The Colorado Buffaloes will seem like a new team altogether this season, with stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders going pro. Head Coach Deion Sanders is keeping recruiting running in the meantime, but he is also losing players to the portal. However, not everyone fares well after entering the portal. After departing from Coach Prime’s shelter, can this transfer prospect hope for continuity in his still-new CFB career?
The running back room in Colorado has recently become a problem. Deion Sanders still looked fine after losing key RB Isaiah Augustave to the transfer portal. He still had returning sophomore Micah Welch to lead the room, along with Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden. Below them was Brandon Hood, who had yet to record a carry. But he was a valuable talent nonetheless and was the last dependable name in the RB room. Now, Sanders has lost him, too, to the transfer portal.
Brandon followed his cornerback brother Colton Hood from Colorado, seeking better opportunities. They were among the six sets of siblings who featured in last year’s roster. But unlike his brother, who has already committed to Tennessee, Brandon has yet to find any offers. He entered the portal around 10 days ago, but Colton was scheduling visits from April 29. He was also looking at Miami before announcing his commitment yesterday. Brandon will have four years of eligibility to proceed with at his next stop, but the lack of interest from programs is worrying.
Colorado RB Brandon Hood still available in the transfer portal @Hoodx26 https://t.co/pT12S1W5Y5
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) May 3, 2025
The situation is even more confusing because it’s not that Hood comes with bad numbers. His prep career consists of 4,012 yards. Programs like Tennessee and LSU were also recruiting him. But Deion Sanders stepped up in 2024 after seeing no players and signed him. In school, he was also a track star and published time records of 10-11 seconds in the 100-meter dash. He struggled with an ACL injury in his final years at high school but was keen on stepping up for Colorado. Before that year, Brandon had a great sophomore year, rushing for 1,381 yards. Now, however, he holds no ratings or rankings as a transfer portal prospect.
Hood has a connection at Auburn University via his uncle, NFL veteran Roderick Hood. He played 47 games as a DB with the program and was a great return specialist. He played pro football for 8 years. His cousin D’Antoine and older brother Ben Hood also played for the Tigers. Colton, too, signed with the program initially before transferring to Colorado. Auburn made Brandon an offer when he was in high school, but the campaign didn’t pan out. Now, he has a fear of being stranded in the portal because there’s no activity surrounding his activity yet.
Deion Sanders’ RB room problem continues to linger
Hood’s departure leaves the running back room lacking in depth. With him gone, the depth chart is thin, featuring only Welch and Hayden as reliable talents. Sanders needs to find additional players to bolster this position. If either Welch or Hayden suffers injuries, who could step in? With Augustave also gone, Hood had the potential to move up the depth chart and play a more significant role than in previous seasons. Last season, the Buffaloes’ run game struggled, averaging only 65 yards per game.
The brothers’ exit is going to be pinching for some time at Deion Sanders, as they were talents who could fill up gaps left by pro players. Travis Hunter vacated a spot for Colton, where he could’ve carried on the role. On the other hand, Brandon is also touted as a replacement for Isaiah. Deion Sanders announced that he was looking for two more running backs, but that effort will see some more problems. He had hoped to land the top RB in the portal, Javian Thomas, but he has now joined UCLA.
Player losses are slowly growing to be a nagging problem for Deion Sanders. It shows that retention is something to be worked upon as well. Coach Prime now has a total of 25 portal losses this offseason, which is a worrying number. But the loss of the brothers is an important one for Colorado, who could’ve had their breakout seasons this year, in a team that will headline new faces. Will Brandon manage to find a new home for the future of his career?
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