The silence of the 2026 NFL Draft was deafening for Deion Sanders’ program. But while no Buffaloes heard their names called, the phones are now ringing, and one call came from north of the border.

Former Colorado defensive lineman Tristan Marois has been drafted by Canadian Football League franchise Calgary Stampeders in the third round of the CFL draft with the 27th overall pick. The program posted the video on their official X account, with one of their coaches putting a call through to Marois to inform him of the news.

“We just drafted you,” Stampeders’ DC Bob Slowik told Marois on the call. “I hope you’re ready to go. Let’s go, Tristan. We’re ready for it. Loved watching you at that Combine, getting off the ball, getting first in line all the time. That can’t change now. When you come up here, when you come up with the drills, I want to see you first.”

Marois had been drawing interest from the CFL as far back as the Colorado Pro Day. Even as many players had their minds set on the NFL, the international player stated he was “absolutely” open to playing in the CFL.

The 6-foot-2, 249-pounder had a broad jump mark of 10 feet, a shuttle drill of 4.83, and a 3-cone drill of 7.70 at Colorado’s Pro Day. The exceptional performances of the Buffaloes were firmly rooted in Coach Prime’s support, as one of his players recalled him giving him words of encouragement.

“You got this, man, you got this,” wide receiver Sincere Brown reiterated Deion Sanders’ words.

His stock rose after the CFL Combine, where he reportedly excelled in every metric.

“The top testing pass rusher at the combine, Tristan Marois, embraced every role he was given,” Marshall Ferguson wrote. “Different alignments, different responsibilities, it didn’t matter. He kept his head down, worked, and showed consistent effort throughout.”

As a senior, Marois appeared in all 12 games of the 2025 season and played primarily on special teams. He contributed 32 snaps across seven games on defense and finished the season with three total tackles and two quarterback hurries on defense.

Before his move to Colorado, he played at Robert Morris and appeared in 13 games over two seasons, registering 26 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, three and a half sacks, four quarterback hurries, and one safety.

The Calgary Stampeders, alongside Tristan Marois, added six more players in the draft: Angelo State’s linebacker Eric Rascoe, Wilfrid Laurier’s receiver Jesulayomi Ojutalayo, University of Calgary Dinos’ receiver Matt Sibley, Guelph’s offensive lineman Mitchel Schechinger, Queen’s defensive lineman Steven Kpehe, and Saskatchewan’s offensive lineman Jack Warrack.

Colorado undrafted players receive professional football hope

The Colorado Buffaloes have now experienced a change in fortune after the NFL draft snub. Three other Buffaloes have secured NFL rookie mini-camp invitations: Keaton Wade got an invitation from the Chiefs, Amari McNeil from both the Chiefs and Panthers, Kaidon Salter from the Tennessee Titans, and Zarian McGill from the Denver Broncos.

The post-draft opportunities spread across the league, with wide receiver Sincere Brown landing with the Los Angeles Chargers. OL Xavier Hill is going to the New York Jets, DE Arden Walker is signing with the Vikings, and defensive back Preston Hodge is joining the Jacksonville Jaguars, showing that NFL teams are still watching Colorado’s talent.

There is some hope for Sanders players, as the program has had 68 undrafted players reach final NFL rosters, with at least one UDFA making an NFL roster for 11 consecutive seasons.