo tackles. At the end of the regular season, he was 11th in total tackles and 3rd in unassisted tackles in the Big 12. He was also tied for 26th in the country for unassisted tackles.

Meanwhile, Miller was the Colorado Buffaloes‘ leading receiver in 2025, hauling in a team-best 45 catches and a team-high 808 yards, as well as the most receiving touchdowns on the team at eight.

So Coach Prime lost both his leading pass-catcher and leading tackler in the same hour as the Buffs’ offseason starts on a very sour note.

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