As part of this offseason portal movement, Deion Sanders lost the two-way player he once publicly labeled as the next Travis Hunter. Isaiah Hardge moved on to Tennessee. On Sunday, he committed to Josh Heupel and the Vols while visiting campus. For Colorado, it was a miss. But as one departure closed a door, another opened. 

“Former Ohio State guard Jayvon McFadden is transferring to Colorado,” OSU beat writer Dan Hope reported on X on January 18. 

The redshirt freshman heads west with four years of eligibility remaining, becoming another Big Ten-to-Boulder addition for Deion Sanders and another depth loss for Ryan Day.

Jayvon McFadden was a 4-star recruit out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The 247Sports Composite ranked him No. 391 overall and No. 24 among interior offensive linemen in the 2025 class. At Ohio State, opportunity never materialized. He was limited to just 15 snaps, all at right guard, during a single appearance against Grambling State. With Luke Montgomery returning at left guard and multiple options crowding the right guard competition, he faced a blocked path entering 2026.

There is also irony layered in this move. Jayvon McFadden is the cousin of former Colorado left tackle Jordan Seaton. When he announced his portal entry, Seaton publicly commented, “Yoo! U wanna play together?” That exchange came before Seaton himself entered the portal. The Buffs now get the cousin while Jordan Seaton moves on.

Deion Sanders also secured a commitment from former Indiana DB Jah Jah Boyd. He’s another Big Ten transfer with eligibility and upside, who played five games for the Hoosiers in 2025, recording eight tackles and a forced fumble. Rated a 3-star recruit by 247Sports, he was viewed as a two-way player coming out of high school, a profile Deion Sanders has consistently targeted since arriving in Boulder.

Jah Jah Boyd stands 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighing around 173 lbs. His redshirt profile aligns with Deion Sanders’ emphasis on fast and athletic defensive backs who can contribute across roles, including special teams. Also, Boyd’s multi-phase experience, like tackles and forced fumbles, adds competition and special teams value without high cost.

Together, Boyd and McFadden represent Colorado’s 42nd and 43rd transfer additions, keeping the Buffs 21st in the national portal rankings. Deion Sanders is still reshaping the roster aggressively, even as national attention shifts elsewhere. And while they keep adding, Ohio State’s portal story remains more complicated.

Ryan Day’s strategic portal reload 

Ohio State’s defensive reset tells the larger story. After losing eight of 11 starters from the nation’s top-scoring defense, the Buckeyes have leaned on selective portal additions while absorbing steady departures. On Sunday, former Ohio State DT Trajen Odom committed to Arkansas, marking the exit of all three freshman DTs from last season’s class.

The 3-star prospect in the 2025 class played just 10 snaps across three games and recorded no statistics. His departure followed Jarquez Carter to Miami and Maxwell Roy to UCLA. Redshirt sophomore Eric Mensah also left for Virginia Tech. 

Ohio State still holds eight scholarship DTs for 2026, bolstered by transfers James Smith from Alabama and John Walker from UCF. Smith stands as the crown jewel. He produced 26 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss for Alabama in 2025, bringing proven SEC production. Walker, UCF’s starting nose tackle, added 40 tackles and offers rotational stability inside. 4-star edge rusher Qua Russaw arrived alongside Smith, filling a vacancy left by Caden Curry’s graduation.

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Still, the numbers remain stark. Ohio State added 16 transfers, but 33 players left Columbus. Defense and special teams accounted for 10 additions and 16 departures, while Deion Sanders poached yet another Buckeye on offense. It remains to be seen how his roster additions fare in the upcoming season.